All Fours by Miranda July audiobook review – the frank, sexy novel everyone's been talking about
In the second novel by writer, actor and film-maker Miranda July, a nameless Los Angeles-based artist who has had success 'in several mediums' leaves behind her husband, Harris, and their young child, Sam, to drive across America. She is due at a meeting in New York and has decided to get there via a leisurely road trip. But what starts off as a fleeting break from the mundanity of marriage and motherhood turns into a wild and wonderfully odd unravelling. Just half an hour into her journey, she impulsively leaves the freeway and checks into a scruffy motel. There she is electrified by a younger car hire worker who has 'a Huckleberry Finn/Gilbert Blythe look that I used to flip out over as a teenager.' After the two lock eyes while he squeegees her windscreen (not a euphemism), she decides to pursue him in an unusually chaste love affair.
All Fours – which has been shortlisted for this year's Women's Prize for fiction – is narrated by July whose pacy, hypnotic reading skilfully evokes the internal monologue of her protagonist, who pinballs between drily funny and existentially bereft. The book has been called a menopause novel on the basis that it centres on a 45-year-old dismayed at being halfway through her life and past her peak (both her grandmother and aunt killed themselves and she worries she is next in line). But there's more than just dwindling oestrogen in this frank and subversive tale which reflects on desire, freedom and creativity, and shines a light on the complex inner life of a woman.
Available via Canongate, 10hr 13min
Maternity ServiceEmma Barnett, Penguin Audio, 1hr 50min
The Today presenter narrates her manifesto for rethinking women's maternity leave based on her own experiences on motherhood's 'frontline'.
Sign up to Inside Saturday
The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.
after newsletter promotion
Character LimitKate Conger and Ryan Mac, Penguin Audio, 15hr 20min
This blistering behind-the-scenes account of Elon Musk's catastrophic Twitter takeover is read by Edoardo Ballerini.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Legendary actor, 94, and star of 70s police sitcom looks unrecognizable on rare outing – can you guess who it is?
A LEGENDARY actor has stepped out for an outing - but can you guess who he is? The actor, 94, was a huge star of a popular 70s police sitcom, and now looks so different from his dapper role as a cop. 6 He played the role of Captain Barney Miller in the hit series Barney Miller, which aired from 1975 until 1982. The role even earned him seven Primetime Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations. In the series, his character had a full head of brown hair with gray strands dotted throughout. He also sported a luscious brown moustache. Have you guessed who he is yet? You've got it, it's Hal Linden, whose real name is Harold Lipshitz. The beloved TV icon was spotted out on Wednesday and kept things casual in a rather relaxed outfit. Hal could be seen rocking an all-black outfit comprising of trousers and a smart button-down shirt. He completed the look with some black trainers and a gray jacket. Holding a flask, Hal looked concentrated as he walked around Los Angeles. 00s reality star looks completely unrecognizable from 'wild' days as she trades in hard partying for tradwife lifestyle Hal shot to fame on Broadway when he replaced Sydney Chaplin in the musical Bells Are Ringing. He was married to Fran Martin, whom he met in 1955. They married in 1958 and had four children. Fran sadly died in 2010. Speaking about his role as Barney in the hit police sitcom, Hal was interviewed in 2017. Speaking to Vulture, he spoke about the comedic value of the show. "It does fit, because we used to cut lines from the script. "There'd be a punchline and we'd do the scene, and you'd find out that all you had to do was cut back to a physical reaction. "They were just as funny as the words." He went on: "We'd cut punchlines all the time. Yes, I think minimalist is a good description of the writing. "There's very few 'jokes' in Barney Miller. It was all relationship humor." As well as his role in Barney Miller, Hal is known for his guest roles in several other films and TV shows. Hal has had guest appearances in Touched by an Angel, The King of Queens, Gilmore Girls, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Kendall Jenner shows ex Bad Bunny what he's missing in tight white tank top on steamy summer outing
Kendall Jenner proved her 'hot girl summer' was well underway when she surfaced with a pal in Los Angeles this week. The 29-year-old showed her ex Bad Bunny what he was missing in a skintight white tank top that emphasized her hourglass figure to full advantage. Playing up her ample endowments and her enviably trim midriff, the top clashed elegantly against her fashionably faded jeans. Sharpening her screen siren features with makeup, she wore her dark hair down in silken curtains that framed her luminous complexion. She accessorized with a sleek pair of gleaming dark shades and rounded off the ensemble with a stylish set of cowgirl boots. Kendall, who has inherited her transgender father Caitlyn Jenner's love of cars, was seen driving a friend around in a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser that day. Kendall and Bad Bunny dated for about a year before splitting up in late 2023, only to rekindle their romance briefly in 2024 and then go their separate ways again. The apparently amicable exes crossed paths last month at the Met Gala, where a source exclusively informed they enjoyed a chat. 'They bumped into each other inside the event,' a guest revealed. 'They said hello and hung out a bit. They have stayed in touch.' Although she is not currently known to be in a relationship, Kendall's dating history also includes NBA heartthrobs Devin Booker, Ben Simmons and Blake Griffin. She recently joined her sister Kylie Jenner and the latter's boyfriend Timothee Chalamet to watch his beloved New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The trip did not proceed without incident, as Kendall accidentally chipped a front tooth during the ride to New York on Kylie's private jet. She took a relaxed view of the snafu, laughing uproariously with Kylie over the incident in a clip that was shared to Instagram. Kendall has also been enjoying quality time with her gal pal Hailey Bieber, who is at the center of rumors of marital strife with her husband Justin Bieber. The new photo-shoot comes after she offered fans a glimpse of the healthy diet that has helped her maintain her exquisite figure over the years. Earlier this month, she posted an Instagram photo of the meal she starts her day with, including a parfait of berries and yogurt, plus nuts and matcha green tea powder. The food was washed down with the fashionable Golden Milk Latte, so-called because turmeric is mixed into the beverage. 