Zadie Smith
Paperback | Pages: 448 pages Rating: 3.77 | 116066 Users | 6972 Reviews
Itemize Out Of Books White Teeth
| Title | : | White Teeth |
| Author | : | Zadie Smith |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 448 pages |
| Published | : | June 12th 2001 by Vintage (first published April 1st 2000) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Contemporary. Novels. European Literature. British Literature. Literary Fiction. Literature. Adult Fiction |
Relation To Books White Teeth
At the center of this invigorating novel are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Hapless veterans of World War II, Archie and Samad and their families become agents of England’s irrevocable transformation. A second marriage to Clara Bowden, a beautiful, albeit tooth-challenged, Jamaican half his age, quite literally gives Archie a second lease on life, and produces Irie, a knowing child whose personality doesn’t quite match her name (Jamaican for “no problem”). Samad’s late-in-life arranged marriage (he had to wait for his bride to be born), produces twin sons whose separate paths confound Iqbal’s every effort to direct them, and a renewed, if selective, submission to his Islamic faith. Set against London’s racial and cultural tapestry, venturing across the former empire and into the past as it barrels toward the future, White Teeth revels in the ecstatic hodgepodge of modern life, flirting with disaster, confounding expectations, and embracing the comedy of daily existence.Define Books Concering White Teeth
| Original Title: | White Teeth |
| ISBN: | 0375703861 (ISBN13: 9780375703867) |
| Edition Language: | English URL https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/169680/white-teeth-by-zadie-smith/ |
| Characters: | Alfred Archibald Jones, Samad Miah Iqbal, Clara Bowden, Alsana Begum, Irie Ambrosia Jones, Millat Zulfikar Iqbal, Hortense Bowden, Mr Topps, Joyce Chalfen, Marcus Chalfen, Magid Iqbal, Joshua Chalfen |
| Setting: | Willesden, North London,1974(United Kingdom) |
| Literary Awards: | Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Shortlist (2000), Guardian First Book Award (2000), James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction (2000), Whitbread Award for First Novel (2000), John Llewellyn Rhys Prize Nominee (2000) Puddly Award for Debut Novel (2001), National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Fiction (2000), Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book Overall (2001), Sunday Times/Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award (2001), Betty Trask Award (2001) |
Rating Out Of Books White Teeth
Ratings: 3.77 From 116066 Users | 6972 ReviewsCriticism Out Of Books White Teeth
Wow, 24? Was Zadie Smith really only 24 when she wrote this? Hats off! "White Teeth" is indeed a well-constructed, in a sense even a kaleidoscopic novel that you would expect from a much more mature author; also the psychological portrayal of the characters is quite impressive, and then there is the list of themes she has integrated in her novel, like the integration/acculturation of immigrants, genetic engineering, the nature versus nurture debate, generational conflicts, the role of chance in2.5 starsThe thing I love about these books that Kinga recommends for me in her ongoing - and so far hopelessly futile attempt - to educate me on finer literature outside my usual genre of formulaic, lowbrow romance novels, is Kinga herself.I feel like the care and guidance under her hand as akin to a big sister pointing out the wonders of a large, diverse, cosmopolitan city to the younger, countrified sister. And the fact that I don't see what she sees in these novels, doesn't bother me in
The novel that shot Zadie (née Sadie) into the literary stratosphere in 2001. A decade down the line and this is still a dazzling performance. A mordant look at first-generation Bengali immigrants and the next generation's confused Anglicization and alienation. A scalpel-sharp realist novel with teeth sharper than a puma. Plus (near the end) a witty debate on religion v. science. And so much more besides. Not head-over-heels in love with that ending. Reads more like an intellectual copout than a
Rating: 3.5 Hilariously complex characters. It's insane to think Zadie was practically my age when she began writing this book. How she pulled off accurately depicting 3 different cultures is beyond me, but she did it with wit and grit. By no means is the book perfection, but it is wonderful. I assure you, it's unlike anything you've ever read. There is an air of confidence Zadie writes with which I loved. The story overall is funny but it does deal with complex topics such as culture clash,
White Teeth is an expansive, detailed, and beautifully written attempt to encapsulate the social chaos that blossoms at the bridging of generational, national and sexual mindsets. It reminds me very much of the freeflowing histories written by Marquez and Allende, as well as Salman Rushdie's strange little one-off treatise on cultural alienation, Fury. (Samad, in particular, reminds me quite a bit of Fury's Malik Solanka.)The book does many things well. Smith has a serious ear for dialogue and
Just because everyone says it's good doesn't make it readable. Just because it has an 'ethnic' plot doesn't make it realistic. Just because it's about ordinary people doesn't make it believeable. And just because I read it only a couple of months ago doesn't make it memorable. Three stars because it might have been that good, I've forgotten all but the general gist of the book.
More (now) than fifteen years ago, when I read this, I thought it was the best contemporary fiction I'd read in ages. Even though I don't remember a whole lot of the story, I'm still in accord with that memory. It's one of the contemporary novels that I can see myself reading again in the future, or at least sampling.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Previous review: What Uncle Sam Really Wants ChomskyNext review: Border CrossingMore recent review: My Brilliant FriendPrevious library
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