Scan barcode
ftrebelo's review against another edition
2.0
Zadie Smith writes very well, and she depicts the maddening and insulating world of celebrity magnificently. However, the novel felt lacking. It felt as if it was trying to do too much, ticking off the boxes of issues: racism, poverty in London, poverty in Africa, friendships, broken marriages, celebrity life, dance, social justice movements, problems with foreign aid... oh my! And while we're supposed to believe that the (nameless) narrator has grown by the end, particularly to better understand her mother and Tracey, the ending still felt rather unfinished.
theuncultured's review against another edition
3.0
I wouldn't have purchased this book if it weren't for the lack of interesting titles at the book fair. I also thought it was time to look at other things, bestsellers, fresh authors, etc. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm always, always, so disappointed with anything that has been published during this decade. Please help me change my mind.
Zadie Smith is uncompromisingly fresh, she knows what she wants to say, but somehow forgets it mid-sentence and ends up ranting. Her words keep going even when it's obvious that she should have stopped a long time ago. She's not saying much in her rant either. I like her ideas and the book didn't bore me too much (except for the second part.) This book isn't about dancing, it isn't about geopolitics, I mean, I'm still very confused about the whole thing. This feels more of a memoir than anything else (and that's perfectly fine!) There's something about the way she writes though that makes everything better, her style is charming and although I do think it's messy, I'm actually enamoured by it and feel sweetened by the experience.
Zadie Smith is uncompromisingly fresh, she knows what she wants to say, but somehow forgets it mid-sentence and ends up ranting. Her words keep going even when it's obvious that she should have stopped a long time ago. She's not saying much in her rant either. I like her ideas and the book didn't bore me too much (except for the second part.) This book isn't about dancing, it isn't about geopolitics, I mean, I'm still very confused about the whole thing. This feels more of a memoir than anything else (and that's perfectly fine!) There's something about the way she writes though that makes everything better, her style is charming and although I do think it's messy, I'm actually enamoured by it and feel sweetened by the experience.
tamar66's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jenpaul13's review against another edition
3.0
Finding out who you are can take up a lot of time in your life - in fact, it could take your whole life. In Swing Time by Zadie Smith, the narrator seems to be spending her entire life finding her identity and shaping who she is.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
From a young age, two brown girls become friends (despite the wishes of the narrator's mother) with the shared ambition of becoming dancers. The friend, Tracey, has the skill to become a dancer while the narrator doesn't, as she has flat feet, but she does have a better singing voice than Tracey. As the girls grow older, they begin to grow apart, seeming to seek different goals and find their identity from different things. Where one girl stayed in the same area her whole life yet seems to know exactly who she is, the other girl travels the world and still has yet to figure out who she is.
While a relatively enjoyable read with plenty of beautiful language and social commentary, it moved a bit slowly and didn't really do much of anything for me - it didn't evoke any serious emotions or reveal any truths in a memorable fashion. Jumping between the narrator's past and the present to tell the story, it was a little disorienting at times when there wasn't much of a transition between the two, but as the narrative progressed, it worked and flowed much better.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
From a young age, two brown girls become friends (despite the wishes of the narrator's mother) with the shared ambition of becoming dancers. The friend, Tracey, has the skill to become a dancer while the narrator doesn't, as she has flat feet, but she does have a better singing voice than Tracey. As the girls grow older, they begin to grow apart, seeming to seek different goals and find their identity from different things. Where one girl stayed in the same area her whole life yet seems to know exactly who she is, the other girl travels the world and still has yet to figure out who she is.
While a relatively enjoyable read with plenty of beautiful language and social commentary, it moved a bit slowly and didn't really do much of anything for me - it didn't evoke any serious emotions or reveal any truths in a memorable fashion. Jumping between the narrator's past and the present to tell the story, it was a little disorienting at times when there wasn't much of a transition between the two, but as the narrative progressed, it worked and flowed much better.
riveraanahiz's review against another edition
3.0
I was very excited about this book when I heard it was about dancing, but I feel like I was misled. It was a very long book and while I'm a big fan of Zadie Smith, this was simply not my favorite work by her and took me a long time to finish it. I took months off from reading it and didn't even want to finish it, which seldom happens. It just didn't really captivate me.
winter_b's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Another great book by Zadie Smith. I enjoyed being immersed in this world and following these characters. There is no over-explaining, the characters feel believable and the story is compelling.
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
3.0
Zadie Smith has a lot on her mind in this novel: race, diaspora tourism, the poverty cycle, female friendship, cultural appropriation, dance and music to name a few things. She chooses to explore these themes in a meandering, non-linear and tangential narrative which I would have enjoyed but sadly felt it never quite took off. I feel like I spent most of the book waiting for it to start. The major problem is that Smith's protagonist is the least interesting character in the book. The women around her (her mother, her mother's lover, her best friend, her boss, her boss's manager) are completely fascinating and if this had been Tracey's story I think I would have felt very differently about this book. The narrative POV felt restrictive and limited. The writing is lovely and the issues Smith grapples with are ones I am interested in. The meandering plot meant I wanted a strong character study but with such a lacklustre protagonist it wasn't to be had here.
I struggle with Zadie Smith and this will probably be the last novel of hers I read. I feel like she had one truly electrifying and astoundingly impressive novel in her (White Teeth) and everything since has either been terrible (don't get me started on The Autograph Man) or good/average/fine.
Here Comes the Sun is the book to read if you want to explore these issues and have your mind completely blown.
I struggle with Zadie Smith and this will probably be the last novel of hers I read. I feel like she had one truly electrifying and astoundingly impressive novel in her (White Teeth) and everything since has either been terrible (don't get me started on The Autograph Man) or good/average/fine.
Here Comes the Sun is the book to read if you want to explore these issues and have your mind completely blown.
anamatutes's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
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
2.0