George is seeing a counsellor to help manage her emotions as she grieves for her mother? Do you think George's counsellor adds positively to her life? How?. In what ways is How to be both a mystery? . Ali Smith's writing is often said to be 'experimental'. Explore how the theme of androgeny is signifcant in How to be both?. Do you think Del Cossa was right to ask for more money for his art?. What parallels can you drawn between Francesco del Cossa's and George's lives?. What would you ask Ali Smith if she was here with us now?. Why or why not is the leaking roof in George's bedroom signficant?. Discuss the type of people that George's parents are. She thinks that she is being spied upon by the British Intelligence Services and is probably being tailed by Lisa Goliard. George's mother is a 'subvert' and creates plitically motivated art. Which of the two narratives did you prefer and why?. Ali Smith's How to be both was pubished so that in one half of the copies George's story came first and in the other half Francesco del Cossa's story came first. That is a lot of prizes! Why do you think the novel has been so successful? It also won the 2014 Godsmiths Prize, the Novel Prize in the 2014 Costa Book Awards as well as the Women's Prize for fiction. Ali Smith's How to be both was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Boker Prize and the 2015 Folio Prize. As a re-telling of what happened to Francesco it lacks the rawness of George's story and is perhaps more reflective in tone. 
The writing is allegorical, but complicated to dissect. In addition s/he revisits his/her own life experiences, where themes such as gender identiy, sexuality, loyalty, status and wealth are explored. We see Francesco's reflections about George.
The other tale is told by Francesco del Cossa, who has time-travelled from the 15th century to London and observes George studying his/her painting. Caring for her younger brother, coping with her alcoholic father and experiencing something approaching first love are aspects of George's story, George and her mother had talked about the artist when her mother took her to see the frescos in Ferrara in Italy before she died. She becomes obsessed with renaissancea artist, Francesco del Coassa's painting of St. One story tells the tale of George, a 16 year old girl, who is coming to terms with the death of her mother.
It is a story of two halves that can be read (and have actually been published in different orders). Ali Smith's How to be both was fascinating and troubling.
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