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J-Phi
3.0 out of 5 stars Witty Social Commentary Novel
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2019
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This is one of those novels that it’s hard to rate. It’s my first book by this author and coincidentally her debut novel from many years ago and some argue her best novel. And I understand why people will say this is a great work of literature. I think it’s pretty great too. The author’s wit, intelligence, humor, understanding of human nature and ability use all of those skills and talents to express the themes of the immigrant experience, identity, belonging, and the nebulous grey interconnectedness of our histories and experiences in an entertaining way is amazing.

That said, I personally found this a little overwritten for a novel. It is a novel but written in the editorial style of an essay. And while that style is initially humorous and engaging- as though you’re having a one-sided conversation with the author about the plot, after a while, it becomes a little tiresome and too precious and a little too much of a good thing. Like we don’t need as many explanations of cultural references, we don’t need as much analyses of the minutiae of the character’s behaviors, like sometimes, we, the reader, could have been left to do a little inference by ourselves, left to form our own opinions and ideas about the plot and characters without being talked a little to death around every single issue. So whilst the editorializing and essaying were impeccably done and filled with wit and humor, for a novel, it becomes a little tedious and makes the book drag more than necessary. This is my primary issue with this book.

My secondary issue is that I didn’t really begin to enjoy or relate with the book till the 2nd half of it when we began to get the story from Irie’s perspective. Throughout the first half of the book, anytime we get the perspective of the female characters who are entrenched in reality, the book really shines. Unfortunately, much of the first half of the book is mired in the particularly unengaging main characters of Samad and Archie and their insignificant, quixotic adventures. As for the ending, for a book that was written with so much analysis and writing, it felt a bit rushed and sudden and abrupt and not as thoroughly plumbed and combed over as the rest of the book.

I did like this book and I think its discussions of ethnic identity and nationalism and belonging and assimilation and family and generational disconnects are really important and thought-provoking. It’s an incredibly witty book, I just personally found it a little in need of being pared back.
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Martin W. Cooper
4.0 out of 5 stars More relevant in 2017: Smith's White Teeth tears at raw flesh
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2017
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Unlike anyone else writing then or since

There’s even a delicious endorsement from Salman Rushdie in the dust jacket

Admittedly a late comer to what is now widely established to be one of the most important books of the last 20 years, I am not going out on much of a limb by saying that White Teeth, the debut novel by a then-25 year old Zadie Smith, is an arresting, original, authentic book.

If you want a plot summary, don’t read this review—google the wiki page—I don’t give good plot descriptions. The reason to read this superb book about growing up an immigrant in England is not the (admittedly interesting) plot, but rather Smith’s superb ability to articulate the commonplace in a transcendent manner, including but not limited to:

• How she describes displacement
• How she deals with history and the white man’s role in it
• How she deals with religion(s)
• How she understands England’s existential angst about a lost empire
• How she presciently (the novel was published in 2000) identifies the coming eruption of Islamic emigres in the west, which caught everyone’s attention (although it certainly didn’t begin) when planes crashed into buildings in New York and Washington DC a year after her book came out and which continues to dominate, arguably to an increasingly greater degree, the media, national politics and international relations from London to Bagdad to Beijing to Delhi, from Washington to Damascus to Moscow to Tehran

The book lurches from European theatre of WWII to an early 19th century earthquake in Jamaica to Islamic extremists protesting science in modern London in search of…a message. That message is probably related to the age-old question of free will versus fate, which we see play out (not for the first time in literature but certainly with a fresh and interesting cast of characters) across several generations of immigrants to England. Smith’s greatest gift is creating engaging, layered characters whose lives you are interested in…but sometimes this is taken too far, like during the improbable convergence of the different families around the issue of Marcus Chalfen’s Future Mouse when Smith needlessly gives heated background on a newly introduced couple Joely and Crispin which prevents the plot’s progression to a less trammeled resolution (which, when it comes, Smith has crafted expertly and with terrific surprise…there’s an easter egg hidden at the end of this book).

There are times where it becomes obvious that this is a first novel and where some editing could have made it much tighter. The authors amazing powers of character development are lost on the Chalfen family, which is wholly unbelievable and reads in many places like a blackboard sketch the author made with the overtly didactic points she wanted to articulate). Smith occasionally spends too much time explaining in detail what characters think and why they think it, rather than letting this precipitate organically from their actions and words.

