3'5.
A pesar de los momentos de cabreo que me ha hecho pasar esta lectura, el libro me ha gustado mucho. El estilo de Zadie Smith es muy particular: ácido, irónico, sin tapujos y escrito con muchísima inteligencia.
Es un libro incómodo, por lo que quiere decir, por cómo lo transmite y por la forma de hacerlo. Pocas veces me ha pasado estar tan al límite con un libro, y sin embargo mantenerme totalmente enganchada a la lectura para saber qué pasa.

Esta es una novela de personajes, y como ya he mencionado en mis avances, ¡son insoportables y odiosos, todos! (Howard el que más), algo que ha ralentizado mi lectura. De la quema salvaría a Kiki que en ocasiones me parecía más una observadora de todo ese circo de snobs, arrogantes, ególatras y pomposos personajes que la rodean. Y es que, esta lectura, no deja de ser una crítica brutal a todo; explora no solo el mundo académico, sino también las relaciones familiares, la religión, el choque cultural entre generaciones y raza y una serie de conflictos, que se desarrollan en ese pequeño microcosmos de Sobre la belleza, y del que el lector no puede evitar formar parte como uno más.

Para ser mi primera toma de contacto con Zadie Smith, no ha ido mal, pero creo que es importante leerlo en un momento adecuado, (y sin estrés), para poder sacarle todo el jugo y disfrutar de la lectura plenamente. ¿La recomiendo? Por supuesto, sólo por las perlas que va dejando en los capítulos merece la pena. Estoy deseando ponerme con Dientes Blancos y Swing Time.

Pd: Esta es la primera lectura que hago de las autoras adoptadas que voy siguiendo, espero hacer pronto una reseña un poco más extensa en el blog y hablaros también de la adopción tan fantástica que ha hecho Emma de Zadie Smith en el proyecto de Adopta una Autora.

Zadie Smith is one of my favorite go-to writers when I'm looking for tragicomic quick wit, peppered throughout the kind of writing that makes me drool. She's incredible.

During these divisive times, we each find solace in something. Survival mode entails a potpourri of tried and true failsafe of the behaviors we fall back on, the old friends we seek out, comfort foods-- our "temporary survival go-kits," pre-packed that we can grab like security blankets. My go-kit has always included books with snort-laugh / choke on my coffee kinda humor. Thank the literary gods for the likes of Zadie Smith, and other tragicomic geniuses (Jonathan Franzen, select works of the late David Foster Wallace, Nathan Hill, Kurt Vonnygut, Augusten Burroughs, Mary Karr, Jess Walters, etc). Without them I would certainly be teetering on the edge of voluntary commitment to the mental ward of any local hospital.

Books are medicinal. Thank the gods for every last one. Can you imagine where we'd be without our favorite authors?

I know everyone is looking for "a review" of this book. But I'm terrible at writing reviews on an app that serves up reviews en masse like The Country Buffet on steroids. Just wanted to give a shout out to Zadie, and a big thank you. I also wanted to extend a huge hug to everybody out there who can't tell the difference between the news and seriously skewed stand-up comedy. Keep trudging. Keep being of service to others in little ways and big ones IF you can. And please, please take good care of yourselves.

Go grab a copy of ANY Zadie Smith book if you want a good laugh. Never underestimate the power of fucked up humor. Especially if it's served with a side of mind-blowing 'wordsmithery' (that's not even a word, but whatever).

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Review from 2005

Smith’s third novel after the excellent White Teeth and disappointing The Autograph Man – definitely a return to form. As always with Smith huge cast of characters, but based mainly around two families (the Belsey's and the Kipps).

Story has many main themes: a very explicit homage to “Howard’s End” (first line – “One may as well begin with…”, main character and many elements of plot); meditations on beauty (both in Howard’s academic study which seeks to deconstruct and challenge traditional concepts of beauty and great art as well as in some of the characters – Kiki’s hugeness, Victoria’s stunning beauty, Carl’s attractiveness); racial identity (particularly for middle class blacks – the disputes between Monty and Howard over affirmative action; Levi’s faux-radicalness, Carl’s eventual disgust with the Kipps and Belsey families); academia; youthful naivety (Zora is seemingly an autobiographical character).

Not perfect book but ultimately very gripping and involving – not from the plot but simply from the development of the characters. Part where Howard visits and clashes with his working class father (still mourning death of his mother and in Howard’s eyes prejudiced) is probably the best scene in the book together. Other good pieces are parts where the family turn on Howard for his ability to enjoy anything as well as the piece when we join Claire for her reflections on why she had the affair.

