White Teeth by Zadie Smith REVIEW 

Sergio De La Pena's Naked Singularity is another example of this kind of writing if you know it. In the sense of barnstorming prose and 'I have to write about everything because if I don't I might not get another chance' kind of thing then it possibly surpasses White Teeth in this regard. However, for me, the novel that seems on the verge of collapse perhaps can signify, or more accurately, can portray an indelible portrait of what it's like to live in these times. Being assailed and beset on all sides by frantic prose is indicative of what I believe it's like to live in a culture (Western) which endemically promotes and even celebrates the kind of fast living that we see on a day-to-day basis. Far from hysterical, these novels perhaps map and systematise society more succinctly than novels which slow it down and focus more benignly on a central topic for example. Like you elucidate, the uncertainty exemplified in some novels is salient because we live without closure most of the time, whenever answers are sought, more questions arise etc. I think the backlash against so-called 'hysterical realist' novels is the charge, somewhat ruefully made, that there has been a loss of 'purity' in fiction where things talked about and issues raised should have solid impermeable contours where everything has it's own internal logic and then they just resolve themselves at the end. Aesthetically, this is nice I fully concede that point, but it's not what I see. Everything is penetrated by multiple and conflicting discourses and I just think simply that these novels attempt to reflect that, or more accurately, just join the milieu of what is.

@@MartianManhunter1987 I take your point and agree that hyper realism has a narrative style that is reflective of the abundance of information, both resolved and unresolved, people encounter in their daily lives during the current information age. My gripe is not necessarily with the genre, but with Smith's temptation for wordiness. I haven't read Naked Singularity, but I have read The Mezzanine, which I would describe as hysterical realism, having entire chapters consisting of ruminations on things as simple and banal as the plastic casing on the tips of shoe laces. There are an abundance of similar reflections, yet they are concise and forward a multiplicity of ideas rather than a profundity of detail. After watching an interview where Smith said she wasn't fond of Andrei Tarkovsky's film Stalker because of its limited dialogue, confessing "I need the words", I am convinced her love of the language makes her a chatty person. Unfortunately for me, her affection for words translates into a wordy writing style.

@@zachmosher3879 Yes, I agree that excessive wordiness can run the risk of 'showing off'. Indeed, the enlightening point you make about the 'multiplicity of ideas' versus 'profundity of detail' is key here. I think it's a very fine line, however I'm not against the complex use of language per se in order to ethically or morally 'dumb down' a text as it were. Words are there to be used and authors shouldn't be frightened of linguistic exploration. I think it's down to the reader to extract meaning from the text, however 'wordy' it may be. There's a risk of endorsing the idea that everything should be catered for mass appeal which I'm firmly against. We can't have our hands held. Of course, I'm not advocating incomprehensibility, just a bolstering of the idea that authors should not intrinsically forgo complexity for disingenuous simplicity. Indeed, we have, in my opinion, almost an abjuration of language today with emoticons and trite vapid hashtagging almost supplanting in some cases actual uses of language. You could argue, somewhat nebulously, that these are just new forms of communicating or inevitable technological occurrences but it's frightening to me to explicate this in such a neutral non-critical way. We must strive to hold on to passionate uses of language as this still, for me, is the way of getting at things, unfurling, unravelling and hopefully revealing something about ourselves and our connections, however tenuous, to other people. We can't lose this.

@@MartianManhunter1987 I respect and agree with you that authors should not forego inventiveness of language to expedite a story for readers. I stand for the complete opposite of that. But I don't think Smith's wordy headlong style is a necessary component to explore and break the literary boundaries of language, nor do I think the two are mutually exclusive. The dialogue rather than the prose in White Teeth is where Smith shines the brightest, showcasing her talent for writing a playful and witty turn of phrase that expresses many of the novel's central ideas without burying them in oh, I don't know, the detailed banalities of a transaction at a convenience store that, yet again, enlightens the character about class, race, gender, or a combination of the three. There is great prose in the novel, but I don't think it is a coincidence that Smith is at her best when working within a form that has parameters welcoming (in true British style) scathing concision.

@@zachmosher3879 I think there is a place for the wordy headlong style, but not to break the literary boundaries of language per se. Take Kafka's The Castle. The story practically revels in the banalities, perhaps piercing reality and going somewhere else, at least that's what it felt like reading it. Breathlessly engaging, emotionally charged and doesn't let you off the hook. Wordy, headlong and more importantly, the ideas don't become untethered amongst the tumult. You can have florid prose and ideas contiguously. I agree with you about White Teeth's dialogue. Smart, caustic, with a healthy dose of mordant humour.

On Beauty is already on my shelf :) although I plan to read Howard's End before I get to that one, for obvious reasons!

@@TheBookchemist That's how I did it. And, from memory, I read them in close succession, too.

I couldn't deal with Autograph Man either, although I did finish it.

Eventually, yes! He always scared me - I get the sense I might find his works difficult/disturbing - but I'll just have to conquer my fears sooner or later. I did the same with Bolano and Nabokov, and I'm very glad I did! When I do read him I'll probably go for Europe Central ;)

@@TheBookchemist Thank you very much for your answer ! I can recommend you his first published novel "You Bright and Risen Angels". But "Europe Central" is clearly a masterpiece

Thanks Andy, I will!!

I'm a big fan, it's high time I re-read some favorites of his or dived deeper into his oeuvre. I reviewed Sirens of Titan a few years back, but that's the only Vonnegut I read so far that didn't convince me 100%.

@@TheBookchemist - and that's my favourite Vonnegut book. 😉

If you like Mattia's reviews you should check out Cliff Sergeant's channel "Better Than Food." Here is one of his Mishima reviews: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-peHgVeysP7w.html

I've never read him, though it's been recommended to me! I second Andy's recommendation of Better Than Food :)

@@TheBookchemist It would be cool if you two could organise a Zoom call!

@@TheBookchemist Better Than Food, the Book Chemist, Climbing The Stacks and Supposedly Fun are my favourite book reviewers.

No! Should I?

His entire oeuvre in total is about 180 pages since he only wrote two books, he’s easily one of the finest writers I’ve ever read and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough, and I think you’d enjoy it.

A bad camera! The writing on it says (Canon) PowerShot SX600 HS. My main suggestion would be, the camera can be lo-fi, but if you can do invest in a good microphone (and make sure it connects to your camera)! Good luck with your project :)