Reviews

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

groovygirl's review against another edition

2.0

I wanted to like this book but unfortunately it did not hit the mark for me.

Zadie Smith writes beautifully and the book has some really great insights. However, I didn’t love how we saw everything from everyone’s perspective, even outside the Beasley family. I know that perspective is the point of the book but there were just too many characters, I would prefer a narrowing in, because the overflow of characters seemed to limit the plot.

PS: I hate Howard and his chapters, what a snooze fest

khaliah's review against another edition

2.0

I really like Zadie Smith. I especially loved White Teeth. But this book disappointed me. I was never able to get a hold on the characters and therefore I was never able to feel any sympathy for them.

marie5952's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

staircase_wit's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

fern17's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

3.75

museofmages's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

readingfourme's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring sad tense medium-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

4.5

I was raring to give this book five stars, but the end kind of let me down. Kind of a whimper. Maybe I just need to think about it. This book had me riveted and rolling—and it’s not a riveting topic. But the writing. And the. Tension. Holy God. I’m going to come back to this review when I can put together something more cogent. 

jp_riemersma's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

4.75

lydie95's review against another edition

funny hopeful relaxing 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

5.0

One of my favourite books of all time. Funny, smart and rich in character and story telling. You feel as though you know the Belsey family as if they were your own neighbours. I notice something new with each read and look forward to my next revisit in the future.

tarrowood's review against another edition

3.0

I’ll be honest and say I was disappointed in this book. Zadie Smith is one of my favorite contemporary authors, but On Beauty didn’t live up to my expectation. Smith leads you on with characters that you continue to think you will like, or that will have a breakthrough, but they remain ironically hedonistic and static throughout. Perhaps that is the point? How people, even when forced to change, are begrudged to the idea of actually changing?
The two good things from this book were the images of art (paintings, poems, rap, etc.) and Smith’s prose. On Beauty looks to use words and images of art to transcend the literal story (which is an amazing concept, but was a bit confounding at times). And Smith truly draws her readers into her words (although On Beauty didn’t quite do it as much as NW or White Teeth).