The new book is populated with individuals pursuing fresh starts, attempting to leave behind drugs or harmful partnerships, only to witness hope devolve into conflict. Kraus frequently uses the phrase "clean slate", transforming it into intentionally weary through its repetitions. Phrases such as "He aimed to start over" and "They opted for a clean break" recur in the narrative. Meanwhile, Kraus herself appears to be undertaking her individual reinvention, since this appears a different type of work – observational, authentically narrative. However it turns out to be laden with the same dilemmas and aesthetics as her previous works.
From Accidental Writer to Cult Classic
The writer started out as an visual artist who entered the literary world somewhat by chance with her 1997 cult classic I Love Dick, made up of letters to an unreceptive lover, converting intimate women's literature from abjection into defiance. She continued writing, but the following three fascinating and rebarbative novels lacked the power and directness that the letter form brought to the tone of I Love Dick. Compounding this was her identity as a nonconformist creator who had evolved into a major property owner, so there was much discussion on property transactions. It makes sense that she currently desires to experiment with different types of content, looking outwards to the experiences of others, at a moment when she asserts that current political era turns intimate literature unnecessary.
Several Eras, Shared Inescapable History
The Four Spent the Day Together is structured in three parts, covering multiple eras – all unable to escape their pasts. We encounter the tale of Emma and Jasper, representations of Kraus's parents, transitioning from the urban environment to a pastoral setting. Then there is the story of Kraus herself, in the character of Catt Greene, confronting the late recognition of I Love Dick, the rise of Trump, and her addict husband a man named Paul. And there is the story of the murder of one troubled youth by another in a community largely deserted by liberal ideals only 80 miles from Catt's rural residence in a remote part of Minnesota.
For this reader fond of honed writing of the sort Kraus often avoids, I was seduced by the narrative style of the opening part.
Being a reader drawn to honed writing of the variety that the author usually avoids, I was seduced by the novelistic voice of the initial part. It exhibits a novel degree of detail that allows space for small details, like the bucket that the young Catt dislodges from ice at the opening of the book, aided by her beloved father. "I found an ice toy!" she says; "a nice toy", he replies, "the nuanced interpretations of terms tumbling in their mouths like hard candy". Kraus writes the tale of Emma with curiosity and intimacy. "Emma felt like she'd stepped into a dream – not hers, exactly."
Letdown and Fragmentation
I was fated to feel let down when I hoped this new voice could continue through the novel. Kraus says here that she dislikes the satisfaction those who appreciate polished prose have derived from I Love Dick; she's devoted to disjunction, to the messy artistic approach she shares with her idol Kathy Acker, and the void and recurrence of her past books comes back in the middle section. Catt is attempting to do up three dozen dilapidated units in the city's most challenging districts while shuttling between Minnesota and LA, failing to help Paul curb his addiction. She feels helpless as Paul transitions between low-resource employment as an substance abuse counselor in a world driven by the hostility and dread that underpins a political win. There are several pages about Catt's social media ostracism on Twitter, her occupation changed from "author" to "landlord" on Wikipedia. Kraus still seems to care a little too much about this. In a moment she remarks that she's researching the homicide so that before leaving Minnesota, "she might be able to learn something about an America that her social media opponents would fail to comprehend, would overlook entirely".
The Murder Narrative
Then we reach to the actual killing – and the titular day passed by the murdered individual with the perpetrator and his friends. The author possesses excellent raw material, and reconstructs step by step what happened when a man named Brandon came to meet Brittney after connecting via an application where she sold sex pictures. He was hoping for sex but seems amiably to have occupied the day in the company of her associates, wandering about fixing his automobile and covering the cost of food and substances, before being shot by her romantic interest a man named Micah – a young, mentally ill man who has repeatedly received inpatient care 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 tussle in this section. However, I would have preferred her to go further into her personal fixations here. The compelling persona is Brittney, who gains dimension partly through Catt's identification with her – yet another intelligent, harassed young woman going off the rails in a troubled, forgotten town. Kraus notes that Catt converses with Brittney in prison, but she fails to enact these dialogues. The whole section feels strangely incomplete, to the extent that Kraus's narration ends almost mid-par
