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NW

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( 44,760 ratings, 4,544 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
NW by Zadie Smith explores the interwoven lives of four Londoners navigating the complexities of identity, class, and urban life in the northwest part of the city. The novel delves into their struggles and connections, revealing the profound impact of social forces on individual destinies. It's a vivid portrayal of contemporary London life, highlighting the tension between aspiration and reality.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy stories that explore the complexity of urban life and the diversity of experiences within a London neighbourhood. Zadie Smith intricately weaves together the lives of four characters, offering a rich and textured portrayal of friendship, ambition, and societal change. If you are drawn to character-driven narratives with a strong sense of place, you might find this novel engaging and insightful.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From private houses to public parks, at work and at play, their city is brutal, beautiful and complicated. Yet after a chance encounter they each find that the choices they've made, the people they once were and are now, can suddenly, rapidly unravel. With a portrait of modern urban life, this book is about London Life.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Britain's favourite 21st-century literary author returns to her roots - London.

Zadie Smith's brilliant tragi-comic NW follows four Londoners - Leah, Natalie, Felix, and Nathan - after they've left their childhood council estate, grown up, and moved on to different lives. From private houses to public parks, at work and at play, their city is brutal, beautiful, and complicated.

Yet after a chance encounter, they each find that the choices they've made, the people they once were and are now, can suddenly, rapidly unravel. A portrait of modern urban life, NW is funny, sad, and urgent - as brimming with vitality as the city itself.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

NW by Zadie Smith has received mixed reviews. Some reviewers praise its sharp portrayal of London's diverse communities and Smith's ability to capture the essence of modern urban life. Others feel the narrative's structure is fragmented, making it occasionally challenging to follow. Nonetheless, the character depth and the exploration of personal and social issues are frequently highlighted as strengths.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141036595

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 June 2013

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 247g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Zadie Smith was born in north-west London in 1975. She is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty and NW, as well as The Embassy of Cambodia and a collection of essays, Changing My Mind. She is also the editor of The Book of Other People. Zadie was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2002, and was listed as one of Granta's 20 Best Young British Novelists in 2003 and again in 2013. White Teeth won multiple literary awards including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Guardian First Book Award. On Beauty was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction 2006, and NW was shortlisted for the Baileys Prize for Fiction 2013. Zadie Smith is currently a tenured professor of fiction at New York University and lives in London and New York with her husband and two children. In 2016 she will publish her next novel, Swing Time.

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