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The new book centers on protagonists chasing after fresh starts, attempting to leave behind substance abuse or abusive marriages, only to witness hope devolve into violence. The author frequently uses the phrase "new beginning", transforming it into intentionally weary through its repetitions. Examples include "He was ready for a new beginning" and "They chose to begin anew" recur in the story. At the same time, Kraus herself is embarking on her own fresh start, as this appears a different type of work – documentarian, genuinely novelistic. Yet it turns out to be packed with the same dilemmas and approaches as earlier books.

From Accidental Writer to Cult Classic

Kraus began as an visual artist who became a writer unintentionally with her 1997 groundbreaking book I Love Dick, made up of missives to a distant beloved, converting personal female narrative from abjection into defiance. She continued writing, but the following three fascinating and rebarbative novels did not possess the shock and immediacy that the letter form infused into the narrative voice of I Love Dick. It didn't help was her position as a maverick maker who had evolved into a extensive real estate holder, so there was significant attention on property transactions. It makes sense that she presently aims to explore different types of content, directing her gaze to the experiences of others, at a period in which she states that contemporary political climate makes confessional writing redundant.

Three Generations, Collective Unavoidable Background

The Four Spent the Day Together is structured in three parts, covering multiple eras – none able to break free from their backgrounds. There is the tale of characters Emma and Jasper, based on Kraus's parents, moving from the urban environment to the Connecticut countryside. Then there is the narrative of the author, in the character of protagonist Catt Greene, confronting the late recognition of I Love Dick, the ascent of a political figure, and her substance-dependent spouse Paul. The third thread involves the narrative of a homicide of one lost young man by another in a community largely deserted by progressive politics only 80 miles from Catt's rural residence in a remote part of Minnesota.

From my perspective as a reader fond of honed writing of the kind the author herself typically rejects, I was captivated by the narrative style of the opening part.

As a reader drawn to honed writing of the kind that Kraus often disregards, I was seduced by the novelistic voice of the initial part. There is a new quality of attentiveness that allows space for small details, like the bucket that the youthful Catt pries out of frozen water at the opening of the book, helped by her beloved father. "Look, an ice toy!" she exclaims; "a lovely toy", he answers, "the ambiguous meanings of language rolling around in their mouths like hard candy". She tells the tale of Emma with curiosity and intimacy. "Emma experienced a dreamlike sensation – not entirely her own."

Frustration and Disruption

I was destined to be disappointed when I wished this fresh tone could continue through the novel. Kraus says here that she is annoyed by the pleasure those who appreciate polished prose have taken from I Love Dick; she's committed to disruption, to the unpolished style she has in common with her idol author Kathy Acker, and the void and recurrence of her earlier works returns in the middle section. Catt is working on refurbishing multiple decrepit residences in the most troubled areas of Albuquerque while shuttling between Minnesota and LA, failing to help Paul manage his alcohol use. She experiences powerlessness as her spouse transitions between underfunded jobs as an addiction therapist in a environment propelled by the rage and anxiety that drives an electoral success. Multiple pages are devoted about Catt being cancelled on a platform, her listed profession modified from "writer" to "property owner" on Wikipedia. Kraus still seems to be overly concerned about this. At one point she says that she's investigating the murder so that before exiting the region, "she might be able to learn something about an the United States that her online critics would fail to comprehend, would overlook entirely".

The Killing Story

So then we come to the murder itself – and the titular day spent by the deceased with the perpetrator and his companions. Kraus utilizes compelling foundational content, and knows hour by hour what transpired when a man named Brandon came to meet Brittney after meeting her on an app where she offered adult photos. He anticipated intimacy but seems affably to have spent the day in the company of her associates, loitering having his vehicle repaired and funding treats and narcotics, before being shot by Brittney's partner Micah – a youth with psychological issues who has often been institutionalized for fits of anger.

Fascination and Incompletion

Catt gets obsessed 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 go further into her individual preoccupations here. The most interesting character is Brittney herself, who comes alive in part due to Catt's identification with her – another bright, bullied girl going off the rails in a struggling, neglected community. The author informs us that Catt speaks to Brittney in detention, but she doesn't dramatise these conversations. The complete segment feels strangely incomplete, to the degree that her narrative ends almost mid-par