I know that by the time we met this month, many, in fact I think everyone that read, was still working on the marvelous "White Teeth". With everyone diving into summer headfirst, I think that it may have been difficult for anyone to find time to sit and enjoy a book.
When I did have time to read Zadie Smith's novel, I was instantly drawn into the community she creates. Regardless, of whether I had time to read this book for an hour or five minutes, I was always instantly there. Train rides flew and mornings whizzed by as I spent my time in England with a very interesting cast of characters. If I could describe the book with one word, it would likely be absorbing.
That said, every moment of the novel was good, but it wasn't always linguistically great. At no point did I wish she would just get on with it or attempt to skip pages without feeling guilty, rather, there were moments when I was blown away by Smith's descriptions and overwhelmed by the depth and humor of her characters. Unfortunately, these moments were sporadic, sometimes lasting for pages and other times just a sentence.
The story itself is very interesting and I think that Smith's knack for storytelling from a plethora of perspectives is phenomenal. Her ability to move seamlessly from one brain to another was amazing to witness.
In the end, I would recommend White Teeth with ease to anyone looking for an interesting and unique book. On the other hand, it will never make it to my list of favorites, but then again I can't just give those spots away.
So we're on to Alias Grace by: Margaret Atwood. This novel is based on the facts surrounding a 19th century murder investigation. I was tempted to read about the case online, but decided to wait until after I've read the book to learn more about it. Hope everyone enjoys this sunshiney book!
