N-W
Clever
Deep
Emotional

N-W

Zadie Smith2012
Hobbes, Smith, Bentham, Locke and Russell. Five identical blocks make up the Caldwell housing estate in North West London. If you grew up in this relic of seventies urban design, the plan was to get out and get on, to something better, somewhere else. Thirty years later, Caldwell kids Leah, Natalie, Felix and Nathan have all moved on, with varying degrees of success - whatever that means. Living only streets apart, they occupy separate worlds, and navigate an atomized city in which few care to be their neighbour's keeper. Then one April afternoon a stranger comes to Leah's door, seeking help, disturbing the peace, and forcing Leah out of her isolation . . . From private houses to public parks, at work and at play, where the main streets hide the back alleys and taking the high road can sometimes lead you to a dead end, NW is a quietly devastating novel of encounters. Depicting the modern urban zone - familiar to town-dwellers everywhere - Zadie Smith's brilliant tragi-comic new novel is as mercurial and vital as the city itself.
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Photo of Ashley Johnson
Ashley Johnson@ashvalejohn
3 stars
Oct 14, 2022
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Kit@nightswimming
1 star
Aug 14, 2022
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Daryl Houston@dllh
3 stars
Sep 30, 2021
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Phil James@philjames
5 stars
Sep 3, 2021
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Michael Camilleri@pyrmont
3 stars
Jun 10, 2021
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MJ@mikejonesberlin
4.5 stars
Oct 26, 2024
Photo of Luke Pearce
Luke Pearce@aldouslanark
4 stars
Apr 7, 2024
Deep
Clever
Honest
Candid
Playful
Original
Emotional
Surprising
Photo of Cristian Garcia
Cristian Garcia@cristian
3 stars
Jul 29, 2023
Conceptual
Fast paced
Photo of Kat
Kat@kathryn
4 stars
Mar 17, 2023
Bold
Edgy
Cerebral
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Mitz@mitz
3 stars
Mar 9, 2024
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alice browne@alicebrwne
5 stars
Jan 8, 2024
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N.C@quince
3 stars
Dec 28, 2023
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K K@kristinak2509
3 stars
Dec 18, 2023
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Claire Matthews @clairefm
3 stars
Aug 2, 2023
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Friederike Krump@frieda
4 stars
Apr 13, 2023
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haifa@haifa
5 stars
Apr 3, 2023
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Ipek@ataegina
4 stars
Mar 12, 2023
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Joana da Silva@julesdsilva
3 stars
Mar 5, 2023
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Ioana Kardos@ioanakardos
4 stars
Feb 11, 2023
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Trish D@boredtrish
3 stars
Feb 7, 2023
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Erin@ecquigs
4 stars
Jan 29, 2023
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Alli Sweeney@alpalli
2 stars
Oct 17, 2022
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Anika Jugović Spajić@p_anika
4 stars
Oct 7, 2022
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Nicole Vanderbilt@nmvandy
4 stars
Sep 2, 2022