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The Four Spent the Day Together centers on characters pursuing new beginnings, trying to break free from substance abuse or toxic relationships, only to witness hope devolve into violence. Chris Kraus frequently uses the phrase "fresh start", rendering it willfully cynical through constant reiteration. Examples include "He aimed to start over" and "They chose to begin anew" appear throughout the narrative. And yet, she seems to be making her individual reinvention, as this appears a new kind of book – observational, genuinely novelistic. Yet it proves to be packed with the recurring issues and approaches as earlier books.

From Chance Novelist to Iconic Work

The writer began as an visual artist who entered the literary world almost accidentally with her 1997 groundbreaking book I Love Dick, structured as epistles to an unresponsive love interest, converting confessional female writing from abjection into assassination. She persisted as a writer, but the next trio of compelling and abrasive novels did not possess the shock and immediacy that the letter form brought to the tone of I Love Dick. This was not aided by was her position as a nonconformist creator who had become 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, looking outwards to external narratives, at a period in which she claims that Trumpian politics renders personal narrative redundant.

Multiple Generations, Shared Inescapable History

The Four Spent the Day Together is organized into a trio of segments, covering several time periods – none able to break free from their histories. The book includes the narrative about characters Emma and Jasper, based on Kraus's parents, moving 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 delayed acclaim of I Love Dick, the rise of Trump, and her partner struggling with addiction Paul. The third thread involves the story of the murder of one troubled youth by another in a locality mostly forsaken by liberal ideals only 80 miles from Catt's rural residence in rural Minnesota.

As a reader drawn to polished prose of the kind Kraus herself often avoids, I was seduced by the narrative style of the first section.

As a reader drawn to honed writing of the style that Kraus usually avoids, I was won over by the novelistic voice of the initial part. It possesses a fresh level of observation that makes room for trivial aspects, like the container that the youthful Catt pries out of frozen water at the beginning of the narrative, assisted by her beloved father. "I found an ice toy!" she exclaims; "a lovely toy", he responds, "the nuanced interpretations of terms rolling around in their mouths like piece candy". The author narrates Emma's story with inquiry and familiarity. "Emma felt like she'd stepped into a dream – not hers, exactly."

Disappointment and Disjunction

I was bound to become frustrated when I wished this fresh tone could last out the book. Kraus notes here that she is annoyed by the pleasure those who appreciate polished prose have derived from I Love Dick; she's devoted to disjunction, to the unpolished style she echoes from her inspiration Kathy Acker, and the void and recurrence of her past books comes back in the central part. Catt is working on refurbishing multiple decrepit residences in the city's most challenging districts while moving between Minnesota and LA, unsuccessful in assisting Paul curb his addiction. She experiences powerlessness as Paul cycles through poorly supported positions as an substance abuse counselor in a world fueled by the rage and anxiety that powers a political win. Multiple pages are devoted about Catt being cancelled on a platform, her occupation changed from "writer" to "property owner" on Wikipedia. Kraus still seems to invest excessive emotion about this. At one point she states that she's looking into the killing so that before exiting the region, "she may grasp something about an the United States that her social media opponents would fail to comprehend, would not even perceive".

The Homicide Account

Thus we arrive to the homicide in question – and the titular day passed by the deceased with the killer and his companions. Kraus utilizes compelling foundational content, and reconstructs step by step what happened when the victim Brandon came to see Brittney after encountering her on a platform where she offered adult photos. He anticipated intimacy but appears congenially to have passed the day with her companions, mooching around having his vehicle repaired and funding treats and narcotics, before being shot by Brittney's boyfriend Micah – a individual with mental health challenges who has repeatedly received inpatient care for fits of anger.

Preoccupation and Open Ends

The protagonist becomes fixated by the narrative, and I found myself captivated 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 herself, who gains dimension in part due to the protagonist's connection to her – yet another intelligent, harassed young woman derailing in a troubled, forgotten town. Kraus tells us that Catt speaks to Brittney in prison, but she doesn't dramatise these conversations. The complete segment feels curiously unresolved, to the extent that her narrative ends almost mid-par