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The new book centers on characters seeking fresh starts, struggling to escape drugs or toxic relationships, only to see hope turn into violence. Kraus often employs the phrase "new beginning", rendering it intentionally weary through its repetitions. Phrases such as "He aimed to start over" and "They chose to begin anew" recur in the narrative. And yet, Kraus herself seems to be making her personal new beginning, as this appears a different type of work – observational, authentically narrative. But then it proves to be filled with the familiar conflicts and approaches as her previous works.

From Chance Novelist to Renowned Book

Chris Kraus was originally an artist who entered the literary world unintentionally with her 1997 groundbreaking book I Love Dick, structured as missives to a distant beloved, converting intimate women's literature from self-debasement into rebellion. She persisted as a writer, but the next trio of engaging and challenging novels lacked the power and directness that the letter form brought to the narrative voice of I Love Dick. It didn't help was her position as a renegade artist who had become a extensive real estate holder, so there was much discussion on housing investments. It makes sense that she presently aims to explore fresh narrative sources, directing her gaze to other people's stories, at a period in which she states that Trumpian politics makes confessional writing unnecessary.

Multiple Generations, Collective Unavoidable Background

The Four Spent the Day Together is divided into three sections, covering multiple eras – each trapped by their histories. There is the story of a couple named Emma and Jasper, based on the author's parents, transitioning from the urban environment to rural Connecticut. Additionally the story of Kraus herself, in the persona of protagonist Catt Greene, confronting the delayed acclaim of I Love Dick, the rise of Trump, and her addict husband Paul. And there is the story of the murder of one lost young man by another in a town largely deserted by forward-thinking policies only a brief drive from the protagonist's home in rural Minnesota.

As a reader drawn to polished prose of the kind Kraus typically rejects, I was seduced by the novelistic voice of the first section.

As a reader who favors precise prose of the kind that Kraus herself tends to eschew, I was seduced by the storytelling approach of the initial part. It possesses a fresh level of observation that allows space for small details, like the bucket that the youthful Catt dislodges from ice at the opening of the book, aided by her beloved father. "I found an ice toy!" she declares; "a lovely toy", he responds, "the nuanced interpretations of terms rolling around in their mouths like piece candy". Kraus writes Emma's narrative with interest and closeness. "Emma experienced a dreamlike sensation – not hers, exactly."

Letdown and Fragmentation

I was destined to be disappointed when I wished this new voice could continue through the novel. Kraus notes here that she is annoyed by the satisfaction readers like me have derived from I Love Dick; she's dedicated to disruption, to the untidy aesthetics she has in common with her idol author Kathy Acker, and the void and recurrence of her earlier works reasserts itself in the central part. The protagonist is working on refurbishing multiple decrepit residences in Albuquerque's worst neighbourhoods while moving between two different states, failing to help her husband curb his addiction. She feels helpless as her spouse transitions between poorly supported positions as an recovery specialist in a society driven by the hostility and dread that drives Trump's victory. A significant portion discusses about the protagonist facing cancellation on social media, her occupation changed from "novelist" to "landlord" on the online encyclopedia. She still gives the impression to invest excessive emotion about this. On one occasion she remarks that she's researching the homicide so that before leaving Minnesota, "she could potentially understand something about an the nation that her online critics would not understand, would not even perceive".

The Murder Narrative

Thus we arrive to the actual killing – and the referenced day experienced by the victim with the killer and his companions. Kraus has great source material, and knows hour by hour what occurred as a man named Brandon came to visit Brittney after connecting via an application where she offered adult photos. He sought a sexual encounter but appears congenially to have passed the day alongside her friends, loitering fixing his automobile and paying for snacks and drugs, before being murdered by her romantic interest Micah – a individual with mental health challenges who has frequently been hospitalised for violent rage.

Preoccupation and Open Ends

Catt develops an obsession by the story, and I was intrigued by the way that Kraus's dual urges towards accurate chronicling and daring boundary-pushing wrestle in this part. Yet I wished her to delve deeper into her individual preoccupations here. The most interesting character is the character Brittney, who comes alive partially because of Catt's identification with her – yet another intelligent, harassed young woman going off the rails in a troubled, forgotten town. The author informs us that Catt speaks to Brittney in detention, but she omits the dramatization of these talks. The whole section feels curiously unresolved, to the extent that Kraus's narration ends almost mid-par