On Beauty

I read lots of books. And most of them I like. But yesterday I finished reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith, and it gave me the most enjoyment I have had reading in a long time, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that is both meaningful and affecting.

The main premise of the book is relatively straightforward - portraying the ways in which the Belsey family (Howard, Kiki, and children: Jerome, Zora, and Levi) deal with the affair Howard had shortly before the novel begins. This is the common thread that runs through the novel, and Smith delves fearlessly into describing the some of the most complex (and often contradictory) emotions that accompany such situations. At the same time she pursues the each main character, and some others, down developmental paths that, while often unusual, are always well-established and very relatable, very human. And precisely because of this you are able to sympathize with all the main characters to some degree, which is the main reason the novel has such a real feel to it. She presents all these separate and intermingling storylines in such a way that, instead of making the novel seem hopelessly tangential, draw the plot together and give it a vibrancy it wouldn't have without such expostition. Race, politics, religion, academia, gender identity, love/lust, betrayal, expectation, even benign Oedipus/Electra complexes are dealt with deftly without drawing too much attention to the fact they're being dealt with or preaching an overriding message. And that's where the real strength of the novel lies. One of the most important factors in creating worthwhile fiction is what you don't write, and Smith is able to paint beautiful pictures without extraneous words.