Reviews

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

despina19's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I remain In awe of Zadie Smith. This reads like a modern classic. Her ability to tell a family story, a story about academia, social issues, identity politics, mixed race/class differences, coming of age, infidelities, women’s bodies/aging/relationships — with beautifully descriptive sentences and word choices that are uniquely precise, and also humor — is unmatched. There are so many layers to this story. She paints every character with such depth, even the smallest side characters. The “tomato” analogy of the professors and their classes is so acutely on point and also hilarious.

The language in this novel is dense. And we are watching these characters make cringey choices. And there isn’t much growth because it takes place over a short amount of time. And yet I loved this book. It wasn’t that I enjoyed watching these characters make these mistakes. But this wasn’t a book about redemption, but an ideas book that raised issues through these characters. 

sydd's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jimbowen0306's review against another edition

3.0

I've read this book twice now, and I'm still not sure what to think aboutit. It's about the disintegration of the lives and marriages of 2 families. One marriage focuses on the liberal Belsey family, the other focuses on the the more socially conservative Kippses.

Both men are British lecturers at a well regarded Boston university, and both have stereotypically opposing views on art (on which they lecture) and life in general. Both make the unsurprising mistakes men make in their 50s, and both seem like idiots because of it.

So all in all, I didn't much like the guys. They genuinely weren't very likeable, which made the book hard to read. My other grumble is I couldn't help wondering what the point of the book was. I'm told it's an homage to Howard's End, but... as I haven't read it, I was left underwhelmed.

jimbowen0306's review against another edition

3.0

I've not sure what to think of this book, it's about the liberal, atheistic Belsey family (Howard, Kiki, Jerome, Zora, and Levi), and their relationships with the more religious, conservative Kipps family.

I enjoyed the book, it's well written. It's just not much happens. If it's about the "US Culture Wars", it could be better told as a factual book I think. If it's about the internal workings of a mixed race family, I could see that too. It's just I wanted something to happen, and it didn't.

anabelle_davis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

kmsourada's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-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? Yes

4.5

It is said that On Beauty is a purposeful homage to Howards End (now prioritized on my TBR).

What I really liked:
- Lots of layers.
- Loads of 'bumbling' around that often frustrated me, but at the same time, I was completely invested in each of them.
- Interior Life/Family Drama. As a reader, I felt an intimate relationship with the Belsey family, more than a 'neighbor', their shortcomings and all.
- Slow moving impending 'train wrecks'...often I was taken off guard.
- Pictorial & musical intertextuality (I would need a re-read to make stronger connections here). Color usage I think would be of note as well.

carie's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

auntiedd's review against another edition

5.0

this is a perfect novel and zadie smith is my favorite human alive! IMO this is her best novel

lupercalia's review against another edition

funny reflective medium-paced

3.75

сподобалося, класний роман, але думала, що у фіналі буде більше страстєй) не знала, що ця книжка є пастишем? кавер-версією? короче, варіацією на тему Howards End Форстера, якого я не читала, візьмуся тепер за нього.

kristenesantos's review against another edition

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0