What Happens In 'How To Be Both' Spoilers?

2026-03-10 09:16:15
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5 Answers

Charlotte
Charlotte
Book Guide Chef
I devoured 'How to Be Both' in one sleepless night, and wow, it’s a trip. The dual structure feels like a magic trick: two stories that echo each other across centuries. Francesco’s life as a painter in 1460s Italy is gritty and lyrical—there’s this unforgettable moment where they paint a hanged man’s face, capturing death in a way that’s almost tender. Then you flip to George, a sharp, grieving kid in modern Cambridge, who fixates on Francesco’s art as a way to cope with loss. The book doesn’t just connect their lives; it makes you question who’s really 'alive.' Francesco’s ghostly narration slips into George’s world, suggesting memories and art outlast bodies. And that ambiguous gender stuff? Chef’s kiss. Smith never spells it out, leaving you to wonder if Francesco was transgender, a woman in disguise, or something else entirely. It’s the kind of book that lingers like a stain you don’t want to scrub off.
2026-03-11 05:36:37
3
Hallie
Hallie
Active Reader Librarian
Reading 'How to Be Both' felt like stumbling into a secret conversation between two kindred spirits separated by 500 years. Francesco’s sections are all color and passion—their descriptions of painting murals in Ferrara made me crave art history deep dives. George’s story, meanwhile, is a punch to the gut: her dead mom’s emails, her awkward attempts at friendship, and that eerie scene where she touches Francesco’s fresco and feels... something. The way Smith dances around whether Francesco is watching George from beyond, or if it’s all coincidence, is masterful. It’s a book about how stories and art cheat time, and I’m still not over the line, 'What’s a word for alive, but the opposite of alive?'
2026-03-11 07:57:54
8
Caleb
Caleb
Book Guide Driver
Ali Smith's 'How to Be Both' is this wild, beautiful puzzle of a novel that plays with time, art, and identity in ways I’ve never seen before. The book is split into two parts—one follows a Renaissance painter named Francesco del Cossa, and the other centers on a modern-day teenager named George who’s grieving her mother’s death. The twist? Some editions put Francesco’s story first, others George’s, so your reading experience totally depends on which copy you grab. Francesco’s sections are surreal; they’re a ghostly reflection on art and gender (Francesco might’ve been a woman disguised as a man, which adds layers to the themes). George’s half is raw and contemporary, full of YouTube videos and her obsession with Francesco’s frescoes. The way Smith ties their stories together through longing and creativity left me staring at the wall for hours after finishing.

And that ending! Without spoiling too much, the boundaries between the two narratives blur in this haunting, poetic way. It’s like Smith is whispering, 'See? The past and present aren’t so separate after all.' I still think about the scene where George’s mom talks about art 'seeing' us back—it reframed how I look at everything now.
2026-03-13 05:03:44
2
Sophia
Sophia
Story Interpreter Translator
Here’s the thing about 'How to Be Both'—it’s not just a novel; it’s an experience. The two halves (Francesco’s and George’s) aren’t just alternating chapters; they’re mirrors, with each edition randomly ordering them. I got Francesco first, and his voice was so vivid—part artist, part trickster, part ghost. The way he describes painting eyelids to look 'half-dead, half-dreaming' foreshadows the whole book’s theme. George’s half hit harder emotionally, though. Her grief is so real, especially when she pretends her mom’s still texting her. The connection between them isn’t spelled out; it’s in the margins, like how both obsess over details (Francesco with brushstrokes, George with her mom’s old playlists). The ending’s a quiet gut-punch: George finally sees Francesco’s art in person, and it’s like time folds in on itself. Smith doesn’t do tidy resolutions—she gives you something messier and more human.
2026-03-14 12:45:18
5
Delilah
Delilah
Contributor Student
Oh, 'How to Be Both' wrecked me in the best way. Francesco’s story is this lush, chaotic dive into Renaissance Italy, full of paint fumes and gender ambiguity (that scene where they bind their chests? Chills). George’s modern storyline is achingly relatable—her grief isn’t dramatic, it’s in the way she watches old videos on loop. The genius is how Smith makes their lives rhyme without forcing it. Francesco’s paintings become George’s solace, and their shared obsession with 'seeing' ties everything together. That moment when George realizes her mom loved Francesco’s art too? Waterworks. It’s a book that insists art isn’t just something you look at—it looks back.
2026-03-16 23:52:59
3
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