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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
An invigorating read , makes you question your understanding of things without ever giving you a hint , that it was the intention all along .
She efficiently deconstructs so many fallacies.
It’s so rich with so many unexpected twists and turns ,all the time interwoven into the story are the numerous social conundrums .
The so called intellectuals seem to spend all their life and passion concentrating on just one cerebral portion of their brain ,that they have expertly let the other layers to rot or to be prone to underdevelopment .They do seem to have stunted character development and emotional intelligence.Moral of the story : stay away from intellectuals
She efficiently deconstructs so many fallacies.
It’s so rich with so many unexpected twists and turns ,all the time interwoven into the story are the numerous social conundrums .
The so called intellectuals seem to spend all their life and passion concentrating on just one cerebral portion of their brain ,that they have expertly let the other layers to rot or to be prone to underdevelopment .They do seem to have stunted character development and emotional intelligence.Moral of the story : stay away from intellectuals
jaaa hallo dat was fijn in de vakantie, zat er helemaal in!!!
slow-paced
Liked this more than I thought I would, despite being a Zadie Smith apologist already. Again, I love her sensibility and perception. However, On Beauty read differently than other Smith novels. It was more a "straight shot" in terms of style and structure, which sharpened up her characterization and placed more onus on her plot to carry everything.
I got invested in the novel's characters, even if Smith seemingly always leaves us with identity possibilities that simply suck. (Are her novels the literary analogue to Charles Taylor's study of authenticity? i.e. we profess it, but live out a totally bankrupt and co-opted version of it? Perhaps.)
However, I wanted more, especially from Howard (Howard's End!) and especially the denouement. But I'll take that final image of the Rembrandt at the novel's conclusion. It works in a Zadie way.
I got invested in the novel's characters, even if Smith seemingly always leaves us with identity possibilities that simply suck. (Are her novels the literary analogue to Charles Taylor's study of authenticity? i.e. we profess it, but live out a totally bankrupt and co-opted version of it? Perhaps.)
However, I wanted more, especially from Howard (Howard's End!) and especially the denouement. But I'll take that final image of the Rembrandt at the novel's conclusion. It works in a Zadie way.
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"On beauty" discusses (who would have thought) beauty, family relationships, academic world vs "street" world, race and identity - but it feels like the author put too much on her plate, because, while these are all interesting, important topics, I never had that big revelation (or small quiet soul-touching) moment of feeling connected/enlightened. A focus on just a selection of these topics would've sharpened the messages Smith wants to convey.
Her writing is sometimes witty, sometimes lengthy, quite observant and realistic, and includes a bit excessive academic vocab, which was of course intended but at times left me, as a non-native reader, struggling.
Then there is the vast and diverse cast of characters, the majority of which tend to be rather not really likeable, yet one has to give Smith credit for creating complex and compelling characters. What I couldn't understand though was why the narrator had to describe Kiki's body in that borderline fatphobic way, because it surely wasn't all for art's sake. The cameo of the author's brother however was quite fun.
Her writing is sometimes witty, sometimes lengthy, quite observant and realistic, and includes a bit excessive academic vocab, which was of course intended but at times left me, as a non-native reader, struggling.
Then there is the vast and diverse cast of characters, the majority of which tend to be rather not really likeable, yet one has to give Smith credit for creating complex and compelling characters. What I couldn't understand though was why the narrator had to describe Kiki's body in that borderline fatphobic way, because it surely wasn't all for art's sake. The cameo of the author's brother however was quite fun.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes