Ethan's review
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
I really loved this book. I haven't read anything by E.M. Forster, and this is supposedly an homage, but I can't speak to that. I can say the characters were incredibly compelling, and Smith tells an addictive story that's equal parts family saga and social commentary, set in a Cambridge (Mass)-esque university community. The book works on a lot of levels, with the characters all trying to make sense of relationships and family and identity and politics and the nature of art. Smith's prose is lovely, the dialogue's wonderful, and the characters are distinct, believable, and complex. This is one of the best books I've read in a while.
One gripe: It takes place in the Boston area, and Zadie Smith's grasp of Boston is a little off. Contrary to the book, there's no natural pond on the Boston Common, which would be a forgivable mistake if it was an obscure park, but not if it's one of the city's main landmarks. There were other little details she got wrong, and it just annoyed me. But it...more
One gripe: It takes place in the Boston area, and Zadie Smith's grasp of Boston is a little off. Contrary to the book, there's no natural pond on the Boston Common, which would be a forgivable mistake if it was an obscure park, but not if it's one of the city's main landmarks. There were other little details she got wrong, and it just annoyed me. But it...more
I loved that book too.
Yay! It's one of the best novels I've read in a long while.
