3. On Beauty

I've finally finished reading "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith!

The last week was such a whirlwind of overwhelming coursework and readings so I was only able to read on the bus/subway to and from school/work--literally page by page. I read a good chunk of the book while I was waiting in the emergency room last week (3+ hrs. -- I'm okay) and finally finished the book yesterday when I got home from school early.

"On Beauty" by Zadie Smith was a beautiful book with strong political and racial messages. It was about two feuding families in academia whose lives continued to intertwine in surprising and unexpected, yet expected, ways.

I have to admit, that it was not the greatest book I've ever read, but nevertheless, enjoyable. I was a little disappointed at the lack of plot development, or at least the directions the supposed plots took. I thought there was a lot of potential for more depth and development for several storylines that ended up going nowhere. The ending was very disappointing and produced a "that's it?" reaction from me. I was left deeply unsatisfied (with the ending) and longing for answers.

The characters were strong yet complex. And the relationships so obviously damaged beyond repair. The only relationship that I found comfort and hope in, was that of Kiki Belsey and Carlene Kipps. Everything else was such a tangle of deceit, betrayal and hurt.

The writing however, was beautiful and full of depth. The way the author used words to describe the character's thoughts and emotions was absolutely incredible. Smith knows how to convey real and raw emotions with such style and eloquence. The author also provided very interesting insight into issues of art, race, politics, infidelity and beauty, while revealing some important human truths.

Overall, "On Beauty" was a good book, but not great. There were some moments that were illuminating and memorable and others that were far-fetched, confusing and disappointing. Recommended if you're looking for a well-written, interesting and insightful read.

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Books I'm reading:
1. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)