Archivist Liz finished reading Swing Time by Zadie Smith
Swing Time is a novel by British writer Zadie Smith, released in November 2016. The …
I read White Teeth last year, and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this at a flea market, I picked it up. Zadie Smith's writing is excellent, and I really got into the story. That said, the narrator isn't so sympathetic, so it can be a little difficult to always be seeing things from her perspective. The book has several strains, some of which are more effective than others. The initial story of the friendship between two mixed-race girls, and how it devolves over the years is probably the most interesting, although the reason for the break between them is less shocking than it initially seemed. Another strand is the narrator working for a Madonna-like celebrity. As part of the celebrity's "charity" work, the narrator travels several times to an African village where a school for girls is built. There are reflections on the diaspora experience visiting Africa. …
I read White Teeth last year, and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this at a flea market, I picked it up. Zadie Smith's writing is excellent, and I really got into the story. That said, the narrator isn't so sympathetic, so it can be a little difficult to always be seeing things from her perspective. The book has several strains, some of which are more effective than others. The initial story of the friendship between two mixed-race girls, and how it devolves over the years is probably the most interesting, although the reason for the break between them is less shocking than it initially seemed. Another strand is the narrator working for a Madonna-like celebrity. As part of the celebrity's "charity" work, the narrator travels several times to an African village where a school for girls is built. There are reflections on the diaspora experience visiting Africa. Dance winds its way throughout the novel, and the reflections on dancing are very interesting and made we want to take another look at some old musical dance routines. It was an engaging read, but it won't be an all-time favorite.
