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White Teeth: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 48,459 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Updated for the 25th Anniverary with a new introduction by the author • The blockbuster debut novel from “a preternaturally gifted” writer (The New York Times) and author of On Beauty and Swing Time—set against London's racial and cultural tapestry, reveling in the ecstatic hodgepodge of modern life, flirting with disaster, and embracing the comedy of daily existence.
One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century
Zadie Smith’s dazzling debut caught critics grasping for comparisons and deciding on everyone from Charles Dickens to Salman Rushdie to John Irving and Martin Amis. But the truth is that Zadie Smith’s voice is remarkably, fluently, and altogether wonderfully her own.
At the center of this invigorating novel are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. Hapless veterans of World War II, Archie and Samad and their families become agents of England’s irrevocable transformation. A second marriage to Clara Bowden, a beautiful, albeit tooth-challenged, Jamaican half his age, quite literally gives Archie a second lease on life, and produces Irie, a knowing child whose personality doesn’t quite match her name (Jamaican for “no problem”). Samad’s late-in-life arranged marriage (he had to wait for his bride to be born), produces twin sons whose separate paths confound Iqbal’s every effort to direct them, and a renewed, if selective, submission to his Islamic faith.
“[White Teeth] is, like the London it portrays, a restless hybrid of voices, tones, and textures…with a raucous energy and confidence.” —The New York Times Book Review
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"I went back and forth with White Teeth, but ultimately I enjoyed it. I initially had a problem because it seemed very much like one of those literary "terrible things happen to boring people" kinds of books, and I'm generally not interested in that type of thing. As the magical realism built and the characterization became stronger, however, I came to appreciate Zadie Smith's voice and style much more. It's an exceptionally competent first novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her books now."
— Brian (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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If you buy one book this year, WHITE TEETH should be it.
— Livewire Magazine -
Bounding, vibrant, richly imagined and thoroughly engaging.
— The Telegraph -
Gleefully inventive... Zadie Smith's debut announces the debut of a significant new talent.
— The List -
Darting between decades, cultures and generations, this chronicle of immigrant London fizzes with life.
— Good Housekeeping -
The first publishing sensation of the millennium.
— The Observer -
A vibrant, multicultural extravaganza.
— Marie Claire -
Brilliantly written and hugely inspiring.
— RED -
Funny, clever... and a rollicking good read.
— The Independent -
The biggest literary talent for 2000... One of the most impressive firstnovels of recent years.
— The Observer Magazine -
Outstanding... not only great fun to read, but full of hope.
— The Sunday Telegraph -
Outstanding... refreshingly upbeat and deserving of all the attention it is getting.
— The Evening Standard -
Poised and relentlessly funny. . . . A major new talent.
— The Guardian -
A writer of mighty potential.
— The Times Literary Supplement -
This is a strikingly clever and funny book with a passion for ideas, for language, and for the rich tragicomedy of life. . . . [Smith's] characters always ring true; it is her ebullient, simple prose and her generous understanding of human nature that make Zadie Smith's novel outstanding. It is not only great fun to read, but full of hope.
— Sunday Telegraph -
A rich, ambitious, and often hilarious delight.
— The Independent -
Zadie Smith's fizzing first novel is about how we all got here—from the Caribbean, from the Indian subcontinent, from thirteenth place in a long-ago Olympic bicycle race—and about what "here" turned out to be. It's an astonishingly assured debut, funny and serious, and the voice has real writerly idiosyncrasy. I was delighted by White Teeth and often impressed. It has . . . bite.
— Salman Rushdie
Awards
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Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
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Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
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Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
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Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
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Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
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Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
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Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
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Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
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Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
-
Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
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Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
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Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
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Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
-
Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
-
Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
-
Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
-
Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
-
Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
-
Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
-
Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
-
Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
-
Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
-
Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
-
Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
-
Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
-
Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
-
Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
-
Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
-
Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
-
Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
-
Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
-
Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
-
Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
-
Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
-
Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
-
Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
-
Winner of ALA Best Books for Young Adults
-
Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize of Europe and South Asia, 2001
-
Winner of James Tait Black Memorial Prize
-
Among shortlisted titles for John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 2000
-
Among shortlisted titles for Orange Prize, 2000
-
Winner of Whitbread First Novel Award, 2000
White Teeth Listener Reviews
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" Spans space and time even more than "On Beauty". More accessible, but it is apparent that this was her first book. She is prone in this book (but not later works) to parenthetical expository remarks that are totally necessary, and seem to be her way of saying 'look how clever I am!'. "
— Kelsey, 2/13/2014 -
" Wonderful story about 2 men in England, Archie, white, working class and Samad, Bengali, also middle class, in North London. How they meet, become friends and raise their families is a complex story, filled with humor and cultural quirkiness. Could not put it down. "
— Sue, 2/8/2014 -
" This book has a beautiful story line and well developed characters. The problem is, the book is over written. Zadie Smith is without a doubt quite talented, but White Teeth illustrates that she is obsessed with the clicking sound that her keys make on her computer. At 448 pages, White Teeth is not the longest book I've ever read, but it is the only book that I have ever experienced that is beautiful, but packed with non essential information. A example: if Smith wrote, "The cat walked across the street." She is going to give you a history of the word the, the entire life of the cat, a full description of the walk and the entire history of the street. Apparently she feels that you have to understand all of that in order to find out why the cat went across the street. Again, I must stress, the story line is beautiful. The characters are hilarious and I fell in love with them. It was the writer that irritated me all the way to the end. I still would recommend it to a friend or fellow read-only if they have tons of time on their hands. "
— Latiffany, 2/2/2014 -
" I wasn't expecting to like this book. In fact the first time I picked it up I couldn't get into it at all, but I tried again and really enjoyed it. Well worth a read. "
— Emma, 1/14/2014 -
" if you've ever wondered what a jonathan franzen book would be like if it were about real things that happen to people who aren't rich and white, well, here you go, sirs. "
— Lauren, 1/12/2014 -
" I went in knowing nothing about the book and if I'd known about the Bangladeshi angle I probably would have skipped it. I can see the intelligence of the writing and the plot but the style just isn't one that turns me loose. Which can't be a surprise since it took me nearly a month to read something that ought to have been done in a week. "
— Kizz, 1/12/2014 -
" I'm not quite sure why this book is on the "1001 Books to Read Before You Die" list. I enjoyed a few sections where the character descriptions were good and the overall racial diversity reflected in the book, but otherwise, I found it to be fairly boring. "
— Jodi, 1/11/2014 -
" one of my all-time favorites. she hasn't yet matched this genius yet.... "
— Andy, 1/6/2014 -
" Did I miss the memo proclaiming that modern literary novels must be at least 400 pages of intertwining plot lines and ridiculous characters? I feel I've read this book before and liked it better that time. Or maybe that was something slightly different by someone else... "
— Brad, 1/5/2014 -
" Izjemno zabavna knjiga, o iskanju osebne identitete, kar je v multikulturnih druzbah vedno tezja naloga. "
— Samo, 12/29/2013 -
" I love anything that Zadie has written! "
— Cindy, 12/23/2013
About Zadie Smith
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.
About the Narrators
Lenny Henry began his career in the entertainment industry in 1975 and since then has gone on to appear in such programs as The Lenny Henry Show and Chef!.
Pippa Bennett-Warner is a voice talent and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator.
Ray Panthaki is a voice talent and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator.