Zadie Smith made a huge splash in 1997 when, as a college student, she received one of the largest advances in British history for her novel White Teeth. Since then, Smith has published four major novels, a volume of essays, and many short stories. She has become a college professor, an award-winner, and an influential critic of both literature and the current political scene. Readers of Zadie Smith will learn about how insecure and outside of society she felt as a child and young woman, and how that very sense of being an outsider transformed her into the writer of clarity she is today.

An introduction to the work of Zadie Smith, placing her fiction in a clear historical and theoretical context, and exploring her work in relation to contemporaneity and postcolonialism. Including a timeline of key dates, this guide offers an accessible reading of Smith's work and an overview of its critical reception.

Since the publication of White Teeth in 2000, Zadie Smith has become one of the most popular contemporary writers and also one of the mostly widely studied. Taking criticism of Smith's work beyond its traditional focus on postcolonialism and multicultural identity, Reading Zadie Smith brings together leading international scholars to open up new directions in criticism of Smith's work. Covering such key topics as posthumanism, 'hysterical realism', religion, identity and ethics, this book brings together a full range of current critical perspectives to explore not only Smith's novels but also her short stories, her criticism and her non-fiction writing.

This monograph analyses Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, On Beauty, NW, The Embassy of Cambodia, and Swing Time as trauma fictions that reveal the social, cultural, historical, and political facets of trauma. Starting with Smith’s humorous critique of psychoanalysis and her definition of original trauma, this volume explores Smith’s challenge of Western theories of trauma and coping, and how her narratives expose the insidiousness of (post)colonial suffering and unbelonging. This book then explores transgenerational trauma, the tensions between remembering and forgetting, multidirectional memory, and the possibilities of the ambiguities and contradictions of the postcolonial and diasporic characters Smith depicts. This analysis discloses Smith’s effort to ethically redefine trauma theory from a postcolonial and decolonial standpoint, reiterates the need to acknowledge and work through colonial histories and postcolonial forms of oppression, and critically reflects on our roles as witnesses of suffering in global times.

Offers an accessible and informative introduction to the popular novel.

Since the 1970s, there has been increasing concern with the impact of (post)colonialism on British identities and culture. White Teeth by Zadie Smith is the story of three families from three different cultural backgrounds, set mostly in multicultural London. The first part of this book provides an overview of the former British Empire, the Commonwealth and the history of Bangladesh, Jamaica and the Jews in England as relevant to White Teeth. Following this, the role of the (former) centre of London will be presented. Subsequently, definitions and postcolonial theories (Bhabha, Said etc.) shall be discussed.The focus of this book is on life in multicultural London. The main aspects analysed in these chapters deal with identity, the location where the novel is set and racism. A further aim of the book is a comparison between the fictional world of White Teeth and reality. One chapter is devoted to the question of magic realism and the novel's position between two worlds.In a summary, the writer hopes to convince the readers of the fascination felt when reading the novel and when plunging into the buzzing streets of contemporary multicultural London.

A Study Guide for Zadie Smith's "The Embassy of Cambodia", excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Short Stories for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Short Stories for Students for all of your research needs.

Unlock the more straightforward side of NW with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of NW by Zadie Smith, which is set in north-west London and takes its name from the area’s postcode. The experimental narrative follows four characters from working-class backgrounds whose lives continue to intersect even as they pursue very different paths, resulting in a vivid and immersive portrait of modern life in London. NW is Smith’s fourth novel; it garnered widespread popular and critical acclaim, and was nominated for the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her other works include the novels White Teeth and Swing Time, and the essay collections Changing My Mind and Feel Free. Find out everything you need to know about NW in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Unlock the more straightforward side of Swing Time with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of Swing Time by Zadie Smith, which tells the story of two childhood friends who are brought together by their shared love of dance but whose lives follow drastically diverging paths. The narrator’s close friendship with her talented but troubled friend Tracey ends when they are in their early twenties, when Tracey writes her a letter containing a shocking revelation, but the two women remain a part of each other’s life for a long time afterwards. Swing Time is Zadie Smith’s fifth novel, and was longlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize. Her other works include the novels White Teeth and On Beauty, and the essay collections Changing My Mind and Feel Free. Find out everything you need to know about Swing Time in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Unlock the more straightforward side of White Teeth with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of White Teeth by Zadie Smith, which centres around the lives of two families in North-West London throughout the second half of the 20th century. Through the various and sometimes contradictory experiences of her vivid cast of characters, Smith explores topics including friendship, ethnic and generational unrest, globalisation and identity in a rapidly changing world. White Teeth is Zadie Smith’s debut novel and won multiple literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. Her other works include the novels On Beauty and Swing Time, and the essay collections Changing My Mind and Feel Free. Find out everything you need to know about White Teeth in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!