This is a powerful book and an insightful author—there are strokes of real brilliance. A theme that stuck with me was one of love, summed up by a pair of quotes in the latter part of the book:

“Oh he loves her; just as the English loved India and Africa and Ireland; it is the love that is the problem, people treat their lovers badly.” (p299)

“Greeting cards tell us everyone deserves love. No. Everybody deserves clean water.” (p382)

Smith is no shrinking violet and White Teeth tears at raw flesh—even more so in 2017.
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sara
1.0 out of 5 stars One of the worst books I've ever Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2019
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This book was terrible. I can't believe this book has as many good reviews as it does. The plot seemed to go no where, it was extremely difficult to follow in some sections, the writing style is just bad, and quite frankly the book was boring. There was maybe 1 interesting character in the whole book. It was long and it dragged. Do yourself a favor, skip this one.
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Plubius
5.0 out of 5 stars Like Peeling an Incredible Onion
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2018
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[tears included]

This is far from a quick read, and even further from a light one. The accents are something to reckon with, and Smith's willingness to jump from character to character does, at times, impede the natural flow of reading. This is not a book you fall into, simply put.

Yet the work is worth it, as the ending insists on intersectionality of its various plots--including a reveal that is one of the most satisfying I've come across (and unexpected). And within it all, the themes are sublime even while subtle, and Smith evinces the prowess that has long since earned her deserved recognition.

It took me far too long to encounter this novel, but I'm nonetheless grateful I did.
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Linda
2.0 out of 5 stars No plot!
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018
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I read Zadie Smith's On Beauty and loved it. I just gave up trying to read her debut novel White Teeth, which I started because it is on the list of 100 books nominated for the Great American Read. White Teeth has no plot. The two main characters Samad and Arrchie remain essentially the same throughout the many pages I've read so far and they weren't that interesting to begin with. While there are sensational, comic riffs, there aren't enough to hold my attention.
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Top reviews from other countries

Julia Callister
2.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the hype.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2019
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I found this book oddly unfulfilling. It started well, and I was interested in Archie's story and his state of mind, but he got over that pretty quickly. The middle of the book could have done with some heavy editing and I found myself skim reading and wondering what I could read next. The story itself took so long to tell the end felt like a muddled anti climax. This book has been on my 'should read' list for so long I'm pretty disappointed.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars uncomfortable the tale made me...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2019
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This is a powerful read. A truely funny, marvellous, tale and a difficult read. Difficult in the sense of requiring commitment and thought, as it deals with complex issues such as race, religion, culture, science, aspirations, longing and belonging. And big, big laughs.
Customers in my usual cafe looking at me strangely for laughing out loud at the antics and comments of the Chalfonts, ik-ball and Archie or the 'niece of shame'. Other times hiding how sad or uncomfortable the tale made me.
Great book, essential reading.
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Miriam Haider
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and filled with cultural importance
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2019
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The book's premise is important in understanding the history and links between so many different cultures, which aren't usually spoken about namely, Bengalis and Jamaicans and their relationship with everyone around them. There are many twists but somehow I can't say the book wrapped up completely for me, the ending felt lacklustre and boring. Overall, it didn't leave me feeling completely satisfied with its ending of forced relationships and uncertainty. But a good read for those interested in deep stories about families of different backgrounds and class differences and bonds between them.
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Fi0
1.0 out of 5 stars I am afraid that I gave up half way
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2019
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Having been drawn to this book by the reviews I found it sadly disappointing. I struggled to find any real feeling -either positive or negative-for any of the characters and as it is a largely character rather than plot driven novel this left me feeling very unfulfilled. Ultimately I gave up just under half way through, only the second book I have left unfinished.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Epic, funny but aimless
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2017
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What an epic book by Zadie Smith. The story line tries to do so much and cover a huge time span and I felt like the story really didn't go anywhere. It was difficult to read at times but I found myself enjoying the second half much more than the first, as the younger, second generation of characters were more well rounded and easier to understand. The story is very funny and doesn't take itself too seriously which is refreshing even as it covers issues like colonialism and the struggle to find identity in a foreign culture. Overall, a light but long read.
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