Book Review: The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith - Page 2

The eponymous final story is a touching love story in which one of the characters works hard to convince herself that her new relationship is nothing special. Her lover is not discouraged.

"You're not the first person who ever made me feel like this, you know, I say.

I'm the first person today, though, you say."

The passage is indicative of Smith's thinking, a focus on living in the present. It also shows her fondness for quoting her characters with "I say — you say — he said — she said" phrases as opposed to direct quotes. At times it can be confusing on who is speaking, but Smith is likely intentional here. She also often leaves genders, especially in relationships, unspoken. How the reader interprets these stories may say as much about them as Smith.

Overall we see Smith experimenting with the short story form, and like most experiments there are both failures and successes. But like most experiments, they are worth the effort.

Article Author: Derek Emerson

Derek Emerson is a college administrator who also teaches entry-level English. He has his Masters in Professional Writing from Western Michigan University and has been involved in freelance writing, editing, layout, and design work for over ten years. …

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