Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

NW by Zadie Smith

10 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A really interesting study of the complex relationship between two childhood friends who grow up together in a housing estate in North-West London. The setting is so vivid and well-described through the many characters involved in the story. The story only really picks up from the third section, and the show-don’t-tell nature of the writing means a lot of brain power is required to really understand the plot, but there are some very interesting discussions about the intersection between race and class and about pressures put on women in the workplace and at home. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Homophobia, and Racism

serendipitysbooks's review

challenging 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? Yes

4.25

 Zadie Smith is an author I’ve struggled with in the past. I don’t dislike her books but I have found them hard going. Finding that to be the case again with NW I resorted to my reliable strategy of listening to the audio and reading a print copy simultaneously. It definitely helped although I still struggled at times. Partly that’s because of the novel’s modernist, slightly experimental, sometimes stream of consciousness style. The book was composed of lots of fragments, vignettes as well as larger sections. They all worked well individually but I sometimes struggled putting them together as a cohesive whole.

I really enjoyed Smith’s writing style. It stood out from the norm and grabbed my attention with its energy and vitality. I think she created some really rich, nuanced character studies especially of friends Leah and Natalie/Keisha, but also of Nathan and to a lesser extent Felix. Willesden and Kilburn were so well depicted. As I read they sprang to life before my eyes, vibrant and full of life - both the good and the bad. The place was very much a character in its own right. I also appreciated the smart and perceptive things this book had to say about race, class and gender, about addiction, gentrification, social mobility, identity, globalisation and multiculturalism, friendship, and about women’s complicated relationship with motherhood among other things. I won’t pretend I gleaned all this novel had to offer. I may still struggle with Smith but I’ll continue to persevere since I’m convinced she’s worth the effort. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Classism, Racism, and Sexual content

saskia_ej's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

likerealpeople's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Infidelity, Murder, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cancer

deenmachine's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

At times the character sketches felt indulgent. Like they were just there to show how well Zadie Smith can write extremely location-specifix dialogue, especially Felix's section.

I thought the storyline in Leah's part

where she secretly has an abortion and taking birth control

was so compelling and wish there was more time devoted to her motives.

My favorite Zadie Smith is still On Beauty. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Abortion, and Animal death

jojo_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Racism, Infidelity, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Islamophobia, Rape, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, and Murder

glitterhobbit's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Writing is good but not into it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity

jessielikeslemons's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol

savvy999's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, and Animal death

treegirl22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

The writing is so skilful and beautiful in passages. The use of structure and changing structure is very effective and adds to the characterisation. I found that Felix's narrative didn't seem to fit in as well as Leah and Keisha/Natalie's. Partly because it is a lot shorter and less intertwined but I know others disagree. As a non-Londoner I didn't get all the references but there is still a very strong sense of place coming through so I feel I did not miss out too much. I found the ending a bit abrupt and confusing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts