The Challenges of NW
Zadie Smith’s novel NW, like Small Island, seems to be seeking to bring about a greater sense of solidarity among English subjects. Its style of development, fragmented just as is Small Island’s uses varied narration in each chapter and broken pieces of plot which the reader must gather together and it would seem that it would equally invite readers to empathize, sympathize and unite as a nation, yet this does not happen, in spite of talented writing and excellent reviews by critics. Instead of feeling more connected to England by experiencing an unfamiliar side of her cities, readers’ empathy is impeded by the frustration they feel with writing style.
The reception of NW by the literary world is in no way negative and …show more content…
A reviewer on GoodReads.com who calls himself Tom Tobasco even labels the novel “a beautiful empty box” adding that the author spent so much time “working on the box and the wrapping, that she forgot she actually had a flipping novel to write! A story that is worth telling!” The message here, that readers want a plot that is easier to follow, demonstrates that while the prose and poetry may be of great value of their own accord, without the connection between readers and plot, that value is …show more content…
So it is safe to say that the reader who said, ““But I could. Not. Make. Sense. of this book At. All,” may be outwardly cynical about the style of writing but also speaks loudly about the need for the style and the reader to sync in order to develop empathy for characters in a way that would foster a sense of community with them and what they represent, in this case, a section of London Smith wants readers to embrace and accept. If “the construction of [a] book with the changes in tense, choppy & fragmented passages, alternating fonts and types and contrasting section-styles for each separate part of the book” is not the style a reader is after then it will just “[take] away from the story a little bit.” With this novel, too many readers seem to feel that the style was “a little too much, like it was an experiment just for the sake of being experimental” (GoodReads.com). It’s clear that for many, the experimentation distracted them from bonding with characters even if they appreciate Smith’s talent: “I can 't really fault Smith 's writing - she 's very accomplished, and like lots of writers has a real knack for dialogue and choosing those little 'slice of life ' scenes that paint a picture of a community. But for me, NW wasn 't emotionally engaging and I didn 't care enough about the characters” (GoodReads.com). In order for a book to change the thinking of
Zadie Smith’s novel NW, like Small Island, seems to be seeking to bring about a greater sense of solidarity among English subjects. Its style of development, fragmented just as is Small Island’s uses varied narration in each chapter and broken pieces of plot which the reader must gather together and it would seem that it would equally invite readers to empathize, sympathize and unite as a nation, yet this does not happen, in spite of talented writing and excellent reviews by critics. Instead of feeling more connected to England by experiencing an unfamiliar side of her cities, readers’ empathy is impeded by the frustration they feel with writing style.
The reception of NW by the literary world is in no way negative and …show more content…
A reviewer on GoodReads.com who calls himself Tom Tobasco even labels the novel “a beautiful empty box” adding that the author spent so much time “working on the box and the wrapping, that she forgot she actually had a flipping novel to write! A story that is worth telling!” The message here, that readers want a plot that is easier to follow, demonstrates that while the prose and poetry may be of great value of their own accord, without the connection between readers and plot, that value is …show more content…
So it is safe to say that the reader who said, ““But I could. Not. Make. Sense. of this book At. All,” may be outwardly cynical about the style of writing but also speaks loudly about the need for the style and the reader to sync in order to develop empathy for characters in a way that would foster a sense of community with them and what they represent, in this case, a section of London Smith wants readers to embrace and accept. If “the construction of [a] book with the changes in tense, choppy & fragmented passages, alternating fonts and types and contrasting section-styles for each separate part of the book” is not the style a reader is after then it will just “[take] away from the story a little bit.” With this novel, too many readers seem to feel that the style was “a little too much, like it was an experiment just for the sake of being experimental” (GoodReads.com). It’s clear that for many, the experimentation distracted them from bonding with characters even if they appreciate Smith’s talent: “I can 't really fault Smith 's writing - she 's very accomplished, and like lots of writers has a real knack for dialogue and choosing those little 'slice of life ' scenes that paint a picture of a community. But for me, NW wasn 't emotionally engaging and I didn 't care enough about the characters” (GoodReads.com). In order for a book to change the thinking of