On Beauty

Critics

• A thing of beauty

  On Beauty by Zadie Smith Hamish Hamilton £16.99, pp445 Even if she had not made it explicit in her acknowledgments, Zadie Smith's homage to EM Forster's Howards End announces itself in the opening line of her third novel: 'One may as well begin with ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Howard's folly

  On Beauty by Zadie Smith 432pp, Hamish Hamilton, £16.99 Among the many tasks Zadie Smith sets herself in her ambitious, hugely impressive new novel is that of finding a style at once flexible enough to give voice to the multitude of different worlds ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

12 Reviews

• 5 people find this helpful

  

  Another tour de force from Zadie Smith after White Teeth. She handled racial tension in an American family so well. And the dialogues are hilarious.

  Very funny. Enjoy.

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  Tracy W said on Apr 12, 2007 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 3 people find this helpful

  

  Reading On Beauty

  Zadie Smith's On Beauty is a pleasurable read. It's easy to get wrapped up in the people who populate the incisive tale. At the book's center is the story of two competing families. The Belseys are headed up by Howard, a white Englishman who is a Rembrandt expert and professor at a prestigious East ... (continue)

  Zadie Smith's On Beauty is a pleasurable read. It's easy to get wrapped up in the people who populate the incisive tale. At the book's center is the story of two competing families. The Belseys are headed up by Howard, a white Englishman who is a Rembrandt expert and professor at a prestigious East Coast university. His arch rival is Monty Kipps, a black Englishman who is a heavy duty conservative (he argues strenuously against affirmative action) and who has written a successful Rembrandt novel that has made Howard look a bit of a fool.

  Both men are surrounded by unique families, and we primarily see the story unfold through the Belseys. Howard's wife, Kiki, is a large, exuberant African-American who is suffering under the revelation that Howard has cheated on her. Their oldest son, Jerome, has accepted Christianity despite all of his parents' exhortations to the contrary. Zora is the daughter, and she is a force at the college where Howard teaches. She is an almost ideal student - but one who seems to have very little creativity of her own. And finally, youngest son Levi may be the most engaging character. He's a high school student who is fascinated with hip hop and puts on a Brooklyn accent even though he has never been there.

  Despite Howard's bitter hatred of Monty, Kiki strikes up a friendship with Monty's wife Karlene. Their lives intertwine in other ways as well, with some of them being rather unfortunate.

  I fell in love with the characters of the book and what they taught me as well. And once again, I found myself disappointed that The Sea was the winner of the 2005 Man Booker prize when there was better stuff to be found.

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  moogle said on Mar 28, 2007 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  Smith's third novel, an intrepid attempt to explore the sad stuff of adult life, 21st century–style: adultery, identity crises and emotional suffocation, interracial and intraracial global conflicts and religious zealotry. Like Smith's smash debut, White Teeth (2000).

  I actually preferred Whit ... (continue)

  Smith's third novel, an intrepid attempt to explore the sad stuff of adult life, 21st century–style: adultery, identity crises and emotional suffocation, interracial and intraracial global conflicts and religious zealotry. Like Smith's smash debut, White Teeth (2000).

  I actually preferred White Teeth, but this was still a worthwhile read.

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  ambient pleasures said on Sep 12, 2006 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  A strange book.
  I can't say I love it, and I almost stopped reading one third through, but then I kept going because it was unlike any other book I've read. There were some interesting parts, but it was a bit dispersive, and it didn't really have a storyline somehow.

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  Mag said on Jul 15, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  Expected something more...

  Actually, after the great "White Teeth" I expected something more by Zadie Smith's "On beauty". Dialogues, Black British references and background are always well displayed throughout the narrative, but the story fails catching the attention and enthusiasm of the readers. I'll surely give her other ... (continue)

  Actually, after the great "White Teeth" I expected something more by Zadie Smith's "On beauty". Dialogues, Black British references and background are always well displayed throughout the narrative, but the story fails catching the attention and enthusiasm of the readers. I'll surely give her other chances 'cause she writes in a very enjoyable way, but for this time she hasn't met my expectations. Sorry Zadie!

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  Camilla Zu said on Jun 25, 2010 | Add your feedback

• 

  Well I thought that this was better than the previous two, or maybe I am just getting used to her style of writing? It is an amusing and well written story but I was disappointed in the last part which seems to drift somewhat without any real conclusions. Maybe I was trying to read too much into the ... (continue)

  Well I thought that this was better than the previous two, or maybe I am just getting used to her style of writing? It is an amusing and well written story but I was disappointed in the last part which seems to drift somewhat without any real conclusions. Maybe I was trying to read too much into the fact that the author fully admits to using 'Howards End' by E.M.Forster for her inspiration.

  Is this helpful?

  Lindyloumac said on Oct 9, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

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Book Details

• Rating:
  (199)
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• English Books
• Paperback 464 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0241142946
• ISBN-13: 9780241142943
• Publisher: Q P D
• Pub date: Jan 01, 2005
• Dimensions: 1484 mm x 968 mm x 258 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette and eBook
• In other languages: other languages Libros en Español, Libri Italiani, Svenska böcker

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