Book Club: Hotel World by Ali Smith

Hotel World by Ali Smith

Hi. And welcome to my first ever book club discussion. I decided to create this segment on my blog to force myself read more books. Also, it becomes a more meaningful reading experience to at least share my opinion and recommend it to people. I seriously contemplated on how will I present this to you, the format all that things. But I want it to be light, fun, and not becomes a burden to myself like doing college papers. 

For this first book discussion, I will present you a novel called Hotel World (2001) by Ali Smith. Ali Smith is a scottish writer who also writes The Accidental, Winter, Free Love, and may more works.  This particular work of her, Hotel World is one of the finalists of Booker Prize 2001. 

This is my first time (wow so many first time) have a taste of Smith's writing and I must say that her style of writing has a distinctive style. For exemple how there is this one chapter that has no punctuation. Technically only one sentence of train of words.There are several jeux de mots with homophones throughout this book which make it playful. I honestly need some time to adapt and finally at ease reading this book. This also why it took quiet some time for me to finish it. The story is revolving around the accidental death of Sara Wilby, a nineteen years, fell from the lift for dishes of the Global Hotel where she worked. 

This book is divided into six chapters and each of it have different point of views of 5 characters in this book. What really spark interest out of myself is the title of the chapters: (I) Past, - Sara Wilby's ghost (II) Present Historic - Else/Elsepeth, (III) Future Conditional - Lise, (IV) Perfect - Penny, (V) Future in The Past - Clare, (VI) Present. Yes, it obviously link to the timeline of the story and I don't know why it also reminds me of the name of the tenses in grammar (is it just me?).

What Smith wants to explore through this book through its main character, the ghost of Sara Wilby? Sara Ghost still roaming the world because she cannot remembers anymore who she was. Her memory is slowly fading away, and so does she/ her soul. It feels like she doesn't have much time left in this world and her soul have to leave this world of the lives. There is this strong emotion of grieve that Sara Ghost feels. Regret. She is still cannot accept the fact that she is dead. She longs to feel, to be alive. She just cannot let go. She always wondering about her memory of her death.

Because now that I'm nearly gone, I'm more here than I ever was.  

Reading this book was like solving puzzle pieces to complete. From the first chapter to the second, to the third and so on, we slowly put the pieces together about Sara's death, about her history and life. Each characters, including Sara linked in 'coincidence' way through Global Hotel. That is why each chapter, even though the narration center around others characters, it will always comeback to the death of Sara. Sara, worked as maid at Global Hotel; Else, the beggar outside Global Hotel; Lise, the receptionist at Global Hotel; Penny, the journalist who stays at Global Hotel. Without 'concrete' presence of Sara after chapter one, it feels like she is still there, roaming around and wondering.

Thinking about it, I decided that this book has 'happy' ending. The final chapter gave me this peace feeling like a spring feeling, the setting in the last chapter. Regarding to the setting of this chapter, notice how the first chapter welcome us with the setting of the cold, lifeless, harsh winter and ends with the start of new season, spring? The leaves, flowers are growing back, the sun is shining. It could represents the transition from dark to light; Left hanging to finally answered.

Here's te story; it starts at the end. It was the height of the summer when i fell; the leaves were on the tress. Now it's the deep of the winter. (p.3)

Hurry up. Sleep is coming. The colours  are going. I saw that the traffic was colourless today. the whole winter street was faded, left out in the winds and the sun for too long. Today even the sun was colourless, and the sky.  (p.7) 

And for Sara Ghost, she finally gets the answer of her unsolved question which become the main problem in the first place. How long it took for her to end her life. She tried to ask her corpse, but still the question is left unanswered, until the chapter five that her sister Clare answer it for her. There is this closure for her soul and she can finally rest in peace. It is nicely done and beautiful how chapter one and five is connected. It feels like Sara and Clare communicating with each other. It shows me how strong their bond as sister.

I worry endlessly at the detail that would never have concerned me [...] For exemple for just peace of mind, my fall. I would like very much to know how long it took, how long exactly, [...]. (p.4) 

I was there & you were so fast I still can't believe how fast you were less than four seconds just under four & a bit that's all you took I know I counted for you. (p. 221) 

This book has so much layer in it. It goes deeper than just the surface of the main plot and main character. Honestly, I will still need to re-read this book to really explore the meaning of this book. What others characters represent and want to tell through their life story, their past. A little bit about it, I notice the choices of the characters in this book. The marginalized ones. Sara, because of her identity of being gay. Else, the beggar that nobody's really care about, then Lise because of her disability. All of them have sad and tragic stories to tell, the unheard ones.

Last thing. I promise. What about the title, Hotel World? What do you guys think about it? The Hotel from the story is the representation of the adjective word of temporary where everybody that stay there will need to check out later, they're not staying there forever. The hotel describe the word World. That nothing is last forever in this world which i guess linked to the death. The main topic of this book.

Well, it comes to an end of this discussion. I know it considered really short, there are still other topic that have not yet to be touched. I still would love to hear other opinion if you read this book too. I'd say, this is not considered light reading. This is like the type of book that I got for my college papers to analyze. Yes, that literature book. I also read that this work of Smith is considered to be one the post-modern literature. So, no wonder the structure of this book is one of a kind in my opinion. I would like to hear you thoughts and impression on this book. Let me know on the comment.

keyword: book review, Ali Smith, Hotel World, Literature, Culture, recommendation