"Write what you know" is a well worn cliché, but the best writing in this book deals with topics close to the author's experience. I found the perspectives on race in a racially and culturally mixed household interesting, and felt they were handled with the loving care of one who knows this experience intimately. Many descriptions of human interaction also ring true in a powerful way, particularly involving the character of Kiki. But I did not think this book was truly great. While there were passages in which the author describes the action honestly, without commenting, I felt a certain self-consciousness permeated the writing that often prevented me from fully entering the world of the characters. In general, this happens for me when I get the impression that the author takes time to insert gratuitous knowledge on a topic ("look what I know about life in academia" and "look what I know about teenage styles and music preference," for example), instead of having every sentence work to further the plot or reveal essential information about characters' ambitions and conflicts. This book made me want very badly to re-read Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse" which also shows deep understanding of how people's internal and external worlds interact, but which has none of the self-consciousness that distracted me as I read "On Beauty."

To be fair, the main character in this book ruined my day, which means he must have been well-written. Near the end, he made me so angry that my mood was spoiled for hours, which is a powerful thing for literature to do. Is that what I want from fiction? I'm not sure. Don't read this book if you look for sympathetic characters. Smith is ruthless with the people she creates. Maybe I will read some comedy next.

Een van de eerste boeken die ik ooit kocht enkel omdat ik de cover mooi vond. Ik dacht dat het sindsdien ongelezen in de kast had gestaan. Maar ik vond op blz. 60 een postkaart uit 2007 en tot die bladzijde ook enkele potloodonderlijningen. Zoiets kom ik met mijn Kobo nu eens nooit tegen. O, papieren boek, wonderlijk ding. Is er eigenlijk iets schoners dan de geur en de kleur van een Penguin die al jaren geduldig in de kast staat te wachten?

Nu wel uitgelezen en nog veel meer onderlijnd dan destijds. Zeer goed boek. Confronterend actueel. Rijk, boeiend, prachtig geschreven. Nu erg benieuwd naar The fraud.

The truth in this quote sends shivers down my spine. It's so real, like all of Smith's writing:

n  “Stop worrying about your identity and concern yourself with the people you care about, ideas that matter to you, beliefs you can stand by, tickets you can run on. Intelligent humans make those choices with their brain and hearts and they make them alone. The world does not deliver meaning to you. You have to make it meaningful...and decide what you want and need and must do. It’s a tough, unimaginably lonely and complicated way to be in the world. But that’s the deal: you have to live; you can’t live by slogans, dead ideas, clichés, or national flags. Finding an identity is easy. It’s the easy way out.” n

The novel concerns itself with identity in the modern space. Who am I? And who are you? Are questions that the characters find themselves plagued with. But identity is not simple in a globalised world. To be British (or American) is a far reaching term.

Smith’s characters find themselves with a dilemma. Who are they supposed to be? Do they cling to their cultural norms or do they simple exist freely and become whatever it is they wish to be? Some fall into stereotypes and preformative behaviour. Others shift around not quite knowing who they are and what race they belong to. And the true success of Smith’s writing here resides in representation: she aims to represent everybody and anybody. With her evocation of multiculturalism, she captures the heart of the modern world.

Much of the plot occurs in the realms of academia, at a stuffy university obsessed with high grades and elitism. Even the title of the novel shows Smith preoccupations with words and ideas. And a huge part of this demonstrates how academics can often be detached from the truth (and pleasure) associated with art because of their outlandish and over the top theories that only serve the advancement of their own intellectual quests rather than appreciating the art for what it is. And it’s a very valid point.

So this is such a fantastically clever piece of writing that’s fiercely original; yet, at the same time, plays homage to its literary forefather: Howards End by E.M Forster. Here’s what Smith says in the acknowledgement section of my copy:

“It should be obvious from the first line that this is a novel inspired by a love of E. M. Forster, to whom all my fiction is indebted, one way or the other.”

On a basic level, she’s copied the plot and narrative progression of Forster’s novel, but she has transported it to the modern world. Instead of early twentieth century arguments over class and money, the characters worry over race and identity. As strange as it may sound, despite the clear similarities, the novel is not remotely derivative or over reliant on Forster. Smith has used his words as a platform to tell her story a hundred years later with modern characters and modern issues. And it’s, quite easily, one of the best literary adaptations I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

And I can’t quite believe it’s been almost two years since I last read a Zadie Smith novel, I’d almost forgotten how brilliant she is! Next on my list is her debut White Teeth. I hope I enjoy it as much as this one.

