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A review by erinlcrane
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
3.0
*Technically* a DNF, but I got to 63%. I kept going so long in this one because this is one of those stories where there are two timelines. I really liked one, and I did not like the other. I just got to a point where I was really tired of the one I didn't like. I'm giving up.
The present day storyline, the one I did not like, involves a White pop star named Aimee. The narrator serves as her assistant. I liked the messages in this part of the book - it addresses racism, colonialism, White people being performative, misunderstandings of Islam and African countries, etc, etc. I just did not care about Aimee or any of the other characters' stories in that part. I'd also say it gets a bit too didactic through the characters.
The part I did like was the past storyline. The narrator starts with her childhood and moves forward. Her relationship with her mom was fascinating. I also really loved Tracey and the exploration of child behavior around trauma. Tracey's fantasy about her dad and the unspoken rule not to question it - loved it. I often don't enjoy a coming of age story, but here it's told from an adult perspective, in reflection, rather than a child's perspective. That helped.
Ultimately I didn't really see a reason for the split timeline instead of a linear story. And the present day just felt so disconnected from the past - neither Tracey nor the narrator's mom feature much, and those were the relationships I was interested in. I'm not sure it all comes together into something cohesive.
Smith writes so expressively, intelligently, and beautifully - that's part of what kept me going so long. I enjoyed White Teeth and On Beauty so much - especially On Beauty. But the story of this one is just not working for me. I appreciate its ambitiousness and what Smith was trying to do all the same, and I'll continue to try her work.
The present day storyline, the one I did not like, involves a White pop star named Aimee. The narrator serves as her assistant. I liked the messages in this part of the book - it addresses racism, colonialism, White people being performative, misunderstandings of Islam and African countries, etc, etc. I just did not care about Aimee or any of the other characters' stories in that part. I'd also say it gets a bit too didactic through the characters.
The part I did like was the past storyline. The narrator starts with her childhood and moves forward. Her relationship with her mom was fascinating. I also really loved Tracey and the exploration of child behavior around trauma. Tracey's fantasy about her dad and the unspoken rule not to question it - loved it. I often don't enjoy a coming of age story, but here it's told from an adult perspective, in reflection, rather than a child's perspective. That helped.
Ultimately I didn't really see a reason for the split timeline instead of a linear story. And the present day just felt so disconnected from the past - neither Tracey nor the narrator's mom feature much, and those were the relationships I was interested in. I'm not sure it all comes together into something cohesive.
Smith writes so expressively, intelligently, and beautifully - that's part of what kept me going so long. I enjoyed White Teeth and On Beauty so much - especially On Beauty. But the story of this one is just not working for me. I appreciate its ambitiousness and what Smith was trying to do all the same, and I'll continue to try her work.