A review by justnerissa
Swing Time by Zadie Smith

emotional reflective tense 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? No

2.0

***Contains a Spoiler***

Smith has clearly honed her craft when it comes to character. Maybe Swing Time was an attempt at doing something different with plot. I found it frustrating that the narrator is slightly obsessed with her childhood friend Tracey, yet we never actually hear from Tracey. 

And I didn't quite understand what was going on at the beginning of the book once we got to the end. Were people attacking the narrator because they saw that video from when they were kids?
It was an interesting thing to have happen to a person; an interesting story to tell, sure, but it's almost like the narrative choice here avoids actually telling the story outright. You get the story but as a side to the narrator telling us about all the people in her life and how they people it.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings