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A review by katykelly
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
3.0
3.5 stars
White Teeth is one of my favourite books, so I was fully prepared for another broad sweep of themes and places, some dark humour and deep thoughts.
Maybe they were there, but I just didn’t connect with the story of two childhood friends, one who grows up to be a professional dancer, the other (our main character) who ends up as a celebrity pop star’s personal assistant. Half of the story takes us through their childhoods and adolescences together, the other half follows (I’ve already forgotten if she’s unnamed or I’ve just blanked on her name) our protagonist’s recent experiences as PA, helping her build a girl’s school in Africa.
The title refers to a particular Fred Astaire film both girls watched obsessively as young girls before different schools, directions and finally life, separates them. I loved the descriptions of the pair watching old musicals, and really enjoyed seeing the main character’s mum develop from an academic writing essays and reading to a more powerful community member, political and influential. The Africa segments frustrated me, and the return near the end to former best friend Tracey, I didn’t really like at all.
I did finish this, but it wasn’t because I was enjoying it. I wanted to know if I would come to find it more compelling as the end neared, but for me, it didn’t hit a nerve.
I thought I might find the life of a celebrity PA more fascinating than I did, but that petered out somewhat too for me.
Not what I was hoping for, maybe because I’m not a dancer. But I don’t think it will hold wide appeal for men, having an almost exclusively female set of characters and stories. Female friendship, mother/daughter relationships, dancing. I think it’s the 25-45 female demographic that would be most inclined to try this.
With thanks to the publisher for the advance copy, sent for review purposes.
White Teeth is one of my favourite books, so I was fully prepared for another broad sweep of themes and places, some dark humour and deep thoughts.
Maybe they were there, but I just didn’t connect with the story of two childhood friends, one who grows up to be a professional dancer, the other (our main character) who ends up as a celebrity pop star’s personal assistant. Half of the story takes us through their childhoods and adolescences together, the other half follows (I’ve already forgotten if she’s unnamed or I’ve just blanked on her name) our protagonist’s recent experiences as PA, helping her build a girl’s school in Africa.
The title refers to a particular Fred Astaire film both girls watched obsessively as young girls before different schools, directions and finally life, separates them. I loved the descriptions of the pair watching old musicals, and really enjoyed seeing the main character’s mum develop from an academic writing essays and reading to a more powerful community member, political and influential. The Africa segments frustrated me, and the return near the end to former best friend Tracey, I didn’t really like at all.
I did finish this, but it wasn’t because I was enjoying it. I wanted to know if I would come to find it more compelling as the end neared, but for me, it didn’t hit a nerve.
I thought I might find the life of a celebrity PA more fascinating than I did, but that petered out somewhat too for me.
Not what I was hoping for, maybe because I’m not a dancer. But I don’t think it will hold wide appeal for men, having an almost exclusively female set of characters and stories. Female friendship, mother/daughter relationships, dancing. I think it’s the 25-45 female demographic that would be most inclined to try this.
With thanks to the publisher for the advance copy, sent for review purposes.