Beauty

Name: Beauty
ISBN: 9787532770779

扎迪·史密斯 / 姚翠丽Shanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaOct 2017

4.0

Word count: 314K words
Chapters: 43
ISBN: 9787532770779

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Summary

On Beauty revolves around two families, both from academia yet holding diametrically opposed values, set mainly in New England with some episodes in London. Through a series of cultural wars and emotional entanglements between the Belsey and Kipps families across both sides of the Atlantic, the novel connects fierce clashes of ideas spanning family life, political stances, and the personal, academic, and political spheres, placing base moral conduct within lofty idealism, attempting to illuminate the meaning of love and beauty and the various ways life may affect them; as the Belsey family unravels, it reflects the bewilderment of our unsettled age and strikes at the heart of the family.

Editor's review

Zadie Smith's *On Beauty* is not a theoretical work on aesthetics or taste but a powerful literary novel that, through an expansive family narrative, reflects the cultural transformations and identity struggles of contemporary British society. Continuing Smith's characteristic sharp insight and intricate prose, the novel is set in Willesden, northwest London, and traces three generations of the Jones family, originally from the Caribbean, from the post-war wave of immigration to the cultural integration of the new century. The novel's central appeal lies in its polyphonic narration: characters of different generations, skin colours, and educational backgrounds each speak in a distinct voice, together weaving a multifaceted dialogue on race, class, gender, and what constitutes a good life. Smith offers no simple answers; instead, through the rises and falls of her characters' fortunes, she lets readers decide for themselves how, in a world where the global and the local interpenetrate, standards of beauty are constructed, challenged, and redefined. The book's explorations of interracial marriage, the intellectual's stance, and the conflict between art and commerce combine literary depth with real-world warmth, making it especially suitable for readers interested in immigrant literature, cultural studies, or contemporary British society. Its narrative pace sometimes meanders and demands patience, but the finely wrought psychological portraiture and period detail ultimately build into a powerful emotional impact.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in immigrant literature and cultural identity
Readers who enjoy multi-perspective, multi-stranded family sagas
Observers seeking to understand race, class, and cultural change in contemporary British society
Literature lovers who appreciate delicate psychological portraiture and complex character relationships

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking fast-paced, plot-driven, single-threaded stories
Readers impatient with or resistant to literary treatments of social issues such as race and politics

Reading tips

While reading, pay attention to the generational differences in how characters such as second-generation Leah and third-generation Iphigenia understand 'success' and 'belonging'.
Some background reading on post-war British immigration history can deepen your understanding of the characters' circumstances and choices.
The narrative shifts back and forth in time; consult the family tree on the front endpapers to keep the relationships straight.

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

版权信息
序
基普斯和贝尔西
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解剖学课程
1
2
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11
关于美和犯错
1
2
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作者后记
致谢

FAQ

How does this book compare with Zadie Smith's other works, such as *White Teeth*?

*On Beauty* is thematically continuous with *White Teeth*, both focusing on the cultural identity of immigrant descendants, but its timeline stretches further, spanning three generations; its scope is broader, and its prose more compressed and inward-looking. It is regarded as a mature work from the middle of her career.

What exactly does the title *On Beauty* refer to?

The title 'beauty' carries multiple meanings. It refers both to the characters' pursuit and judgment of an ideal life, artistic perfection, physical appearance, and even racial features, and to the fluidity and subjectivity of such standards, as well as the deconstruction and reshaping of traditional notions of beauty under the impact of multiculturalism.

Is this book difficult to read?

The novel involves considerable cultural background and references to specific periods of British history, features many characters, and alternates narrative perspectives, so it may pose some initial difficulty. But the author's language is vivid and her characters sharply drawn; once you enter the story's flow, you will feel its distinctive narrative charm. A measure of reading patience is recommended.

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About the author

扎迪·史密斯 Author

Zadie Smith is a contemporary British writer whose work is known for its cross-cultural perspective and keen social observation, and is often categorized as foreign literature. Her representative works include White Teeth, On Beauty, Swing Time, The Fraud, Grand Union and Feel Free, spanning novels, essays and other forms. Because public information is limited, details of her life and education are not available here. Judging from her subject matter, she focuses on multicultural coexistence, identity, family relationships and contemporary urban life; her language is witty and her narratives richly layered, revealing the complex interplay of history and culture within everyday experience. Her work has attracted attention in English-language literary circles and offers Chinese readers an important window into contemporary British society and immigrant experience.

姚翠丽 Author

Yao Cuili is an author about whom limited public information is currently available; her nationality, dates of birth and death, and full writing career cannot yet be confirmed. According to library records, only one work by her is held, the representative work Beauty, commonly classified under foreign literature. This suggests that her writing is related to foreign literary subjects and may involve translation, commentary, or writing centered on foreign literatures and cultures. Because accessible information remains scarce, it is difficult to give a complete assessment of her creative development, stylistic features, and literary influence; readers seeking a deeper understanding will have to wait for further materials and publications.