Clasici contemporani. TOAMNA. Ali Smith

Daniel is a hundred years old. His friend Elisabeth was born in 1984. They think about their past and what lies ahead. Around them, deep rifts split Britain after a summer of great change. Love takes hold and fades, while hope vies with despair.

Ali Smith’s novel looks at how people age and face change. It links time and love with the autumn harvest. The seasons turn, though turmoil fills people’s lives. Smith pairs grief with joy, and anger at wrongs with hope. Small acts of care bring warmth amid the sadness.

This is the first of Smith’s four seasonal novels. This edition forms part of the Clasici contemporani series. An extract traces November’s shift towards winter. It looks closely at leaves, seeds and a rose still in bloom.