0 ratings (0.0 avg)
1 review

Brielle

Add friend

Brielle’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (0)

currently-reading‎ (2)

read‎ (5)

Stats | More…

Brielle is Currently Reading

Brielle is currently reading

With Their Eyes: September 11th: The View from a High School at Ground Zero

by Annie Thoms

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Apr 24, 2017 08:51AM

Brielle is currently reading

Swing Time

by Zadie Smith

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Brielle said: " There’s something to say about the charm and wit of a book in which characters start from humble beginnings. From betrayal, to friendship, to adventure and just about everything between, Swing Time is a book that will keep you on your toes and intri There’s something to say about the charm and wit of a book in which characters start from humble beginnings. From betrayal, to friendship, to adventure and just about everything between, Swing Time is a book that will keep you on your toes and intrigued in its entirety. Zadie Smith’s 5th novel depicts the story of two little girls living in a not-so glamorous area of London with initially a similar story. However, as they age they dance to the beats of two completely different drums. As children, the unnamed narrator and Tracey are neighbors with a similar family dynamic and passion for dance. The narrator is inevitably entranced by Tracey, for she is the only other black girl in their dance class. The two have a great deal of fun together, dancing, playing barbie dolls, and enjoying their youth as children do best.
Although the tone is genuine and light in its youthfulness, an underlying theme of tension lies just below the surface. The differences begin to bloom almost immediately as traits in the narrator and Tracey begin to develop. While Tracey is a prodigy at dance, she has a rebellious flare and a care free attitude. On the other hand, there is the narrator, flat footed and finding her real fit in the beats and sounds of the music as opposed to the movements incorporated. This unnamed underdog holds the intelligence to succeed in school and the imagination to dream far beyond her confined living arrangements. Little is spoiled to say that she did in fact escape her neighborhood eventually and came to find work as an assistant for world renowned pop star Aimee. Irony is cast upon the duo, as Tracey, with her effortless talent does not take her god-given gifts for granted, and the narrator who struggles the most for validation ends up making it big.
The plot structure is simply brilliant as the prologue makes more and more sense with each turn of a page. Smith takes you around the world and back in adventure and even just cultural references alone. Throughout the novels entirety there are multitudes of references to black musicians from drummers from Gambia, to Michael Jackson, to even Rakim. Zadie sheds the light on even the dark side of living the sweet life. As the narrator sets her mind to break the personal chains between poverty and success, she begins to learn that even the ‘free’ woman is surely not as free as she imagined. Working for Aimee allowed the narrator to travel here and there, experiencing what her younger self could only dream of. The tables begin to swiftly turn when Aimee’s charity work in western Africa are deemed questionable in her eyes, and there is not a single thing she can do to fix it.
Swing Time pays close attention to the chronological nature of its contents, as every encounter between Tracey and the narrator’s long lost friendship plays a key component to the climax and resolution of the story. The whole novel carries a multitude of irony examples due the the similarities and differences of both Tracy and the narrator. In the very beginning of the book, the narrator’s mother is blunt in her distaste for Tracey’s promiscuous nature, and the irony of that alone for all characters creates an incredible dynamic for the plot. The most noted characters in this novel are women, depicting the overlaying theme the strength and independence in femininity through all of the women of the book. Zadie Smith certainly took me by surprise with the layered nature of her book, incorporating and highlights of social justice of past times and modern day, and I highly recommend if anyone is in need of a leisure book. ...more "

Mar 26, 2017 06:15PM · see review