Gliff by Ali Smith – A meandering tale without a clear motive. The dystopian aspect of this novel is peripheral to the story. Which is a disappointment as it not really developed enough to make this novel in any way dystopian.
The focus of the story are two children, Briar and Rose who become stranded throughout the story. Their journey has challenges along the way with adults. The children are streetwise but there are moments of surveillance and oppression but they are clunky and vague.
Early on we are introduced to the ominous “supera bounder” that randomly marks properties for destruction, starting with their own home. There is gradually a play with language such as the meaning of “gliff.” The bond formed with the horse named “Gliff” is strange to the point of lacking sense, even as a fantasy.
The sisters are undeniably living a displaced life however it lacks depth as they, as children, seem comfortable with it. The dystopian big brother was too random to impose on the story.
Smith plays a lot with the linguistics which does work in the context of the sisters growing up. The jeopardy of a big brother future future with banned protests and houses marked for demolition that isolates part of the population is blurred in a rambling story.
What Gliff ends up as – dsytopian, fantasy – through the power of language is jumbled up and meandering in where it concludes. The sisters are resilient but the threat is blunted. Hopefully, the sequel clarifies its direction.
