N-W

This book was good in short bursts. As many other readers have noted, the second section was the best. It was hard to get into at first because the style changed so often and quickly , but in the end, I was invested in the characters and am glad I saw it through.

unlovable, self centered characters in a north London setting. and that's the good part. but the plot is missing and her style is so different from usual, mimicking a bit Jennifer Egan's. I'm maybe harsh but I think Smith is better than this mess, i.e. On Beauty was gorgeous and thought-provoking.

Didn't love this one, though maybe I just didn't get it.

I loved this book. I loved "White Teeth" but with genius debuts you never know if the experience will be repeated. Her second "Autograph Man" I didn't really enjoy, too much abstruse Kabbalah and obscure symbolism, trying too hard. The third "on Beauty" i enjoyed but found a bit of a slog in parts, maybe again writing too many words, too much Writing. This one is a masterpiece.Dialogue driven, every word counts to drive the story on. Each part, as in poetry, has resonances and undercurrents, but none of it seems contrived, it looks effortless. A joy.

I don't know what I think about this book. I really didn't like most of the characters but I think that was supposed to be the point. Then there's the fact that, with little knowledge of London, the setting, which is clearly an important part of the story, means almost nothing to me. And the ending is... well, the ending feels like Zadie Smith simply ran out of paper. But sometimes you get the feeling that sometimes reading books that are challenging about characters you don't like is part of the point of literature.