NW

A Novel

De: Zadie Smith

Narrado por: Karen Bryson, Don Gilet

A new novel from Zadie Smith, set in Northwest London

Somewhere in Northwest London stands Caldwell housing estate, relic of 70s urban planning. Five identical blocks, deliberately named: Hobbes, Smith, Bentham, Locke, and Russell. If you grew up here, the plan was to get out and get on, to something bigger, better. Thirty years later ex-Caldwell kids Leah, Natalie, Felix, and Nathan have all made it out, with varying degrees of succes—whatever that means. Living only streets apart, they occupy separate worlds and navigate an atomized city where few wish to be their neighbor’s keeper. Then one April afternoon a stranger comes to Leah’s door seeking help, disturbing the peace, and forcing Leah out of her isolation. . . .

From private houses to public parks, at work and at play, in this delicate, devastating novel of encounters, the main streets hide the back alleys, and taking the high road can sometimes lead to a dead end. Zadie Smith’s NW brilliantly depicts the modern urban zone—familiar to city dwellers everywhere—in a tragicomic novel as mercurial as the city itself.

complicated but worth it

this book is more about a place than the characters although the characters intetwraving is amazing

Perhaps Worth It?

If you could sum up NW in three words, what would they be?

Beautiful, interesting, disappointing

Would you recommend NW to your friends? Why or why not?

I doubt it, though it did inspire me to check out Zadie Smith's other works. I would recommend the author if not the book.

What about Karen Bryson’s performance did you like?

Everything. She (as well as the fellow who read for the Felix section) were absolutely perfect for the rhythm and tone of the novel.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It's all about the style!

Any additional comments?

So well written, but pretty much undone by unbelievable characters.

Not my favorite Zadie Smith, but not bad either

Where does NW rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Kind of low on the list--White Teeth and On Beauty were so amazing, so I had high expectations.

If you’ve listened to books by Zadie Smith before, how does this one compare?

Not as listenable--maybe because it's more postmodern.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Karen Bryson?

Yes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

stellar performance!

What made the experience of listening to NW the most enjoyable?

the narrator really brought the characters to life

What does Karen Bryson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Karen Bryson turns the story into what feels like a live performance by someone who really understands and cares about each character. Her spoken use of the chapter numbers also adds to the story and my ability to see the words and events in their proper context.

Any additional comments?

I had a little trouble getting what was going on in the beginning as I am not familiar with all of the references to neighborhoods in London. It became clearer as we went along so think I will listen to the beginning again.

Typical Zadie Smith

Got off to a slow start but then the characters become real amd soon you can't wait to know more about theie lives. very readable. Excellent book.