Zadie Smith writes beautifully. NW changes style and format on multiple occasions as focus shifts from one character to the next. For the most part, this works well. Occasionally, it puts the character in a disconnected zone - just reading a timeline of someone's life. While I'm sure that distance is intentional, it is a frustrating ordeal for the reader that lasts a bit too long.

I got out of it some lovely turns of phrase and imagery and some investment in lives I haven't connected with before, but could have enjoyed it more with a less experimental structure.