After her first novel was published in 2000, The Washington Post referred to Zadie Smith as "a postmodern Charles Dickens": a feisty claim and one which is fully deserved.
Say the words 'Shakespeare' or 'Dickens' and the usual reaction is one of great horror. I can never understand this, after all, everyone loves a good story and no-one could really match these two fellas in the story-telling stakes. Fascinating characterisation; intricate plots, a dose of the sobs and many a hearty laughwhat could be better? But most noteworthy is the way they have left us with a legacy, real sense of our past: exactly what it was like to live in that time; exactly where we fit in morally; exactly how our history and heritage has been shaped. The result is a series of tales rich and dynamic, unforgettable and thought-provoking. Two prodigious giants of Literaturenow let me introduce you to a third.
In her much-admired novel, "White Teeth" Zadie Smith, like Dickens, summons you to North London: a much more modern place but still one where cultures mingle and merge with whirlwind energy. The result is an amazing insight into an almost unique microcosm, portrayed expertly with incomparable realism by this great novelist of our time.
Archie Jones tries, but fails, to kill himselfso the novel starts, as shocking as any Dickens invented. Archie's failure in this instant is by no means his first but he lives on and tries again. His second attempt intimately invites you into his second chance at life: a beautiful Jamaican bride and the birth of his daughter, Irie.
Samad Iqbal is a Muslim whose arranged marriage results in two polar-opposite twins, Magid and Millat. Together with their gutsy mother, Alsana, they introduce even more thought-provoking strata's to this novel involving gender, heritage, history and status. It is a brilliantly realistic view of the hodgepodge of folk who have come to make London the cosmopolitan, creative, cross-cultural hub we know and must come to love. The characters are cherished by Smith and she invites you to share their lives without sugar coating but with a fair few belly laughs.
"White Teeth" (and the joy of Zadie Smith's subsequent novels) is not an option: it will make you proud to be British.
A great way to keep on top of what is popular in the novel stakes is to join a book-club near you. I regularly attend Home House's monthly book-club, which is where I got the inspiration to write about White Teeth. I'm already looking forward to May's book, which will be Oscar & Lucinda by Peter Carey.
Say the words 'Shakespeare' or 'Dickens' and the usual reaction is one of great horror. I can never understand this, after all, everyone loves a good story and no-one could really match these two fellas in the story-telling stakes. Fascinating characterisation; intricate plots, a dose of the sobs and many a hearty laughwhat could be better? But most noteworthy is the way they have left us with a legacy, real sense of our past: exactly what it was like to live in that time; exactly where we fit in morally; exactly how our history and heritage has been shaped. The result is a series of tales rich and dynamic, unforgettable and thought-provoking. Two prodigious giants of Literaturenow let me introduce you to a third.
In her much-admired novel, "White Teeth" Zadie Smith, like Dickens, summons you to North London: a much more modern place but still one where cultures mingle and merge with whirlwind energy. The result is an amazing insight into an almost unique microcosm, portrayed expertly with incomparable realism by this great novelist of our time.
Archie Jones tries, but fails, to kill himselfso the novel starts, as shocking as any Dickens invented. Archie's failure in this instant is by no means his first but he lives on and tries again. His second attempt intimately invites you into his second chance at life: a beautiful Jamaican bride and the birth of his daughter, Irie.
Samad Iqbal is a Muslim whose arranged marriage results in two polar-opposite twins, Magid and Millat. Together with their gutsy mother, Alsana, they introduce even more thought-provoking strata's to this novel involving gender, heritage, history and status. It is a brilliantly realistic view of the hodgepodge of folk who have come to make London the cosmopolitan, creative, cross-cultural hub we know and must come to love. The characters are cherished by Smith and she invites you to share their lives without sugar coating but with a fair few belly laughs.
"White Teeth" (and the joy of Zadie Smith's subsequent novels) is not an option: it will make you proud to be British.
A great way to keep on top of what is popular in the novel stakes is to join a book-club near you. I regularly attend Home House's monthly book-club, which is where I got the inspiration to write about White Teeth. I'm already looking forward to May's book, which will be Oscar & Lucinda by Peter Carey.
About the Author:
The city is home to many, but Home House is unique private members club in London. It's 'home' to people from all walks of life, and the perfect hangout for a working day and a buzzing social hotspot come nighttime. Among its many other private events, this month Home House is hosting London's most exclusive Book Club.
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