'The whole plate is about 200 calories, and it's full of healthy fats that help keep her thin,' functional nutritionist Monica Partier told 'The meal consists of fresh berries like raspberries, strawberries and blackberries that have fiber and vitamins in them,' she noted. 'It looks like Kendall added Matcha green tea powder, which is an antioxidant and contains vitamin C, chromium, magnesium, selenium and zinc.' Monica observed that there were 'also a few small nuts, which contain healthy fats, and a splash of Greek yogurt which is high in calcium and protein, and supports gut health, and also is a healthy fat.' Apropos the latte, she added: 'Turmeric is rich in phytonutrients that may protect the body by neutralizing free radicals and it also has anti-inflammatory properties.' The information came shortly after Kendall revealed she was a size two whilst putting her old clothes up for sale on her Kardashian Kloset page.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jennifer Lopez sets temperatures soaring in pink catsuit as she moves on from Ben Affleck with tour rehearsal
Jennifer Lopez turned heads in a bright pink skintight catsuit while stepping out in Los Angeles over the weekend. On Saturday, the 55-year-old singer headed to the dance studio for rehearsal in preparation of her summer tour, Up All Night. She wore the same full-body garb earlier this month paired with a tie-dye cropped sweatshirt for another dance session. This time, she looked effortlessly chic as she paired athleisure with luxury fashion as she carried her white Hermes Birkin bag — which is worth well over $20,000 — as her unconventional gym bag. The actress appeared to be in bright spirits and was even seen giggling as she chatted with her driver after stepping out of her ride. Just several days earlier, she was also seen heading to the dance studio with her teenage kid Emme, 17, after Lopez's ex Ben Affleck invited the twins to his movie premiere. Over the catsuit with a very low-cut and revealing neckline, the Maid In Manhattan star wore a white button-down shirt that was oversized like as if it was a man's dress shirt. She also sported tall white socks paired with chunky sneakers as she prepared to show off her moves. For rehearsals, she still showed off her glamorous side as she sported flashy gold jewelry including large hoop earrings, statement pendant necklaces and a pair of oversize sunglasses with a shiny, metallic frame. She threw up her brunette tresses into a messy bun to keep her hair out of her face while moving around. And she appeared to be sporting hardly any makeup but with a touch of peach-toned blush and a rose-tinted lip balm for a flush of color on her face. Earlier this week, the superstar turned her work into a family affair when she invited her child Emme to her rehearsals on Wednesday. She looked ready to work up a sweat in a sporty ensemble while Emme favored a casual–cool look that suggested they weren't joining their mother's dance practice. The mother–child bonding moment comes after ex-husband Ben Affleck showed that he was still a part of her children's lives when Emme and their twin brother Max, 17, attended the premiere of his thriller The Accountant 2 several months ago. She wore the same full-body garb earlier this month paired with a tie-dye, cropped sweatshirt for another dance session. This time, she looked effortlessly chic as she paired athleisure with luxury fashion as she carried her white, Hermes Birkin bag as her unconventional gym bag The actress appeared to be in bright spirits and was even seen giggling as she chatted with her driver after stepping out of her ride Fans of and her ex-husband Ben Affleck were shocked in April when the Oscar winner revealed he invited her nepo baby kids to the premiere of his film The Accountant 2 despite his bitter divorce from their mother. Affleck discussed the reunion while speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the time, and he also took the opportunity to speak warmly of his ex. 'For the record, Jennifer Lopez is spectacular, great to my kids, great ongoing relationship with them,' the star gushed. 'I love her kids. They're wonderful. She's [an] enormously important, tremendous person of a lot of integrity who I adore and am grateful to,' he added. Ben noted that Max and Emme were in the audience with the three children he shares with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 19; Fin, 16; and Samuel, 13. 'It's a great night. The kids are here, Jen's kids are here. I'm very, very excited,' Affleck gushed. 'I'm proud of the movie, I love the movie and I love when all the kids come out. It's really fun, it's exciting.' He continued: 'I'm thrilled that the kids are here with me. The relationships that you can have with children like that, it's the joy of my life. And those kids are amazing, and I'm glad that this is a movie they want to come to.' Despite apparently attending, all of their children appear to skip the red carpet. Although Affleck spoke warmly of his former stepchildren, the remains of his relationship with Lopez appear to be tenser, and he is reportedly going to humiliating extremes to sever their final ties. The former couple finalized their divorce in early January of this year, but but they are still connected through ownership of the Beverly Hills mega mansion that they bought in May 2023 for an eye-popping $60.8 million in cash. Since going public with their separation, the two put the 38,000 square-foot home on the market for an even pricier $68 million. Last month, it was reported that the exes had slashed the asking price by more than $8 million to $59.95 million, almost $1 million less than what they initially paid. An insider exclusively revealed to the extent that Ben is willing to go to push along a sale so that he can put his disastrous and short-lived marriage to the actress and singer out of mind. Lopez and Affleck tied the knot in July 2022, nearly two decades after their first relationship and engagement. But their puppy love soon soured, and filed for divorced just two years later. She cited irreconcilable differences as the cause for their split, which she dated to April 26, 2024. The two finalized their divorce in January of this year.
