Hotel World
8 journalers for this copy...
Five disparate voices inhabit Ali Smith's dreamlike, mesmerising Hotel World, set in the luxurious anonymity of the Global Hotel, in an unnamed northern English city. The disembodied yet interconnected characters include Sara, a 19-year-old chambermaid who has recently died at the hotel; her bereaved sister, Clare, who visits the scene of Sara's death; Penny, an advertising copywriter who is staying in the room opposite; Lise, the Global's depressed receptionist; and the homeless Else who begs on the street outside. Smith's ambitious prose explores all facets of language and its uses. Sara takes us through the moment of her exit from the world and beyond; in her desperate, fading grip on words and senses she gropes to impart the meaning of her death in what she terms "the lift for dishes"--then comes a flash of clarity: "That's the name for it, the name for it; that's it; dumb waiter dumb waiter dumb waiter." Blended with hers are other voices: Penny's bland journalese and Else's obsession with metaphysical poetry.
Hotel World is not an easy read: disturbing and witty by turns, with its stream-of-consciousness narrators reminiscent of Virgina Woolf's The Waves, its deceptively rambling language is underpinned by a formal construction. Exploring the "big themes" of love, death and millennial capitalism, it takes as its starting point Muriel Spark's Momento Mori ("Remember you must die") and counteracts this axiom with a resolute "Remember you must live". Ali Smith's novel is a daring, compelling, and frankly spooky read.
Taking to Saturday's Birmingham meetup
Journal Entry
2 by
shnedwards at
Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, May 26, 2012
PIcked up at the meetup
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3 by
shnedwards at
Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
I enjoyed this! Putting it into the box for the Unconvention in Colchester.
Journal Entry
4 by
shnedwards at
BCUK Unconvention 2012 in Colchester, Essex United Kingdom on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Released 11 yrs ago (9/29/2012 UTC) at BCUK Unconvention 2012 in Colchester, Essex United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
To be left on the NSS table at the Unconvention for Cinderess.
Journal Entry
5 by
Cinderess at
Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thank you very much! Hopefully we'll meet and get to say hello over the weekend.
30.09 It was nice to finally see you and speak :-)
Journal Entry
6 by
Cinderess at
Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Haunting.
When I reached the end I went back and reread the first chapter.
The chapter with no punctuation takes a bit of perseverance but is genuinely touching and pulls together the rest of the book.
Journal Entry
7 by
Cinderess at
Camel & Artichoke in Waterloo, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, December 14, 2012
Released 11 yrs ago (12/15/2012 UTC) at Camel & Artichoke in Waterloo, Greater London United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Journal Entry
8 by
wyldetwo at
-- Trains, Tube, Buses --, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, December 16, 2012
Picked this up at the London Xmas meet yesterday - so it's returned to the West Midlands!
Journal Entry
9 by
wyldetwo at
Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, September 26, 2013
Having to cull my TBR pile as moving house soon ... this book is off to Leeds!
Journal Entry
10 by
wyldetwo at
BCUK Unconvention 2013 in Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 26, 2013
Released 10 yrs ago (9/27/2013 UTC) at BCUK Unconvention 2013 in Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I am releasing this book to the book buffet at BCUK Unconvention 2013 in Leeds! If not picked up by another attendee it will probably end up on being wild released somewhere on the streets of Leeds on Sunday morning!
If this is your first experience with BookCrossing, thanks so much for picking up this book and coming to the BookCrossing website to find out what it's all about. Welcome to the addictive world of BookCrossing!
I look forward to hearing what you thought of this book, and of your plans for it.
Journal Entry
11 by
fleurdelys at
Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Monday, September 30, 2013
Caught at the Leeds Unconvention. Looking forward to reading this! Thank you :)
Journal Entry
12 by
fleurdelys at
Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Thursday, December 5, 2013
I was really disappointed with this book, and must confess I found myself skipping over pages.
Journal Entry
13 by
fleurdelys at
Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Thursday, December 5, 2013
Released 10 yrs ago (12/7/2013 UTC) at Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Being released as part of the 'First Liners' game at the Belfast bookcrossers' Christmas meetup.
Journal Entry
14 by
GailRogan at
Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Sunday, December 8, 2013
Caught at BookcrossingNI Christmas party
Journal Entry
15 by
GailRogan at
The John Hewitt Bar in Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Sunday, October 5, 2014
Released 9 yrs ago (10/14/2014 UTC) at The John Hewitt Bar in Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Can't say I enjoyed this one - the characters weren't interesting for me.
Releasing at the BookcrossingNI meetup.
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16 by
peaceangel at
Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Caught at the meetup in Belfast this evening, may read or re-release.
Journal Entry
17 by
rem_DBV-153476 at
Camphill Coffee Shop OBCZ in Holywood, Co. Down United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Released 9 yrs ago (10/15/2014 UTC) at Camphill Coffee Shop OBCZ in Holywood, Co. Down United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Can be found on the front window shelf