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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-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
I just didn't connect with the characters or the story. It seems like it is trying to be gangstery, but I just don't really care... Zadie Smith is a hit and miss for me.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This would have been so much better if it had been written from Keisha/Natalie's perspective. Leah was ok. Felix was completely dull. Insightful at times.
I am struggling with rating this book. It is broken into four sections, each told from the P.O.V. of a different character. I almost quit during the first section, I got into the second a bit, I enjoyed the third, and the fourth just lost me again.
I finally finished my first Zadie Smith book (I haven't picked up On Beauty yet and have started/stopped White Teeth about 100 times). I enjoyed NW quite a bit, although I found myself needing to reread sections at times to pull out the subtle but vital pieces of her narrative. Smith brings this oft-overlooked corner of London to life in full detail, describing the imposing council towers and hidden medieval churches with comparable devotion. She deftly weaves together the stories of four NW residents: Leah Hanwell and Keisha (Natalie) Blake, childhood best friends whose adult lives diverge in every possible way and yet their bond persists; Felix Cooper, a young NW resident who falls victim to a random act of violence; and Nathan Bogle, Leah's childhood crush, who becomes a depressing example of arrested development in his adult life. While I found Leah's and Natalie's stories most engrossing, I was also captivated by Smith's telling of Felix's last day of life (which wove sentiments of ordinariness, possibility, and tragedy together in one man's day-to-day). I wasn't sure how Smith was going to fit Nathan into the story, but he makes sporadic appearances throughout and then comes through in the end to provide the knockout punch to her funny, sad, surprising mosaic of NW life.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes