On Beauty

By: Zadie Smith

Narrated by: Peter Francis James

Another bestselling masterwork from the celebrated author of Swing Time and White Teeth

Having hit bestseller lists from the New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle, this wise, hilarious novel reminds us why Zadie Smith has rocketed to literary stardom. On Beauty is the story of an interracial family living in the university town of Wellington, Massachusetts, whose misadventures in the culture wars—on both sides of the Atlantic—serve to skewer everything from family life to political correctness to the combustive collision between the personal and the political. Full of dead-on wit and relentlessly funny, this tour de force confirms Zadie Smith's reputation as a major literary talent.

©2005 Zadie Smith (P)2005 Penguin Audio, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

2006 Orange Prize for Fiction

2005 Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award, Fiction

One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

"[A] thoroughly original tale about families and generational change, about race and multiculturalism in millennial America, about love and identity and the ways they are affected by the passage of time. Ms. Smith possesses a captivating authorial voice - at once authoritative and nonchalant, and capacious enough to accommodate high moral seriousness, laid-back humor and virtually everything in between - and in these pages, she uses that voice to enormous effect, giving us that rare thing: a novel that is as affecting as it is entertaining, as provocative as it is humane." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"Oh happy day when a writer as gifted as Zadie Smith fulfills her early promise with a novel as accomplished, substantive and penetrating as On Beauty. It's a thing of beauty indeed. In tackling grown-up issues of marriage, adultery, race, class, liberalism and aesthetics, she thrillingly balances engaging ideas with equally engaging characters. As good as she is with big ideas, Smith is even stronger at capturing family dynamics, the heartbreak of broken trust as well as the lovely connections between siblings. (The Los Angeles Times Book Review)

"In this sharp, engaging satire, beauty's only skin-deep, but funny cuts to the bone." (Kirkus Reviews)

Audio File corrupted

The only reason I knocked a star off was for the audio file. It skips a lot in certain areas which was so upsetting as the book was wonderful otherwise. Loved it so so much!!

Dynamic family portrayal

Would you consider the audio edition of On Beauty to be better than the print version?

N/A

What other book might you compare On Beauty to and why?

I can't think of any that compare.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many interesting scenes that demonstrated the tenacity of family and the inevitable demise of being related.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

And you think your family is dysfunctional!

Any additional comments?

The story was well developed and compelling, but the ending left you wanting more.

Howard’s End

On Beauty turns the EM Forster classic on its head, while also skewering both liberal academia and conservative talking points in a way that is still relevant almost 20 years after the events mentioned. Great writing, wonderful characters, I was sad when it (and Howard’s career) ended.

underwhelmed

I was really excited to read this, but felt it was a bit choppy, and the ending came too abruptly. has some wonderful bits, but left me wanting more.

A Zadie Smith Must Listen

Where does On Beauty rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best. It's a provocative, witty, and really engaging story.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were terrific, and the intellectual questions in skirts are quite compelling. I am going to teach it in a college course because it's so thought-provoking and I want to discuss it extensively with a group.

Which character – as performed by Peter Francis James – was your favorite?

The main professor guy.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

What really matters?

two thumbs up

I thoroughly enjoyed this-- the experience was greatly enhanced by the narration, which was truly outstanding. Great characters & portrait of marriage, family life, the personal and political.

Amazing book,amazing performance

Another complex and riveting story by Zadie Smith. The voice actor is spot-on, consistently.

The story line brought out a lot of emotions from me. I loved it!

I liked that the story hooked me right in the middle and then I couldn’t put the book down. I finished the book quite fast after the hook of it :)

A Wonderful Read

I found this book wonderfully entertaining. After I read it, I read several of the reviews, and am glad I didn't read them til I was finished the book. I've never read so many negative reviews which I disagreed with so thoroughly. I found the characters to be intriguing -- flawed, yes. But aren't we all? This is a great story. It entertains and engages the reader from the very start.

Briliance

Zadie Smith is a Brilliant author. Capital B! Her writing is captivating. She’s subtly descriptive in how she describes the characters throughout the story. Great dialogues! I feel lucky to have had the pleasure to read her work! I am excited that there is more!