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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
As this one being the first novel that I ever read from Zadie Smith, I did not know what to expect: the reviews were polarized, a lot of highly positive reviews, a lot of terrible ones… now that I’ve read it, I get the reason for that.
I found it confusing. At first, I thought she was copying a lot of different styles in order to appear smart, in a “disorganized organized” way.
The “Host” chapter was the irritating one, 125 pages (almost 40% of the entire book) that, in my opinion, was way too long. I mean I get it, life is not a straight line, not a consistent narrative and all that, but it feels that she lost it in the middle and then got to straight line in Natalie’s narrative. I struggle with long narratives that take that long to show themselves, and I forced myself not to give up at this point.
But the whole chaotic vibe grew on me, and I got caught up in the mess.
Overall, I liked it. A lot. I loved the way she portrait feminine struggles regarding having a family and all the pressure surrounding it, specially having kids. I’m looking forward to read more of her.
I found it confusing. At first, I thought she was copying a lot of different styles in order to appear smart, in a “disorganized organized” way.
The “Host” chapter was the irritating one, 125 pages (almost 40% of the entire book) that, in my opinion, was way too long. I mean I get it, life is not a straight line, not a consistent narrative and all that, but it feels that she lost it in the middle and then got to straight line in Natalie’s narrative. I struggle with long narratives that take that long to show themselves, and I forced myself not to give up at this point.
But the whole chaotic vibe grew on me, and I got caught up in the mess.
Overall, I liked it. A lot. I loved the way she portrait feminine struggles regarding having a family and all the pressure surrounding it, specially having kids. I’m looking forward to read more of her.
Zadie's best. A book as troubling, exciting, hopeful, and frustrating as city life.
tbh i liked this book a lot more than i would like. i LOVE an experimental novel, so honestly this gets most of its stars from that. i did overall enjoy reading the book, the different styles of writing and the plot was overall pretty interesting. zadie smith's writing is BEAUTIFUL and there were some lines that were at once straightforward and complex. her characterization is stunning and i really, really could relate to Natalie at times (which might not be the best thing in the world...LOL)
what i didn't like about it:
- i was SO CONFUSED like half the time. i generally don't hate a book that challenges me, but there were some pages where I was just lost and confused as to what has happening. i definitely think i missed some stuff, but that might just be because i'm not a careful reader
- the ending was super anti-climactic. all i'll say about that to not spoil it. i think this lack of a super strong ending reflected the fact that this book is wayyyy more character-driven than plot-driven
overall, not a terrible way to end 2024's reading challenge. on to reading more in 2025!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
what i didn't like about it:
- i was SO CONFUSED like half the time. i generally don't hate a book that challenges me, but there were some pages where I was just lost and confused as to what has happening. i definitely think i missed some stuff, but that might just be because i'm not a careful reader
- the ending was super anti-climactic. all i'll say about that to not spoil it. i think this lack of a super strong ending reflected the fact that this book is wayyyy more character-driven than plot-driven
overall, not a terrible way to end 2024's reading challenge. on to reading more in 2025!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
I listened to this book on CD. My take on it is colored by the fact that I only listened in the car in 15 minute increments over several months, sometimes listening to the wrong disc by mistake. It's a bit hard to follow anyway. But, no matter what section came up, the voice and the writing were so compelling that I didn't care if I'd lost the thread of the narrative. Zadie Smith is some writer.
I respected this book more than I enjoyed it.
It's very heavy, depressing, and anxiety-triggering so I took a long time reading it. It's extremely well written and very perceptive, but I found its style difficult to palate. The narrative structure reminded me of film narration. The sentences are blunt and the syntax straightforward, but the description is poetic and the writing is very artistic. The book cycles through protagonists and tenses, giving it the feel of a series of short, vivid scenes loosely connected.
Through this almost cinematic style, NW presents amazingly vibrant images of a rough London neighbourhood and its residents. It explores themes of class, race, culture, identity, and time through a very realistic yet decidedly tragic lens. The characters are complex, relatable, and badly damaged. It leaves you feeling not so much that you've read a cohesive novel but that you've explored a series of realistic moments through the eyes of believable characters.
Through NW, Smith poses many disturbing questions and offers few consoling answers. It's a difficult read, but it's very sophisticated.
It's very heavy, depressing, and anxiety-triggering so I took a long time reading it. It's extremely well written and very perceptive, but I found its style difficult to palate. The narrative structure reminded me of film narration. The sentences are blunt and the syntax straightforward, but the description is poetic and the writing is very artistic. The book cycles through protagonists and tenses, giving it the feel of a series of short, vivid scenes loosely connected.
Through this almost cinematic style, NW presents amazingly vibrant images of a rough London neighbourhood and its residents. It explores themes of class, race, culture, identity, and time through a very realistic yet decidedly tragic lens. The characters are complex, relatable, and badly damaged. It leaves you feeling not so much that you've read a cohesive novel but that you've explored a series of realistic moments through the eyes of believable characters.
Through NW, Smith poses many disturbing questions and offers few consoling answers. It's a difficult read, but it's very sophisticated.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
medium-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