Alive is the word which springs to mind about this novel. It is a glorious, page-turning, rip-snorter of a tale through the lives of a white British college professor, Howard Belsey who's married to a black American, their three near-adult children and Howard's nemesis – Monty Kipps.

My favorite part is Howard's reaction while listening to the glee club singers at the formal college dinner; uproariously funny and totally priceless!

This is a novel where I would love to read a prequel and a sequel if Ms Smith would be so kind as to write them. I just want more and more of this family and of Smith's gorgeous prose. The review which has the novel in a nutshell and by far the best is:

MJ Nicholls's review
Mar 20, 11

5 of 5 stars
bookshelves: novels, sassysassenachs, tortured-artists, distaff
Read from March 13 to 16, 2011


“This is a book full of unbeautiful people: obnoxious teenagers, philandering academics, stuffy professors, right-on street rappers, wispy rich kids and more obnoxious teenagers. Zadie takes a scalpel to Anglo-American academic relations, probing away at the race/class issues with her usual mordant unflinching cruelty and compassion. She plants a series of depth charges in the lives of her wibbling characters, watching them each explode in turn into quivering heaps of gloopy suet. As ever, the ride is a scream.”

MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I'm with MJ Nicholls; a definite 5★

(I keep switching from a 3 to 4 stars ahhh I don't know!) I found this book quite difficult to get into but once I did I couldn't put it down. I think this was an important read that will stay with me for quite some time.


And I really fucking hate Howard.

On Beauty begins as a kind of cover version of EM Forster's Howards End but it soon becomes evident that Zadie Smith has far too much creative brio to bind herself to someone else's inspirations. It's like she's soon magically improvising around a couple of central riffs. The interesting thing perhaps is that most of the weaker parts of this novel are when she's holding closely to Forster's parameters. This a tremendously witty novel full of lived modern life brilliantly described. It's essentially the story of two families colliding with each other with a violence that breaches the ramparts that have previously provided order and a measure of harmony. The Belseys are a mixed-race family, half English, half American. The father a liberal white professor, his wife a black American nurse. The novel begins with Howard's Christian son having a brief affair with the daughter of his nemesis, Sir Monty Kipps, a black outspoken conservative professor at the same American university. From this moment on, the tensions between the two families will let loose a horde of angels and demons. It's a novel pulsating with fabulous observations about modern life; a novel populated with memorable compelling characters; and a novel brimming with wisdom and yes, beauty.

O que me cativa em Zadie Smith (1975) é o mesmo que me cativa em Philip Roth, o virtuosismo na forma escrita, na argumentação ficcional e nos diálogos estruturantes. Se Roth é judeu, Smith é multirracial, mãe negra jamaicana, pai branco inglês, nascida em Londres, o que lhe permite trabalhar o mundo e os seus personagens a partir de uma perspectiva refrescantemente multicultural. O seu primeiro livro, “Dentes Brancos” (2000), criou imensas expectativas quanto ao seu futuro, que se vieram a confirmar neste seu terceiro livro, ganhador do Orange Prize for Fiction e finalista do Man Booker Prize.

[Sugiro ler com imagens no blog - http://virtual-illusion.blogspot.pt/2...]
Recorte da obra "A Woman bathing in a Stream" (1654) de Rembrandt, uma das chaves do livro.

“Uma Questão de Beleza” (2005) junta dois reconhecidos modelos da literatura, o “campus novel” e a “crónica de costumes” para nos dar aquilo que podemos definir como sátira académica. Situada temporalmente no pós 11/9, num vai-vem entre Londres e Boston, Zadie Smith abre uma janela para dissecar relações de poder, envolvidas em ideologia política (conservadores vs. liberais), por meio de duas famílias do mundo académico, dos seus pais e filhos, das suas raças, valores morais, sociais e intelectuais. O romance é um verdadeiro frenesim, são tantos os temas, pontos de vista e antagonismos que enfrentamos, que por vezes nos custa a acreditar como conseguimos todos viver neste pequeno planeta. Mas é exatamente desse frenesim que podemos dizer que emana o estilo Zadie Smith, como se o livro fosse uma tela e os personagens pinceladas de tinta, óleo espesso em jogos de misturas, criando um todo que se vai formando ao longo das 500 páginas.

O livro deambula entre duas linhas de enredo principais: a relação conflituosa entre dois académicos, Monty, o conservador negro, e Howard, o liberal branco; e a relação de casal entre Howard e Kiki, a sua mulher, negra, na casa dos 110kg, não-académica (enfermeira). Estas duas grandes linhas cruzam-se constantemente, e se de um ponto de vista de mais valia cultural podemos dizer que o conflito entre os dois académicos é a essência, na verdade, a chave do livro está na relação do casal, e podemos mesmo dizer, em Kiki, a não-académica. Uma relação de 30 anos, com 3 filhos adolescentes/adultos, aparentemente perfeita, está à beira da ruptura, e de cada vez que Zadie Smith nos deixa a sós com Kiki, é como se o mundo se encerrasse ante tanta clarividência.

O grande conflito entre Monti e Howard surge a partir de um artigo em que Monti, enquanto conservador, pretende convencer os colegas a retirar o termo liberal das artes liberais. Este termo conjunto foi usado na época medieval para definir os estudos universitários, ou estudos do pensamento abstracto — engloba: lógica, gramática, retórica, aritmética, música, geometria e astronomia — opondo-se às artes mecânicas, que trabalham o mundo do físico e concreto. A discussão não é detalhada, e ainda bem, se não afastaria todos os não interessados no tema do livro, mas é relevante, e obriga-nos a refletir.

Excerto: “Li o artigo dele de domingo no Herald sobre o tirar o “liberal” das Artes Liberais… sabe, então agora é como se andassem a tentar dizer-nos que os conservadores são uma espécie em vias de extinção — como se precisassem de protecção no campus ou coisa assim.” Aqui Zora deu-se ao trabalho de revirar os olhos e sacudir a cabeça e suspirar ao mesmo tempo. “Aparentemente, toda a gente tem tratamento especial — negros, gays, liberais, mulheres — toda a gente excepto os pobres machos brancos.” p. 178

Excerto: "[Rembrandt] um artesão meramente competente que pintava o que quer que os seu ricos patronos solicitassem”. Howard pediu aos seus estudantes que imaginassem o belo como a máscara que o poder veste. Que reclassificassem a Estética como uma linguagem rarefeita de exclusão. Prometeu-lhes uma cadeira que iria desafiar as crenças deles na humanidade redentora daquilo que é tratado habitualmente por “Arte”. “Arte é o mito ocidental”, anunciou Howard, pelo sexto ano consecutivo, “com o qual nos consolamos como nos fazemos.”” p.185

Até que ponto é que aceitamos verdadeiramente estas duas visões do mundo, a conservadora e liberal? Nomeadamente, nós académicos, que vemos o mundo a partir de uma matriz científica, que implica a constante renovação e refutação do passado. Mesmo no campo das humanidades, como podemos aceitar o Belo? O liberal Howard, é um caso clássico, é um académico especialista em Rembrandt mas não gosta de Rembrandt, aliás está mesmo à beira de publicar um livro “Contra Rembrandt”. Porquê? Porque para si o belo não existe. Os alunos definem Howard, como o “não gosta de tomates”, porque é o professor que não gosta de nada, que tudo desconstrói, tudo discute, tudo compartimentaliza intelectualmente, mas nada verdadeiramente o afeta emocionalmente. O belo é um artifício conservador, é antiprogressista, já que opera pela incrementação, ou seja pela simples melhoria técnica do que já existe, enquanto o liberal, o progressista, procura constantemente o diferente, a ruptura. Mas a verdade é que o próprio Monti, defensor máximo dos valores conservadores, pouco ou nada se envolve também com o Belo, porque no fundo, apesar de estarem em campos políticos opostos, acabam seguindo a base motivacional da academia, movida pelas ambições, focados em dar conta da sua própria distinção intelectual, da sua capacidade para estar na frente do pensamento.

Deste confronto emerge umas das mais fortes críticas de Zadie Smith à academia, já que ambos, Monti e Howard, vendo diferentes mundos, impondo diferentes ideologias às suas famílias, esqueceram que o mundo não é uma equação. Neste sentido, e apesar de se poder tentar colar o selo de pós-moderno à obra de Zadie Smith, ele fica-se pelos aspetos da multiculturalidade, já que segue todo um registo clássico, tanto na forma — com a escrita a gritar pelo lado virtuoso — como por toda a base de discussão estética. Zadie Smith está aqui claramente à procura de algo que o simples progressismo não lhe oferece, daí que lhe custe tanto aceitar a quebra dos laços familiares, vendo o amor entre o casal como um núcleo quase indestrutível. O seu personagem, Kiki, assume a vida como um dar-se ao outro, uma escolha consciente, um sacrifício de si em função da família, que define para si o amor, o estar vivo. Howard, classicamente, segue todo o livro sem conseguir ver o belo na mulher, imbuído do espírito académico que tudo disseca e com nada se envolve, acabando por ganhar consciência de tudo isso num momento de reviravolta final, contida, mas intensa psicologicamente, em que Zadie Smith funde brilhantemente um quadro de Rembrandt e uma troca de olhares entre Kiki e Howard.


