What Is The Ending Of 'How To Be Both' Explained?

2026-03-10 10:39:11 184
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5 Answers

Quinn
Quinn
2026-03-11 10:46:22
If you’re expecting a traditional climax, 'How to Be Both' might frustrate you—but in the best way. The modern storyline wraps with the protagonist, George, finally confronting her mother’s death through art, almost as if the Renaissance painter’s spirit guides her. Meanwhile, the historical half ends ambiguously; the painter’s fate is left open, mirroring how art outlives its creator. Smith’s genius is in the parallels: both characters subvert gender norms, both grapple with loss, and both find solace in creation. The ending isn’t a reveal; it’s a quiet convergence where past and present brush against each other, leaving you to ponder whether time is as linear as we think. I adore how Smith trusts readers to sit with the uncertainty.
Ian
Ian
2026-03-11 18:43:01
What’s wild about the ending is how it refuses to pick a 'main' narrative. George’s grief arcs toward something like acceptance, but it’s intertwined with the painter’s unresolved journey. The frescoes George notices could be hallucinations, ghosts, or just art’s way of transcending time. Smith leaves it deliciously ambiguous. I’ve talked to friends who read the book in different orders (some got the painter’s story first, others George’s), and their interpretations of the ending varied wildly. That’s the point, I think—it’s about perspective. The book stays with you because it’s less about answers and more about the act of looking, of seeing layers where others might see flat surfaces.
Harper
Harper
2026-03-12 10:16:41
The ending of 'How to Be Both' is this beautiful, layered thing that lingers long after you close the book. It loops back to the dual narratives—one following a Renaissance-era painter disguised as a boy, the other a modern-day teenager grieving her mother. The painter’s story bleeds into the teen’s reality in this surreal, almost ghostly way, suggesting connections across time. Ali Smith doesn’t spoon-feed you; she leaves gaps for you to fill, like how the teen starts seeing frescoes everywhere, hinting at the painter’s presence. It’s less about resolution and more about the fluidity of art, identity, and memory. I love how it makes you question which narrative is 'real' or if they’re both fragments of something larger. The last pages feel like waking from a dream where you’re still clutching threads of the story, trying to weave them together.

What stuck with me is how Smith plays with structure—the book has two versions, with the stories in different orders depending on your copy. It’s meta, but in a way that feels organic, like the themes of duality and perception are baked into the physical object. The ending doesn’t tie neat bows; it’s messy and alive, much like grief or creativity. I finished it and immediately flipped back to reread sections, noticing new echoes between the timelines. It’s the kind of book that rewards obsession.
Ulysses
Ulysses
2026-03-13 17:49:18
After finishing 'How to Be Both,' I sat staring at my bookshelf for ten minutes, processing. The ending isn’t a twist; it’s a slow dawning, where the two narratives start reflecting each other like mirrors. George’s obsession with the painter feels like a lifeline, while the painter’s story ends mid-breath, as if they’re stepping offstage. Smith’s writing is so tactile—you can almost smell the paint in one chapter and feel the damp English air in the next. The final pages left me with this eerie, beautiful sense that stories never truly end; they just change forms.
Kate
Kate
2026-03-15 01:46:51
The closing moments of 'How to Be Both' are like stepping into a painting where the edges blur. George’s story ends with her seeing the world through the painter’s eyes—literally spotting frescoes in everyday places—while the painter’s narrative dissolves into myth. It’s poetic and a bit haunting, emphasizing how stories and identities aren’t fixed. Smith’s prose does this magical thing where it feels both ancient and contemporary, much like the book’s dual structure. I walked away feeling like I’d witnessed a conversation across centuries.
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