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dongchiot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
camreading's review against another edition
3.0
read this with my friends for our book club and we basically all agreed it was longer than it needed to be and didn't get interesting until about half way through. it took me til around pg 200 to develop real interest, which was mostly in the howard and kiki plot. (howard belsey have literally any single redeemable quality challenge rn) it felt like other storylines just could'nt catch my attention. so much of the plot and characters get bogged down in an attempt at intellectualism that made this largely unappealing. don't get me wrong - i love a cerebral, philosophical read with little to no actual plot (big salinger fan), but this book didn't feel like that, it felt like it was trying to be intellectual and philosophical and not necessarily succeeding. the language of some of the characters, especially carl and mrs. kipps, felt inauthentic at times. i will say zadie smith has a knack for metaphor that i really enjoyed, with some lines being very clever. she also excells at doing a sort of satire with her characters, which did help me get through the first half of already not liking many of them. i think i'd enjoy something shorter of hers (and intend to give her work another try) but this just wasn't it for me- i was glad once it was finally over.
sarahcrowley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
margaretderbymorrison's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lizzyginsburg's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jennalduke's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lauraa_4's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kaylahrodriguez's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kaseyclemons's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
pmrichard1's review against another edition
5.0
Wow loved this so much. Zadie Smith’s writing of interior life and family dynamics is just so good, and the early 2000s setting was a great backdrop. Brilliant and so so so well written as ever.