No final da leitura, andei a ver os quadros e desenhos de Rembrandt mencionados ao longo do texto de Zadie Smith, e por isso aproveito para os deixar aqui, para quem quiser usar como guia durante a leitura, deixo-os por ordem aproximada de citação no livro.


Rembrandt, "The Shipbuilder and his Wife", 1633

Rembrandt, "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp", 1632

Rembrandt, "Jacob wrestling with the angel", 1659

Rembrandt, "Naked Woman Seated on a Mound", 1631

Rembrandt, "The Sampling Officials", 1662

Rembrandt, “A Woman bathing in a Stream”, 1654

Deixo para o final os dois quadros que Carlene procura deixar em testamento a Kiki, um de Hopper e outro Hyppolite. Sobre o quadro de Hector Hyppolite, “Maîtresse Erzulie” (~1940) é particularmente interessante o modo como Zadie Smith trabalha o seu processo de reconhecimento, já que foi André Breton que numa passagem pelo Haiti, em 1945, descobriu as obras, adquiriu na altura um conjunto, provavelmente imensamente baratas, e lhes deu a fama que fariam destas, mais tarde, peças valiosas.


Hector Hyppolite, “Maîtresse Erzulie”, ~1940

E por fim o quadro de Edward Hopper,

Edward Hopper, "Road in Maine", 1914


Publicado, com imagens, no blog - http://virtual-illusion.blogspot.pt/2...

Una belleza de libro, una exploración de la belleza en el arte, en el ser humano, desde el punto de vista físico y más profundamente, en el matrimonio, la familia, las relaciones humanas, en la academia, y terrible precio que se paga por su búsqueda infinita. ¿Dónde está la belleza? ¿En lo imperfecto?

Un libro de lectura obligatoria.

I know very little about art, but this novel sparked a momentary interest in paintings for me; I looked up every one referenced in the text. If you're reading it, I really recommend you do the same, as it adds a lot of texture to the narrative (as hideously poncey as that sounds - and yes, that is exactly how my university tutor put it. She was right. She pronounces 'texture' 'textyaaah'.)

If you only take a look at two paintings associated with this novel, the ones to check out would be:

1. The Maitresse Erzulie



“She represents love, beauty, purity, the ideal female and the moon...and she's the mystère of jealousy, vengeance and discord, AND, on the other hand, of love, perpetual help, goodwill, health, beauty and fortune.”

The moment in the novel when this painting is discussed by Carlene and Kiki has so many layers, it's hard to really identify them all. Really, the picture just reinforces the idea throughout that the most incredible beauty is often hidden in plain sight. This valuable painting on Carlene's wall that very few know about, and Kiki's rare beauty that passes unnoticed due to her status as an overwrought mother and supporter of her high maintenance husband. However where Carlene fades into her partner, Kiki flourishes; she is truly the Maitresse Erzulie, with her glorious colours, her free-flying birds and her confident posture.

2. Hendrickje Bathing



“This is what a woman is: unadorned, after children and work and age, and experience-these are the marks of living.”

Howard, the verbose university lecturer, has perhaps the most important journey in this novel, and it is this painting that hits him between the eyes. His career is to dissect and deconstruct paintings, leaving their meaning bare for students and intellectuals; but after the events of the novel, when all is said and done, this painting leaves him silent. This moment is one of the most moving I've come across in any novel; it's about beauty, something that can't be deconstructed, something that isn't it's parts in isolation, cold on an examination table. It's something else, and appropriately, that something leaves him speechless. For, frankly, the first time in the entire novel.

This definitely made me want to read more Zadie Smith novels, she has a very modern voice, but there is a very distinct traditional note in her writing. As far as I am aware, she is very much influenced by E. M. Forster, and this lightness comes through in her writing. Don't be fooled, however; she tackles some Goliath issues, appearing to dance over them like a slightly mocking ballerina, without dipping too far into satire.