NW by Zadie Smith6/24/2023 ![]() ![]() I believe that everyone struggled with Smith’s fluctuating focus and a couple of us had even given up with the book. I’m pretty sure we all reached an agreement on the structure of NW though I don’t think that anyone was particularly taken with it. ![]() And while a few of us thought that Smith’s London was very relatable, it was simultaneously trite – the novel could have taken place in Brooklyn/Salford/Tenderloin just as easily. Although I believe we all agreed that NW’s setting was realistic, there were split opinions surrounding how similar Caldwell was to the London we all live in (South London). Incorporating aspects of Kilburn, Kensal Rise and Willesden, I think Caldwell was our first point of debate. The main characters (Leah, Keisha/Natalie, Nathan and Felix) all come from the same area, a fictitious neighbourhood named “Caldwell”. Set in North West London, Smith’s novel follows four thirty-somethings as they navigate their lives in the modern-day capital. I think I can probably cut right to it and say that not many of us enjoyed the book. On the chopping block was Zadie Smith’s NW. ![]()
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