I've just found your channel and I'm in love!! Like an online book club- I'm about to grab a cup of tea and watch this book review. Zadie Smith is one of my all time favourites xx
Great review :) I've heard a lot about White Teeth but not this one, it does sound very interesting, and I don't think I've read any books set in London that aren't classics. I'll have to check it out.
This sounds like an amazing read!! Just put it in my cart for my next order. Its interesting that this is based off of a friendship between two women. You don't find many books like these. -xx Jessica
Nice review! For me this book is magic. The thing is I read the first work of this author when I was in Spain at university (White Teeth) and twenty years later at the same time that NW was released I stayed in London for three weeks in the same neighbourhood where both books were set.When I came back to Spain I realised that I had been living in a place where two genuine British novels were located. wow. What a suprise! I couldn´t believe it. Greeting from Spain!
I haven't read N-W but White Teeth was one of the first adult books I ever read and I loved it! I own On Beauty so it was interesting to hear that you preferred this one :)
I haven't read the book yet, I wanted to get a little more insite before just diving in. THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for doing you're review. On the list for Summer reads
I'm adding this to my TBR! Sounds a bit like The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. I love watching relationships evolve from childhood to adulthood. Great review!
I was quite unsure about picking up another Zadie Smith book, as I didn't get on that well with 'White Teeth', but this is a must-read from the sounds of it! Fabulous review. It was lovely to meet you on Saturday! xx
I had this video saved on my 'to watch' list until I'd finished NW and I completed it just now ;). Loved your thoughts on the novel - I found Natalie's name change to be incredibly powerful too, and the fact that none of the characters really reacted to it either. I thought the dialogue was fantastic as well. It's the first Zadie Smith I've read so now I feel compelled to go and get all her other novels :)
I read this a few months ago for an In Real Life book club. It divided the group pretty evenly between those who liked the literary, experimental style and those who bemoaned the lack of plot and the 'pretentious' aspects (they were very vocal about the page where the text is in the shape of an apple tree to the extent where this had now become a running joke, the benchmark by which we measure how much this asked us about books-'was it as portentous as the Apple tree? ') I enjoyed it, but the plot hasn't really stuck with me. I think it would have been more accessible if Natalie' s section came first (although I can see why she chose to do it that way round). Thank you for your review, I think it is pretty much spot on :)
Ha, I know what you mean about the tree - it does kind of come out of nowhere! I think I want to give it another read now that I know how everything fits together, to see if I can get anything else from it. See...I guess there isn't a plot, but then, at the same time there's loads of plot because it's four people's lives! Interesting how different people interpret books like this :)
This book sounds really interesting! I don't usually read books like this, but it really sounds like it would be a fascinating read. I'll have to put on my wish list.
Such a great in-depth review! I wasn't really interested in reading this book before but now you make me want to read it straight ahead. So thank you very much! :)
Oh, there should be no pressure at all! :) Everyone has another taste and that is important. It's absolutely not the end of the world, if I'm not going to enjoy N-W, but I will have an insight in what you like and this makes me happy.
I loved NW! I gave it 4,5 stars mostly because of the ending. If the ending had been a bit better I'd have given it 5 stars. I read along with the audiobook and that was a brilliant experience. I really could hear the accents properly. Love Zadie Smith and her work! She's definitely on my favorite authors list.
I am reading this book right now . Nearly 200 pages in and I love it.i am enjoying this better than White Teeth another Zadie Smith book which I may revisit after this book.
I didn't finish it, and gave it away. Which is something I never do. The book just really annoyed me, I couldn't find the story in between the form. Form was so important in this book that I just couldn't get into it. I loved On Beauty and White Teeth, so it really really displeased me to not finish it, but it totally took all my joy out of reading and I just couldn't do it. Hearing your did make me reconsider though, the story does sound really interesting. Maybe the fact that the setting was so familiar to you, and the accents sounded really 'true' made it easier to get into?
I read NW when it came out in French last year and I enjoyed it way less than On Beauty at the moment, but your review made me think about a few things I hadn't thought about when reading the novel, so I might re-read it later! Great lil video :)
I've just found your channel and I'm in love!! Like an online book club- I'm about to grab a cup of tea and watch this book review. Zadie Smith is one of my all time favourites xx
Great review :) I've heard a lot about White Teeth but not this one, it does sound very interesting, and I don't think I've read any books set in London that aren't classics. I'll have to check it out.
