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    All Fours

    by July;, Miranda
    Miranda July’s 2024 novel All Fours follows a 45-year-old semi-famous artist who disrupts her stable Los Angeles life with her husband and child by impulsively announcing a cross-country road trip. The journey becomes a catalyst for self-discovery as she grapples with midlife crises, sexual awakening, and perimenopause, culminating in an unexpected affair. Blending humor and poignancy, the novel explores themes of desire, identity, and the search for reinvention in middle age. July’s autofictional style and candid portrayal of female experience have drawn comparisons to a “perimenopause novel,” marking it as a distinctive entry in contemporary literature.

    Miran­da July’s 2024 nov­el All Fours fol­lows a 45-year-old semi-famous artist who dis­rupts her sta­ble Los Ange­les life with her hus­band and child by impul­sive­ly announc­ing a cross-coun­try road trip. The jour­ney becomes a cat­a­lyst for self-dis­cov­ery as she grap­ples with midlife crises, sex­u­al awak­en­ing, and per­i­menopause, cul­mi­nat­ing in an unex­pect­ed affair. Blend­ing humor and poignan­cy, the nov­el explores themes of desire, iden­ti­ty, and the search for rein­ven­tion in mid­dle age. July’s aut­ofic­tion­al style and can­did por­tray­al of female expe­ri­ence have drawn com­par­isons to a “per­i­menopause nov­el,” mark­ing it as a dis­tinc­tive entry in con­tem­po­rary lit­er­a­ture.

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    Author

    • July;, Miranda

    Author Introduction

    • July Miranda is a celebrated author and multidisciplinary artist known for her innovative storytelling. Her work All Fours showcases her unique voice and contributions to contemporary literature. A visionary in her field, Miranda blends creativity with profound insight.

    Description

    • Miranda July’s 2024 novel All Fours follows a 45-year-old semi-famous artist who disrupts her stable Los Angeles life with her husband and child by impulsively announcing a cross-country road trip. The journey becomes a catalyst for self-discovery as she grapples with midlife crises, sexual awakening, and perimenopause, culminating in an unexpected affair. Blending humor and poignancy, the novel explores themes of desire, identity, and the search for reinvention in middle age. July’s autofictional style and candid portrayal of female experience have drawn comparisons to a “perimenopause novel,” marking it as a distinctive entry in contemporary literature.

    FAQs

    • What is the main theme of All Fours by Miranda July?
    • • The novel explores themes of midlife crisis, sexual awakening, desire, autonomy, and the transformative journey of a 45-year-old artist navigating perimenopause and personal reinvention.
    • Who is the protagonist of All Fours?
    • • The protagonist is an unnamed 45-year-old semi-famous artist, mother, and wife who embarks on a cross-country road trip but ends up staying in a Monrovia hotel, leading to unexpected emotional and sexual encounters.
    • How does All Fours differ from Miranda July’s previous works?
    • • Described as her “best book yet,” All Fours is noted for its candid, humorous, and irreverent exploration of female desire and creative freedom, blending autofiction with July’s signature wit and vulnerability.
    • What makes All Fours a compelling read for book clubs?
    • • The novel raises thought-provoking questions about modern marriage, autonomy, and the pursuit of fulfillment, making it ideal for discussions on gender, aging, and societal expectations.
    • Is All Fours part of a series?
    • • No, All Fours is a standalone novel and Miranda July’s second work of fiction, following her earlier acclaimed works like The First Bad Man.
    • What do critics say about All Fours?
    • • Reviews highlight its “spectacularly horny” yet tender narrative, praising July’s ability to balance humor with profound insights into life’s transitions and desires.
    • Where is All Fours set?
    • • The story begins in Los Angeles, where the protagonist lives with her family, but shifts to Monrovia, California, after her aborted road trip leads to an unexpected detour.

    Quotes

    • “We were anxious to begin our life as people who had no people. And it was easy to find an apartment because we had no standards.” — Miranda July
    • “All of the hormones that made me want to seem approachable so I could breed are gone and replaced by hormones that are fiercely protective of my autonomy and freedom.” — Miranda July, All Fours
    • “At the height of our ascent we were middle-aged and then we fell for the rest of our lives, the whole second half. Falling might take just as long, but it was nothing like rising.” — Miranda July, All Fours
    • “My friend, she’s very good, like a nun or a saint. Not a prude, just kind of holy.” — Miranda July, All Fours
    • “Drivers are able to maintain awareness and engagement even when life is boring. They don’t need applause for every little thing—they can just keep going.” — Miranda July, All Fours
    • “Look at the sky: that is for you. Look at each person’s face as you pass them on the street: those faces are for you.” — Miranda July (reflecting her signature style in All Fours)
    • “All I ever really want to know is how other people are making it through life—where do they put their body, hour by hour, and how do they cope inside of it.” — Miranda July (echoing themes in All Fours)
    1. Chapter 1
      2,334 Words
    2. Chapter 2
      2,308 Words
    3. Chapter 3
      2,189 Words
    4. Chapter 4
      2,241 Words
    5. Chapter 5
      2,653 Words
    7. Chapter 6
      1,985 Words
    8. Chapter 7
      2,393 Words
    9. Chapter 8
      2,292 Words
    10. Chapter 9
      2,481 Words
    11. Chapter 10
      2,610 Words
    12. Chapter 11
      2,422 Words
    13. Chapter 12
      2,542 Words
    14. Chapter 13
      2,447 Words
    15. Chapter 14
      2,584 Words
    16. Chapter 15
      2,395 Words
    17. Chapter 16
      2,077 Words
    18. Chapter 17
      1,718 Words
    19. Chapter 18
      2,198 Words
    20. Chapter 19
      2,330 Words
    21. Chapter 20
      2,409 Words
    22. Chapter 21
      2,394 Words
    23. Chapter 22
      2,421 Words
    24. Chapter 23
      2,339 Words
    25. Chapter 24
      2,074 Words
    26. Chapter 25
      2,272 Words
    27. Chapter 26
      2,453 Words
    28. Chapter 27
      2,036 Words
    29. Chapter 28
      2,383 Words
    30. Chapter 29
      2,128 Words
    31. Chapter 30
      2,098 Words
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    Ongoing April 8, 2025Apr 8, '25 69.9 K Everyone

    Quotes

    “We were anxious to begin our life as people who had no people. And it was easy to find an apartment because we had no standards.” — Miranda July

    “All of the hormones that made me want to seem approachable so I could breed are gone and replaced by hormones that are fiercely protective of my autonomy and freedom.” — Miranda July, All Fours

    “At the height of our ascent we were middle-aged and then we fell for the rest of our lives, the whole second half. Falling might take just as long, but it was nothing like rising.” — Miranda July, All Fours

    “My friend, she’s very good, like a nun or a saint. Not a prude, just kind of holy.” — Miranda July, All Fours

    “Drivers are able to maintain awareness and engagement even when life is boring. They don’t need applause for every little thing—they can just keep going.” — Miranda July, All Fours

    “Look at the sky: that is for you. Look at each person’s face as you pass them on the street: those faces are for you.” — Miranda July (reflecting her signature style in All Fours)

    “All I ever really want to know is how other people are making it through life—where do they put their body, hour by hour, and how do they cope inside of it.” — Miranda July (echoing themes in All Fours)

    FAQs

    What is the main theme of All Fours by Miranda July?

    • The novel explores themes of midlife crisis, sexual awakening, desire, autonomy, and the transformative journey of a 45-year-old artist navigating perimenopause and personal reinvention.

    • The protagonist is an unnamed 45-year-old semi-famous artist, mother, and wife who embarks on a cross-country road trip but ends up staying in a Monrovia hotel, leading to unexpected emotional and sexual encounters.

    How does All Fours differ from Miranda July’s previous works?

    What makes All Fours a compelling read for book clubs?

    • The novel raises thought-provoking questions about modern marriage, autonomy, and the pursuit of fulfillment, making it ideal for discussions on gender, aging, and societal expectations.

    • No, All Fours is a standalone novel and Miranda July’s second work of fiction, following her earlier acclaimed works like The First Bad Man.

    What do critics say about All Fours?

    Where is All Fours set?

    • The story begins in Los Angeles, where the protagonist lives with her family, but shifts to Monrovia, California, after her aborted road trip leads to an unexpected detour.

    Note