White Teeth by Zadie Smith REVIEW

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James' Wood "Human, All Too Inhuman," his essay on so-called histerical realism:

Jonathan Lethem's "My First Novels," debunking (or at least questioning) the romantic myth of the debut novel:

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[TheBookchemist]

The first 1000 people who click the link in the description will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium:

[apope]

You've done a great job in your introductory here with perspective on debut novels and perspectives of literature.

[jakobjohnson]

Thank you for always linking the interesting essays you mention!

[sheilakozmin]

What an amazing summary of White Teeth! Your intellect and your ability to capture the essence of this maximalist novel have truly impressed me. Thank you so much for adding to my enjoyment of White Teeth.

[vins]

Finished today. Excessive and somehow flawed, but it's also a brave, ambitious and at the same time hugely entertaining. It is 'maximalist', yes, but not a boring novel. I loved it.

[thunderwood]

This channel is such an invaluable resource! I just finished the novel today and was excited to see what you had to say about it. I find your videos similar to the film reviews by Roger Ebert who’s writing was filled with a deep sensitivity towards art. Thank you!!!!

[zachmosher]

When reading White Teeth, I could tell Zadie Smith was raised on a healthy diet of E.M. Forester and was emulating Wallace. I appreciate her creativity and inventiveness with language, but besides a structural issue I had with the middle section of the book, my gripe with the book is the overwrought quality of the hysterical or hyper component of this genre of realism. As you say, you can see the plot twist coming, and I think that is attributable to the clarity of Zadie's writing, the realization of the novel's characters, and how she develops the plot, but this lack of ambiguity in the plot and its characters, as well as cramming as many strands of additional topics and themes like the animal rights example you mention, felt like having a conversation with someone who conveys their point, but doesn't stop talking. I realize that a novel like Infinite Jest is far more overwritten than White Teeth, but the ambiguity throughout and non-linearity of the plot captivates the reader in uncertainty, which is, okay, a major part of what IJ criticizes and what some consider to be the facetious structure of the book, but that's another conversation. For me, soldering to the end of White Teeth was as difficult as reading to the end of this comment for some of you. .

[nazinciziri]

I first read Smith's NW which I fell in love with once I got the rhythm of it. I will definitely recommend it. White Teeth has been sitting on my shelf for a little while now, will give it a chance now :)

[jeanlobrot]

I actually loved this for a lot of the same reasons I loved the corrections, the sheer amount of fucking chaos

[mandys]

At 10:09, " It's sentences often leave beautiful areas of shadow..." 💛

[nehadkaniz-fatima]

The way you are smiling throughout is why we all love literature. :)

[JuanReads]

I read White Teeth in early 2001 and loved it (incidentally, I lent my copy to one of my English professors and she never gave it back). I tried her second novel, The Autograph Man, which, I believe came shortly after but never finished it. However, I read her retelling of Howards End, On Beauty, and enjoyed it almost as much as White Teeth. I haven't read any of her more recent fiction, but I think it'd like to correct that.

[lionelmory]

Thanks very much for your videos. When will you review William T Vollmann's work ? Thanks for your answer.

[TK-kfzc]

You are a find, you review so many books I love and have excellent insights.

[AndalusianIrish]

Mattia check out this conversation with Zadie Smith and Jennifer Egan on her short story collection Grand Union.

She actually talks about her first novel and how her style has changed since then. She says that all first novels are about revenge. You MUST watch it!

[samreenfatima]

Love your videos ❤️❤️when will you review Kurt Vonnegut's work?

[Boogenhiemer]

I don't think you need to be a fan of "maximalist" novels to enjoy White Teeth; you just need a love for language and a sense of curiosity. I think this novel can be enjoyed without prior knowledge or comparisons because of its humor and hybrid representations of culture in London. For many Westerners, especially those who don't have a literary image of modern London, White Teeth is fascinating for offering colorful characters and deep insights into how the various cultures clash (or mix) in London.



For me, the value in White Teeth is a critical element in a conversation considering what contemporary "Britishness" actually is. The weight of history is heavy and there is tension and hopelessness and questioning of faith, and I think the novel is a perfect crystallization of the immediate pre-9/11 West.

[rokia]

I have to work on the reflection of multiculturalism in Zadie Smith literature and i chose White Teeth i need help

[jonathonglover]

75% into this one. Love the analysis/review.

Is it just me or does this remind anyone else of Anna Karenina? A multicultural epic around everyday characters from London at the turn of the century rather than the gentry in 19th Century Russia?

[Johanyo]

It's been a little bit since I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, can someone remind when ghosts show up?