On Beauty by Zadie Smith

On Beauty

Zadie Smith

446 pages • first pub 2005 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Description

Why do we fall in love with the people we do? Why do we visit our mistakes on our children? What makes life truly beautiful?Set between New England and London, On Beauty concerns a pair of feuding families - the Belseys and the Kipps - and a clutc...

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Community Reviews Summary of 5,950 reviews

Moods

reflective 71%
emotional 66%
funny 52%
challenging 30%
sad 17%
tense 16%
dark 8%
hopeful 8%
inspiring 6%
lighthearted 6%
informative 5%
mysterious 2%
relaxing 2%
adventurous 1%

Pace

medium 57%
slow 38%
fast 3%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 76% | A mix: 19% | Plot: 3%

Strong character development?

Yes: 55% | It's complicated: 32% | No: 11%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 46% | No: 31% | Yes: 21%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 96% | It's complicated: 1% | No: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 94% | It's complicated: 4%

Average rating

3.83

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Content Warnings

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