Books find us at the most unexpected moments, and it’s almost as if they select us rather than the other way around. As an experienced reader, I’ve read innumerable novels ranging from the amusing to the profoundly philosophical, and each new book seems like another step on a never-ending journey. When I came across Miranda July’s “All Fours,” I wasn’t simply interested; I was captivated. My journey through her universe of odd people and deep emotions was like reuniting with an old, crazy friend.
This is not my first journey into July’s literary realm, and it will not be the last. Her past pieces, such as “The First Bad Man,” have made an indelible impact by combining the odd with the beautiful, the banal with the deep. Nonetheless, “All Fours” stands out not just for its narrative, but also for its raw, unedited examination of midlife crises, sexual awakenings, and the ever-changing nature of love. If you’re acquainted with Ottessa Moshfegh’s unsettling but compelling universe in “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” you’ll find a similar spirit in this work, yet with July’s distinct and recognizable flare.
Plot Overview
“All Fours” follows a 45-year-old unidentified protagonist, a mildly successful writer and artist, as he starts on a solo road journey from Los Angeles to New York. She has recently won $20,000 from a whiskey firm for licensing one of her words for an ad campaign, and with her husband’s OK, she embarks on what she believes would be a voyage of creative and personal reinvigoration.
However, the journey soon takes an unexpected turn. A mere thirty minutes into her journey, she comes to a petrol station in Monrovia and meets Davey, a young guy who washes her windshield. This apparently insignificant contact ignites a passionate and unexplainable desire, derailing her objectives and establishing the tone for the remainder of the narrative. Instead of proceeding to New York, she chooses to remain in Monrovia and book a room at the Excelsior hotel.
What follows is an intense, often unpleasant examination of desire, aging, and the search for meaning. The protagonist gets involved in the lives of Davey and his wife Claire, notably via an unorthodox connection with Davey that borders on the platonic and sensual. The heroine, yearning for something she can’t quite identify, employs Claire to repaint her motel room with the majority of her windfall—a gesture that represents both a frantic effort at control and a surrender to the unexpected forces creating her existence.
Characters and their Significance
Miranda July’s skill as a writer resides in her ability to create people that are both sympathetic and unusual. In “All Fours,” the protagonist is a vivid representation of this dichotomy. In many respects, she is a normal middle-aged woman—coping with the start of perimenopause, balancing her roles as a mother and wife, and facing the existential dread of losing her cultural significance. However, she is also very unconventional, engaged in activities and ideas that defy societal norms and expectations.
Davey, the object of her fixation, is presented with an air of mystery that makes him both appealing and disturbing. He is young, married, and seems conventional, yet his interactions with the protagonist reveal layers of depth and latent aspirations. His wife Claire, although less important to the story, acts as a mirror for the protagonist’s own doubts and desires, symbolizing the life she both envies and despises.
Harris, the protagonist’s spouse, is possibly the most grounded figure in the novel, illustrating the protagonist’s frantic desire to escape stability and predictability. However, Harris is not immune to the changes brought on by the protagonist’s trip. As their marriage progresses into an open relationship, Harris’ character journey becomes a reflection on the changing dynamics of love and partnership in middle age.
Themes & Motifs
“All Fours” has a wealth of ideas that will strike a chord with everyone who has ever wondered where they fit into the world. One of the most prevalent is the concept of self-reinvention. The protagonist’s road journey represents her yearning to break away from the limits of her existence and find herself outside her duties as mother, wife, and artist. However, instead of discovering herself, she gets more involved in her emotions and wants, resulting in a succession of both freeing and destructive choices.
Another major issue is the flux of sexual identity and relationships. July does not hold back from depicting the protagonist’s sexual blossoming, which is compounded by her love for both men and women. This investigation of sexuality is about more than simply physical desire; it is also strongly connected to the protagonist’s sense of self-esteem and identity.
The work also explores the notion of time—how it molds us, how we fight it, and how we eventually submit to its inescapable march. The protagonist’s dread of aging and irrelevance is a persistent theme that influences much of her behavior and choices. Her interactions with Davey, Claire, and even her husband are infused with urgency, as if she is racing against time to recapture her feeling of life and purpose.
Spoilers & Critical Analysis
As the novel unfolds, the protagonist’s choices grow more chaotic. She completely abandons her initial objectives, lying to her husband and agency about her whereabouts and becomes more fascinated with Davey. Despite their similar sentiments, Davey refuses to have a sexual connection, resulting in a series of emotionally intense encounters that blur the distinction between friendship, love, and want.
The protagonist’s return to Los Angeles is characterized by strong feelings of loss and bewilderment. Her short romance with Davey has left her more uncomfortable than ever, and the news that she is nearing perimenopause only adds to her existential problem. Her decision to design a dance and put it online in the hopes that Davey would see it is both a last-ditch attempt to relive the passion of their relationship and a symbolic act of rebellion against the inevitability of aging.
The novel’s finale is both tragic and darkly hilarious. After finding that Davey has moved away, the protagonist spends the night with his mother’s friend Audra, who has a sexual awakening that is as much about regaining her sense of self as it is about physical pleasure. This meeting is a watershed moment in the protagonist’s journey, prompting her to embrace a new stage of her life with a combination of resignation and acceptance.
The story’s denouement, in which the protagonist and Harris agree to have an open marriage, is both a relief and a difficulty. While it helps the heroine to openly express her wishes, it also offers new problems and uncertainty. The sudden end of her connection with Kris, a woman she briefly dates, serves as a reminder that emancipation does not imply contentment, and that the quest for meaning is an ongoing, sometimes painful journey.
Conclusion
Miranda July’s book “All Fours” isn’t for the faint of heart. It is a gritty, unabashed examination of the complexity of desire, identity, and the human experience. July’s writing is as crisp and descriptive as ever, portraying the complexities of her characters’ feelings with skill that is both disturbing and genuinely affecting.
“All Fours” is a must-read for people who like novels that question traditional narratives and dive into the complexities of existence. It is a work that will keep you thinking long after you’ve finished reading, challenging not just the characters’ decisions but also your own understanding of love, aging, and what it means to fully live.
As I conclude this review, I ponder on the various travels I’ve traveled via the pages of books. Each has made its impact, and “All Fours” is no exception. It’s a narrative that will speak to anybody who has ever felt lost, unsure, or out of place—one that reminds us that, no matter where we are in life, we are constantly in the process of becoming.
