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The Four Spent the Day Together centers on characters seeking fresh starts, struggling to escape substance abuse or toxic relationships, only to witness hope devolve into conflict. Kraus frequently uses the phrase "new beginning", transforming it into intentionally weary through constant reiteration. Phrases such as "He aimed to start over" and "They decided to make a fresh start" are scattered across the text. At the same time, Kraus herself appears to be undertaking her personal new beginning, since this seems a different type of work – fact-based, authentically narrative. Yet it proves to be laden with the recurring issues and styles as earlier books.

From Chance Novelist to Cult Classic

Chris Kraus began as an creative who became a writer almost accidentally with her 1997 cult classic I Love Dick, which was composed of letters to an unreceptive lover, elevating personal female narrative from abjection into rebellion. She kept producing books, but the next trio of compelling and abrasive novels lacked the impact and rawness that the correspondence format infused into the narrative voice of I Love Dick. It didn't help was her identity as a nonconformist creator who had turned into a major property owner, so there was much discussion on real estate deals. It follows that she now wants to explore different types of content, turning outward to the experiences of others, at a period in which she states that Trumpian politics turns intimate literature obsolete.

Three Generations, Shared Inescapable History

The Four Spent the Day Together is structured in three parts, encompassing several time periods – none able to break free from their histories. The book includes the tale of Emma and Jasper, versions of the author's parents, transitioning from the New York borough to the Connecticut countryside. Then there is the story of Kraus herself, in the guise of protagonist Catt Greene, grappling with the delayed acclaim of I Love Dick, the ascent of a political figure, and her addict husband her husband Paul. Finally the account of a killing of one troubled youth by another in a community long abandoned by progressive politics only a short distance from Catt's cottage in rural Minnesota.

From my perspective as a reader drawn to polished prose of the type the author herself typically rejects, I was enchanted by the novelistic voice of the initial segment.

As someone who reads who appreciates crafted language of the variety that Kraus herself tends to eschew, I was seduced by the literary tone of the first section. It exhibits a fresh level of observation that allows space for trivial aspects, like the bucket that the protagonist as a child dislodges from ice at the beginning of the narrative, assisted by her adored dad. "I found an ice toy!" she declares; "a lovely toy", he responds, "the ambiguous meanings of language rolling around in their mouths like piece candy". She tells Emma's story with inquiry and familiarity. "Emma felt like she'd stepped into a dream – not precisely her dream."

Disappointment and Disjunction

I was bound to become frustrated when I wished this fresh tone could last out the book. Kraus says here that she is annoyed by the satisfaction those who appreciate polished prose have derived from I Love Dick; she's committed to disjunction, to the untidy aesthetics she has in common with her inspiration author Kathy Acker, and the blankness and repetitiveness of her past books returns in the middle section. Catt Greene is trying to renovate 36 run-down apartments in the city's most challenging districts while shuttling between Minnesota and LA, unsuccessful in assisting Paul curb his addiction. She is overwhelmed as Paul moves between low-resource employment as an substance abuse counselor in a society fueled by the anger and fear that powers Trump's victory. There are several pages about Catt being cancelled on Twitter, her professional designation altered from "writer" to "real estate holder" on Wikipedia. The author still appears to be overly concerned about this. At one point she says that she's researching the homicide so that before leaving Minnesota, "she might be able to learn something about an the United States that her social media opponents would not understand, would overlook entirely".

The Murder Narrative

Thus we arrive to the homicide in question – and the titular day passed by the murdered individual with the perpetrator and his friends. Kraus utilizes compelling foundational content, and knows hour by hour what occurred as Brandon came to see Brittney after meeting her on an app where she offered adult photos. He sought a sexual encounter but seems amiably to have occupied the day with her companions, loitering fixing his automobile and paying for snacks and drugs, before being killed by gunfire by her romantic interest Micah – a youth with psychological issues who has repeatedly received inpatient care for aggressive outbursts.

Preoccupation and Open Ends

Catt develops an obsession by the story, and I found myself captivated by the way that the author's conflicting impulses towards ethical reporting and reckless transgression wrestle in this part. However, I would have preferred her to go further into her individual preoccupations here. The most interesting character is the character Brittney, who comes alive partly through the protagonist's connection to her – a similarly gifted, tormented individual going off the rails in a struggling, neglected community. Kraus notes that Catt converses with Brittney in prison, but she doesn't dramatise these conversations. The complete segment feels oddly unfinished, to the degree that the author's storytelling ends almost mid-par