All Fours by Miranda July Summary
Overview of All Fours
Miranda July's "All Fours" follows a 45-year-old woman's extramarital sexual awakening, sparking a cultural phenomenon that became "the talk of every group text." This New York Times bestseller, finalist for the National Book Award, explores female desire so powerfully that STARZ fought to adapt it.
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Key takeaways
The Golden Room Within Us
Miranda July's "All Fours" captures the silent revolution happening in countless women's lives - the moment when the careful architecture of a "good life" begins to feel like a prison. Our unnamed narrator, a forty-something creative professional, wife to Harris and mother to seven-year-old Sam, has mastered the art of functioning. She initiates weekly sex with her husband to preempt pressure, mentally escaping into elaborate fantasies while her body performs the expected motions. Her friendship with Jordi offers rare moments of authenticity - secret meetings to indulge in childhood junk foods, small rebellions against their health-conscious adult lives. But beneath this carefully managed existence runs a current of desperation, a sense that time is running out on something essential she can't quite name. When a potential collaboration with world-famous pop star Arkanda offers a professional lifeline, she prepares for a cross-country drive. But instead of following her husband's meticulously planned route, she makes an unexpected detour that becomes the first crack in her controlled life. Just hours into her journey, she abandons her plans and checks into the Excelsior motel in Monrovia. In an extraordinary act of self-indulgence, she hires Claire, a local decorator, to transform her motel room at an exorbitant cost of $20,000. The renovation becomes increasingly elaborate - plush carpet, luxury towels (including a special "demi-towel"), Italian nun-made lotions, and vintage Portuguese tiles. This transformed space becomes a womb-like sanctuary where she can explore desires outside the constraints of wife and mother.
Dancing on the Edge of Desire
The Body's Memory and Mortality
Marriage Reimagined
New Explorations of Intimacy
The Courage to Want
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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