I was told this book was REALLY funny and a quick read. I am an avid reader and my husband is British and still I had a difficult time getting into this book at first ... but the last third was difficult to put down because I couldn't wait to find out what happened and how it ends. I found myself constantly asking my husband ... what does this word mean? What does this phrase mean? And after being married for 10 years, I know A LOT of the slang!! I think if you didn't have some knowledge in this (because there were a lot of the phrases and words that I did know) that you might find it a hard read and you might lose a lot of the dry British humour.

I will definitely read her other released book called The Autograph Man though ...

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I enjoyed this book (it came highly reccomended by an English professor). Common themes of humanity (love, loss and friendship) in a integrative and multicultural setting are seen in a story (or series of stories) that spans several generations.

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A fun, often hilarious, read that provides a sober look at hot button issues of the day like racism, sexism, bigotry, religious fanaticism, and charlatanism in science. Highly recommended for thoughtful readers who would help figure out how the novel got its title.

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I really liked this book. I found it very funny and also thought-provoking.

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Opening scene is compelling. Sheds light on modern-day England. Most characters are sympathetic. Action bogs down in the middle.

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Zadie Smith's debut novel made sense to me until the last few chapters. I thought I was reading an expansive, witty, but serious novel about finding one's place in late twentieth-century mutlicultural Britian. Centered around two army buddies who served together at the close of WWII, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal, the narrative initially focused on one quirky character at a time, and slowly expanded to include their younger wives and resultant children. I really enjoyed the depth of Smith's characterizations and her wit while dealing with profound themes while weaving through various timelines, but then it felt as the web of characters was spinning tighter and tighter towards one event on New Year's Eve, 1999, but abruptly stops, leaving me wondering "what was that all about?" Nonetheless, I'm glad the list of 1001 books you must read before you die led me to this read, which, as Salman Rushdie aptly said, has "bite."

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Very funny and literal, a type of punch-you-in-the-face book!

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Excellent read. Both funny and moving.

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Loved the book.

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I'm a fan of the Big novel, this has everything, story, atmosphere, caharacter, morality.

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I am of two minds about this book. On the one hand I was drawn to the characters despite the fact that I didnt really care for them all that much (with the exception of Archie who seemed like a composite of every lovable but clueless person I have ever known.) The others grew more annoying with each passing page. Nevertheless I kept right on reading despite the novels convoluted plot lines which twisted back and forth between the present and the past in an annoyingly haphazard way. That said, I felt Smith did a credible job of creating a cast of intriguing (never mind the fact that I didnt like them) characters caught up in the tension of trying to figure out how to preserve remnants of a cultural heritage that seemed to be slipping away. While this book has been hailed as being uproariously funny I have to say that I was a bit put off by Smiths use of humor as a means for dealing with much of what gave the book its real drama. The best example is the opening sequence, where Archies attempted suicide is treated as if its one big joke. Treating something as serious as suicide as if its something to laugh about was very offensive to me. I was tempted to put the book down at that point, but decided to give it another try in view of the fact that it had won so many prizes something I cant say I feel is all that deserved.

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