This sounds like a fascinating book. I love stories about friendship AND stories told from multiple points of view. I'll have to check it out!
This sounds like an amazing read!! Just put it in my cart for my next order. Its interesting that this is based off of a friendship between two women. You don't find many books like these.
-xx
Jessica
Nice review! For me this book is magic. The thing is I read the first work of this author when I was in Spain at university (White Teeth) and twenty years later at the same time that NW was released I stayed in London for three weeks in the same neighbourhood where both books were set.When I came back to Spain I realised that I had been living in a place where two genuine British novels were located. wow. What a suprise! I couldn´t believe it. Greeting from Spain!
I haven't read N-W but White Teeth was one of the first adult books I ever read and I loved it! I own On Beauty so it was interesting to hear that you preferred this one :)
I haven't read the book yet, I wanted to get a little more insite before just diving in. THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for doing you're review. On the list for Summer reads
I'm adding this to my TBR! Sounds a bit like The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. I love watching relationships evolve from childhood to adulthood. Great review!
I was quite unsure about picking up another Zadie Smith book, as I didn't get on that well with 'White Teeth', but this is a must-read from the sounds of it! Fabulous review. It was lovely to meet you on Saturday! xx
I had this video saved on my 'to watch' list until I'd finished NW and I completed it just now ;). Loved your thoughts on the novel - I found Natalie's name change to be incredibly powerful too, and the fact that none of the characters really reacted to it either. I thought the dialogue was fantastic as well. It's the first Zadie Smith I've read so now I feel compelled to go and get all her other novels :)
I read this a few months ago for an In Real Life book club. It divided the group pretty evenly between those who liked the literary, experimental style and those who bemoaned the lack of plot and the 'pretentious' aspects (they were very vocal about the page where the text is in the shape of an apple tree to the extent where this had now become a running joke, the benchmark by which we measure how much this asked us about books-'was it as portentous as the Apple tree? ') I enjoyed it, but the plot hasn't really stuck with me. I think it would have been more accessible if Natalie' s section came first (although I can see why she chose to do it that way round). Thank you for your review, I think it is pretty much spot on :)
Ha, I know what you mean about the tree - it does kind of come out of nowhere! I think I want to give it another read now that I know how everything fits together, to see if I can get anything else from it. See...I guess there isn't a plot, but then, at the same time there's loads of plot because it's four people's lives! Interesting how different people interpret books like this :)
This book sounds really interesting! I don't usually read books like this, but it really sounds like it would be a fascinating read. I'll have to put on my wish list.
Such a great in-depth review! I wasn't really interested in reading this book before but now you make me want to read it straight ahead. So thank you very much! :)
Oh dear - pressure! I hope you like it after my recommendation haha!
Oh, there should be no pressure at all! :) Everyone has another taste and that is important. It's absolutely not the end of the world, if I'm not going to enjoy N-W, but I will have an insight in what you like and this makes me happy.
I loved NW! I gave it 4,5 stars mostly because of the ending. If the ending had been a bit better I'd have given it 5 stars. I read along with the audiobook and that was a brilliant experience. I really could hear the accents properly. Love Zadie Smith and her work! She's definitely on my favorite authors list.
Oh wow, I can imagine that the audio book really makes it come alive!
Yes it does!
I love that cover of NW. I wish they had that one in the US. great review!
Brit covers are almost always better.
Great review! :)
I am reading this book right now . Nearly 200 pages in and I love it.i am enjoying this better than White Teeth another Zadie Smith book which I may revisit after this book.
Thank you 🌺
I didn't finish it, and gave it away. Which is something I never do. The book just really annoyed me, I couldn't find the story in between the form. Form was so important in this book that I just couldn't get into it. I loved On Beauty and White Teeth, so it really really displeased me to not finish it, but it totally took all my joy out of reading and I just couldn't do it.
Hearing your did make me reconsider though, the story does sound really interesting. Maybe the fact that the setting was so familiar to you, and the accents sounded really 'true' made it easier to get into?
please listen to the audio book as the reader above suggests. Absolutely MAGICAL!
I read NW when it came out in French last year and I enjoyed it way less than On Beauty at the moment, but your review made me think about a few things I hadn't thought about when reading the novel, so I might re-read it later! Great lil video :)