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angorarabbit's review against another edition
MY reasons for the DNF: excessively stereotypical characters, no connection to the story, premise didn’t live up to expectations, reading felt like a chore.
I really was looking forward to reading this, but 25% of the way in I was struggling to get 20 pages at a sitting read.The one POV first person narration was good but the characters just kinda sucked to tell the truth. When the narrator was recollecting their childhood it was a little interesting, their adult retelling was just boring and strained my suspension of disbelief.
I will try another of Ms Smith’s books, just not this one. Perhaps my expectations were just to high for Swing Time.
Pro tip: If you see someone berating their employee in public never accept a job offer from that employer. Particularly if you are replacing the now ex berated employee.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol
Possible domestic violence.amgarrido's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I hate to be that person but this book had so much potential… I loved how it was started out and I was enraptured by the narrator and Tracey’s childhood antics in North West London. I also really enjoyed the exploration of complex family dynamics, the ambiguous space of being mixed race and the analysis of social class and upbringing in the UK. Despite her flaws, I empathised with the narrator’s mother, although I felt that making her so cold and unmotherly almost reinforced a stereotype.
However, when this book started to focus so much on the narrator’s work for Aimee and centred largely around the glamorous and uninteresting life of this self-absorbed, narcissistic Australian I lost interest and had to force myself to finish it. I see what Smith was trying to do in terms of exploring the intersections between race and class through this employee/employer relationship, where the power dynamics were confused and the boundaries blurry at best. It was interesting how this relationship almost seemed like a (toxic) friendship at times, but could quickly turn back to cold and professional when it suited Aimee.
I will say I enjoyed most of the time the narrator spent in the unnamed West African country, but again, found Aimee’s white saviourism incredibly jarring (now that I express it, this was probably Smith’s intention).
This was my first Zadie Smith novel and despite not having been what I expected, I will definitely be picking up another, as her writing is delectable.
However, when this book started to focus so much on the narrator’s work for Aimee and centred largely around the glamorous and uninteresting life of this self-absorbed, narcissistic Australian I lost interest and had to force myself to finish it. I see what Smith was trying to do in terms of exploring the intersections between race and class through this employee/employer relationship, where the power dynamics were confused and the boundaries blurry at best. It was interesting how this relationship almost seemed like a (toxic) friendship at times, but could quickly turn back to cold and professional when it suited Aimee.
I will say I enjoyed most of the time the narrator spent in the unnamed West African country, but again, found Aimee’s white saviourism incredibly jarring (now that I express it, this was probably Smith’s intention).
This was my first Zadie Smith novel and despite not having been what I expected, I will definitely be picking up another, as her writing is delectable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
laurynsbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
kers_tin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug use, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
norah_'s review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-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
3.25
⭐️=3.25 | 😘=5 | 🤬=4 | ⚔️=3 | 18+
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
brianareads's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
elysephone_escapes's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is the book that made me actually see the value in the recent trend of creatively annotating books. Normally I save it only for the Kindle, my excuse being I'm too busy reading the book to annotate, but this one had some great lines and thought pieces in it that made be decide to go back and underline them. Undoubtedly Zadie Smith is a fantastic writer - and while not my entire personal cup of tea and I may not be picking up another or hers in the near future, I am glad to have found this one and read it. Lots to think about, can't wait to listen to the interviews saved to my YouTube playlist from Smith around this book to get more insight.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexual content
jojo_'s review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Slavery, Antisemitism, Medical content, and Colonisation
nofacelif's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another brilliant novel by Zadie Smith. The way she integrates culture, roots, race, and history within her stories never ceases to amaze me. Her writing flows, making a relatively long book easy to read. The attention she puts into detail and the connections made between the past and present throughout the novel add to her writing. Her choice of telling the past and present plot at the same time stands out and makes the story more interesting, and the reader intrigued. The mother-daughter relationship and friendship between Tracy and the narrator are the highlights of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia
abbyreadsbigbooks123's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism