On Beauty: A Novel

by Zadie Smith

Book Overview

One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Winner of the 2006 Orange Prize for Fiction, another bestselling masterwork from the celebrated author of Swing Time and White Teeth "In... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143037749
• ISBN13: 9780143037743
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 445 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Tedious!!!

My Book Club read this book and only one person finished it (and it wasn't the person that picked it). It is evident Zadie Smith is an exceptional writer however sometimes I wanted to scream, "Get to the point!" She took forever to get to the point, sometimes pages at a time. I didn't care about a single character or what happened to them. I didn't hate them because that would mean there was character development. I was indifferent to all of them. The plot line slogged along and with every turn of the page, I found myself hoping a plot would crystallize but when I stopped reading at page 275, an overall plot had never made itself known. At least to me. Reviews have said it's "hilarious" and I'm still confused by that. Not once did I laugh out loud. Not a chuckle, giggle or smile. Read at your own risk.

Absolutely wonderful

So sharp and funny - it's Bernardine Ernesto, David Mitchell and Penelope Lively reminiscent ( which is to say unabashedly original)... One thinks of PG Wodehouse, except Smith's comedy of errors investigates family melodrama across class and gender, generational differences and black culture diaspora.

The book I purchased

I loved it! The book was in wonderful shape (as described) and it turned out to be an amazing read. The price was reasonable even with the shipping charge. It appeared to have barely been touched let alone read! The only complaint that I have is that it took way too long to receive. I would say I didn't get the book until a week and a half after I placed my order. I wish it would have cone fasterm though I suppose I should try a different mailing option other than 'standard' so that was probably my fault, athough the book was supposed to be sent out within two business days after the order was placed and it certainly was not shipped until I would say four or five days. Otherwise I was completely thrilled. I am happy that i went through this seller- they are very competent. I would gladly wait a week to get a book in such great condition as this instead of one that is all torn up. I am overall very pleased and will probably order from this seller again.

Really, Really Good - Characters Are Oh So Human...

I read this book 2 years ago, and I must say, the more I reflect on it, it's really an excellent book. While I was reading, for some reason, I was resistant to it's charms... I wanted to put it down, but never did. And now 2 years later, here I am looking for something good to read, and came here to follow the "People who bought this, bought that" link in hopes of discovering something equally terrific.

Sophisticated and deep!

I loved reading this story. It is so rich with different themes: gangster street talk; academic life, adultery, love, friendship, British versus American and black versus white. Howard Belsey is a Rembrandt scholar who can't finish his book and Monty is a Rembrandt scholar, whose book has been published. The two academics hate each other's politics and disagree about Rembrandt. And Zadie Smith has plenty to say about their wives and children. Joyce Akesson, author of Love's Thrilling Dimensions

Satirical and sensitive

This is the story of two families, each family headed up by a strong-willed academic man. These two patriarchs are opposites and enemies (or rivals, if you want to be optimistic). The emotional center of the book revolves around Howard's struggling marriage to Kiki. This novel is satirical and comic, on the one hand, and heartbreaking and sensitive on the other. Highly recommended.

Beautiful novel that takes patience to appreciate

When I first began reading the novel, I was not sure if I could believe in the characters. With a short amount of time, I did. Then I began to feel anxious, because the novel's cynical tone and tendency to question and deconstruct every element of "polite conversation" as false and ingenuine made me feel self conscious and as though few conversations could be trusted as real or honest. With time, I came to see that this constant questioning of the banal interactions of our lives made the rare moments of true, deep, and honest connection between characters all the more meaningful, much like our own life experiences. In fact, most of my initial impressions of this book, whatever they included, changed with time, which I believe is part of the beauty of this book. It is definitely worth sticking with the book and giving it the time it requires to recognize the subtle, slow growth and change in characters and yourself as a reader.