All Fours

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Like much of Miranda July’s work, this book has been characterized by reviewers as a work of autofiction. How does July use the techniques and privileges of fiction to explore her own experience? Can July’s novels and films be seen as working together to trace the longer arc of her life as an artist? How does this novel fit into that arc? 
• Is All Fours ultimately optimistic or pessimistic about contemporary, heterosexual marriage? Does it believe that an equitable and mutually fulfilling marriage is possible for these characters? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Think of a period of self-reflection and change in your own life. What prompted this period of change? Who did you rely on for guidance? 
• The narrator decides that instead of “a life spent longing,” she wants “a life that is continually surprising” (212). Do you feel that a “continually surprising” life is desirable? Does this emphasis on surprise necessarily come at the expense of stable, lasting relationships? 
• Think of a time when you took a vacation from your daily life without traveling far from home.