NW

The star of this novel is Zadie Smith's writing. It's a thoughtful exploration of the lives of four people who grow up in the same area of London, especially the two friends Leah and Keisha/Natalie. I especially admire how the author imagines different dialogues and demonstrates the different expectations and world views of her characters. Overall, it's melancholy, but manages to end on a hopeful note for the two main protagonists. There is a pleasing symmetry to their relationship.

This is beautifully written, and it will stay with me for awhile.

The star of this novel is Zadie Smith's writing. It's a thoughtful exploration of the lives of four people who grow up in the same area of London, especially the two friends Leah and Keisha/Natalie. I especially admire how the author imagines different dialogues and demonstrates the different expectations and world views of her characters. Overall, it's melancholy, but manages to end on a hopeful note for the two main protagonists. There is a pleasing symmetry to their relationship.

This is beautifully written, and it will stay with me for awhile.

But it's not White Teeth! How is it suppose to be a good Zadie Smith novel if it is not White Teeth?

And yet, it is a good novel. Like Zadie Smith's other works, it masterfully deals with the complex interactions between multiple people. It differs from her previous novels in the longer time period it covers and being tied together by themes and interactions instead of by a plot thread that ties everything together (though the book does contain a singular event which the characters, arches and resolutions ultimately revolve around).