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A review by andrewspink
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
White Teeth is a famous book which I had been wanting to read for ages. I was not disappointed. It is amazing for a debut novel, richly layered, interesting insights into London's multi-cultural society, thoughts about the interaction of family, personal and country history. She also portrays how young men can get radicalised and at the same time rather ridicules the process in an amusing way. In general she pokes gentle fun at religions. Methodists (my background) even get several mentions. The plot is intricately intertwined and I'm sure I missed a lot of subtleties on a first read.
It is nicely written. The book is long, over 500 pages, but it was such fun reading that it was no problem to read to the end. Normally, when authors try to put dialect into print, it is horrible and difficult to read. Zadie Smith did a nice job portraying Jamaican accents.
It is nicely written. The book is long, over 500 pages, but it was such fun reading that it was no problem to read to the end. Normally, when authors try to put dialect into print, it is horrible and difficult to read. Zadie Smith did a nice job portraying Jamaican accents.