In this loose retelling of Howard's End, Zadie Smith considers the big questions: Why do we fall in love with the people we do? Why do we visit our mistakes on our children? What makes life truly beautiful?
Set in New England mainly and London partly, On Beauty concerns a pair of feuding families—the Belseys and the Kippses—and a clutch of doomed affairs. It puts low morals among high ideals and asks some searching questions about what life does to love. For the Belseys and the Kippses, the confusions—both personal and political—of our uncertain age are about to be brought close to home: right to the heart of family.
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"Really interesting story about a multi-racial (white and black) family living in a predominantly white, upper-middle class, intellectual college town in New England. Relatable to anyone who wants to read what it's like to be the "outsider" family in the neighborhood. " — Amanda (5 out of 5 stars)
"Really interesting story about a multi-racial (white and black) family living in a predominantly white, upper-middle class, intellectual college town in New England. Relatable to anyone who wants to read what it's like to be the "outsider" family in the neighborhood. "
" Great book with a lot of terrific ideas!!! "
" I didn't finish this book. It is a really healthy book that I would never do so I skimmed through it and didn't finish it. "
" Great information about nutrition and food...But I like food too much to do this program. "
" I read this book while traveling through Ireland. I left it on a train and hoped someone would pick it up and start reading. I seemed to really enjoy the read at the time but now I can't quite remember what was so great about the book. "
" Not particularly bad story or bad writing.... I just wasn't at all invested in what was going on. Felt like I kept waiting for the story to start. "
" An excellent novel and perfect companion to "White Teeth". "
" I gave up on this book, which was everything I hate in celebrated modern novels. It was self-indulgent, overwritten, endlessly impressed with its own cleverness and in no real hurry to tell any story. "
" i would love for someone to explain the appeal of Zadie Smith to me cause I am baffled "
" This was one of the worst books I have ever read, and I was sorry I wasted any time on it. The characters have no depth; the trials and tribulations, if you could call them that, are contrived at best. "
" the circumstances and emotion in this novel is so real and relate-able. It is a lovely, heartbreaking and thought-provoking story. "
Zadie Smith is the critically acclaimed author of various bestselling novels, including White Teeth and The Autograph Man. She was born in Northwest London in 1975 and still lives in the area.
Peter Francis James is an accomplished actor on both the stage and the screen. His theater credits include roles in On Golden Pond, Much Ado about Nothing, and August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. His many film and television credits include Jahfree Neema in Oz, Raymond Parks in The Rosa Parks Story, Joe Gould’s Secret, The Guiding Light, Law & Order: SVU, and Third Watch. James’ audiobook narration has won him nine AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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