On Beauty by Zadie Smith

On Beauty

Zadie Smith

445 pages • first pub 2005 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Description

Howard Belsey, a Rembrandt scholar who doesn't like Rembrandt, is an Englishman abroad and a long - suffering Professor at Wellington College. He has been married for thirty years to Kiki, an American woman who no longer resembles the sexy activis...

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Community Reviews Summary of 6,707 reviews

Moods

reflective 73%
emotional 66%
funny 51%
challenging 29%
sad 18%
tense 15%
dark 8%
hopeful 8%
informative 6%
lighthearted 6%
inspiring 5%
mysterious 2%
relaxing 2%
adventurous 1%

Pace

medium 59%
slow 38%
fast 3%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 75% | A mix: 20% | Plot: 3%

Strong character development?

Yes: 54% | It's complicated: 34% | No: 10%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 49% | No: 29% | Yes: 20%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 95% | It's complicated: 2% | No: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 93% | It's complicated: 4%

Average rating

3.83

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Content Warnings

Submitted by users as part of their reviews

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