The new book centers on individuals pursuing clean slates, struggling to escape addictions or toxic relationships, only to witness hope devolve into conflict. Chris Kraus often employs the phrase "new beginning", rendering it intentionally weary through constant reiteration. Examples include "He was ready for a new beginning" and "They decided to make a fresh start" recur in the narrative. At the same time, Kraus herself appears to be undertaking her own fresh start, because this presents as a different type of work – documentarian, truly literary. But then it proves to be laden with the same dilemmas and styles as past novels.
From Chance Novelist to Iconic Work
Chris Kraus was originally an creative who transitioned to writing somewhat by chance with her 1997 cult classic I Love Dick, structured as letters to an unreceptive lover, transforming intimate women's literature from abjection into rebellion. She continued writing, but the following three compelling and abrasive novels did not possess the shock and immediacy that the epistolary style infused into the tone of I Love Dick. Compounding this was her position as a renegade artist who had turned into a extensive real estate holder, so there was much discussion on housing investments. It is logical that she now wants to experiment with new kinds of material, turning outward to the experiences of others, at a period in which she states that Trumpian politics makes confessional writing redundant.
Multiple Generations, One Unescapable Past
The Four Spent the Day Together is organized into a trio of segments, encompassing multiple eras – each trapped by their histories. We encounter the story of Emma and Jasper, based on the author's parents, transitioning from the Bronx to a pastoral setting. Then there is the narrative of the author, in the persona of protagonist Catt Greene, grappling with the belated success of I Love Dick, the ascent of a political figure, and her substance-dependent spouse Paul. And there is the account of a killing of one directionless individual by another in a town long abandoned by liberal ideals only a brief drive from the protagonist's home in rural Minnesota.
As a reader attracted to honed writing of the kind Kraus often avoids, I was captivated by the literary tone of the first section.
As a reader who appreciates honed writing of the kind that Kraus usually avoids, I was captivated by the novelistic voice of the initial part. There is a fresh level of observation that accommodates trivial aspects, like the pail that the youthful Catt frees from the ice at the start of the story, aided by her cherished parent. "I found an ice toy!" she exclaims; "a great plaything", he answers, "the ambiguous meanings of language tumbling in their mouths like piece candy". The author narrates Emma's narrative with inquiry and familiarity. "It seemed to Emma she had entered a dream – not precisely her dream."
Frustration and Disruption
I was fated to feel let down when I wished this fresh tone could last out the book. Kraus says here that she resents the satisfaction readers like me have taken from I Love Dick; she's committed to fragmentation, to the untidy aesthetics she shares with her idol Kathy Acker, and the blankness and repetitiveness of her earlier works comes back in the middle section. The protagonist is working on refurbishing 36 run-down apartments in Albuquerque's worst neighbourhoods while shuttling between two different states, unable to aid her husband curb his addiction. She feels helpless as Paul transitions between poorly supported positions as an recovery specialist in a environment driven by the anger and fear that powers an electoral success. A significant portion discusses about Catt being cancelled on Twitter, her occupation changed from "writer" to "real estate holder" on Wikipedia. The author still appears to be overly concerned about this. On one occasion she says that she's researching the homicide so that before departing the state, "she might be able to learn something about an the United States that her online critics would be unable to grasp, would overlook entirely".
The Homicide Account
Thus we arrive to the murder itself – and the eponymous day experienced by the victim with the perpetrator and his friends. Kraus utilizes great source material, and details moment by moment what happened when the victim Brandon came to meet Brittney after encountering her on a platform where she sold sex pictures. He was hoping for sex but seems affably to have spent the day alongside her friends, mooching around having his vehicle repaired and covering the cost of food and substances, before being murdered by her romantic interest Micah – a individual with mental health challenges who has frequently been hospitalised for fits of anger.
Preoccupation and Open Ends
Catt develops an obsession by the account, and I was intrigued by the way that Kraus's dual urges towards responsible documentation and reckless transgression wrestle in this part. But I'd have liked her to explore more thoroughly her own obsessions here. The standout figure is the character Brittney, who comes alive in part due to Catt seeing herself in her – a similarly gifted, tormented individual derailing in a difficult, overlooked locality. Kraus tells us that the protagonist communicates with Brittney in prison, but she fails to enact these dialogues. The complete segment feels curiously unresolved, to the point that her narrative ends almost mid-par
