There but for the

Présentation de l'éditeur 'There once was a man who, one night between the main course and the sweet at a dinner party, went upstairs and locked himself in one of the bedrooms of the house of the people who were giving the dinner party . . . 'As the hours turn to days to weeks to months and the consequences of this stranger's actions ripple outwards, touching the owners, the guests, the neighbourhood then the whole country, so Ali Smith draws us into a beautiful, strange place where everyone is so much more than they at first appear. Revue de presse Whimsically devastating. Playful, humorous, serious, profoundly clever and profoundly affecting ( Guardian ) Remarkable. A brilliant novel: funny, serious, always surprising, always true ( The Times ) I take my hat off to Ali Smith. Her writing lifts the soul ( Evening Standard ) A playfully serious or seriously playful novel full of wit and pleasure. Wonderful ( Observer ) Eccentric, adventurous, intoxicating, dazzling. This is a novel with serious ambitions that remains huge fun to read. The writing dances along ( Literary Review ) Poignant, empathetic, funny. A book full of kindness and compassion ( Time Out ) Fizzying, affectionate, sparkling. Smith presents her world view in words as fresh as lemons. A joyful read ( Herald ) A tour de force (Lionel Shriver Financial Times ) A virtuoso piece of writing, both funny and gripping . . . Smith is a writer with a rich array of conventional strengths ( Times Literary Supplement ) A must read ( Toronto NOW ) Biographie de l'auteur Ali Smith was born in Inverness in 1962 and lives in Cambridge. She is the author of Free Love, Like, Hotel World, Other Stories and Other Stories, The Whole Story and Other Stories, The Accidental, Girl Meets Boy and The First Person and Other Stories.