“Smith’s thrilling cultural insights never overshadow the wholeness of her characters, who are so keenly observed that one feels witness to their lives.” —O, The Oprah Magazine“A sweeping meditation on art, race, and identity that may be [Smith’s] most ambitious work yet.” —EsquireA New York Times bestseller • Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction • Longlisted for the … Circle Award for Fiction • Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from North West London to West Africa, from the multi-award-winning author of White Teeth and On Beauty.
Two brown girls dream of being dancers—but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It’s a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early twenties, never to be revisited, but never quite forgotten, either.
Tracey makes it to the chorus line but struggles with adult life, while her friend leaves the old neighborhood behind, traveling the world as an assistant to a famous singer, Aimee, observing close up how the one percent live.
But when Aimee develops grand philanthropic ambitions, the story moves from London to West Africa, where diaspora tourists travel back in time to find their roots, young men risk their lives to escape into a different future, the women dance just like Tracey—the same twists, the same shakes—and the origins of a profound inequality are not a matter of distant history, but a present dance to the music of time.
Zadie Smith’s newest book, Grand Union, published in 2019.
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This doesn’t come out until November but I’m already SO READY to read it. ZADIE. And dance and race and female friendship and fitting in
Female friendship has become a literary focus in recent years, and Zadie Smith’s take on the subject in Swing Time is my favourite. Tracing the evolution of a childhood friendship into adulthood, she bracingly portrays the compromises and bargains we all eventually make. Smith’s idiosyncratic gaze and keen, supple prose transform and elevate everything she touches.
A Winner!
Creative, original, wonderful characters, and great writing!
As soulful as it is crafty.
Just finished this highly recommended book. Personally I forced myself to finish it, since I received it as a gift. I was unable to connect to the characters and found the novel lacking a plot.
At the quarter mark of this novel I thought to myself “What is this character’s name? Did I miss it?” As it turns out, the protagonist in this book remains nameless, a choice that made it harder to connect with an already distanced lead.
It made me think about how, as humans, names ground us. They allow us to identify with someone or something. Even if it’s a negative reaction, something is better than nothing.
Swing Time begins with two girls-Tracy and Ms. Nameless-meeting in dance class in England. Smith smartly sets up the tension between them, Tracy being the more gifted dancer. The tension is further cemented by the girls’ very different parental upbringings. I was immersed in their story until Smith takes a hard left, focusing on the nameless character as she blooms into a young woman and becomes one of the assistants to a global pop star named Aimee.
I wasn’t as engaged in this story, and I found myself skimming when the narrative leapt back and forth between a small town in Africa that Aimee, in her new found missive to help the underprivileged, was trying to help. I kept wondering when Smith would circle back to the two dancers who intrigued me in the beginning.
Tracy, arguably the most interesting character in the book, only makes brief cameo appearances later on. When Smith leaves her story to focus on Ms. Nameless and Aimee, Tracy is on the brink of success. In the times Tracy is reintroduced, it wasn’t clear exactly how or why Tracy never fulfilled all the blazing potential she had as a dancer.
Ms. Nameless’ mother was the second most interesting character. Having seen Smith speak in person two years ago, the mother read as an embodiment of Smith: fiercely intelligent and a bit aloof. Smith also writes as she speaks, a kind of articulate, insightful meandering. Alas, I was never quite able to connect with Ms. Nameless. She had this drift-less quality about her, a mere observer to the going-on’s in her life. No real passion or direction. Even her actions at the end, which effectively destroys her relationship with Aimee, felt one step removed from the heart.
Would a name have helped? Possibly. In the end, it was more about wanting to read about the dancing girls.
A deep and nuanced investigation into the nature of friendship. The vagaries and lifechanges that effect the two main characters – most of them outside of their own control – help weave a fascinating garment of contemporary life. Zadie Smith is a powerful writer with great insight both inner and outer.
she’s a fine writer, but this one took too long to get nowhere in terms of developing the characters
Smith manages to create both anentertaining novel and insights on contemporary culture, race relations and social economic barriers . This book deserves all the praise it received
I know many love Zadie Smith. I don’t.
Such an engaging voice from a fascinating character, full of flaws and so real.
She writes like a dream. An Everywoman becomes personal assistant to a Madonna-like character, very interesting and in some ways shines a light on our times.
I expected more. I don’t necessarily recommend it.
I did not feel this book was a page-turner. I wanted the story to move along, but as I finished it, I believe that the author made us feel the protaganist’s life, in other words -stalled out, indecision, lack of direction. Ultimately the author’s skill in making the reader feel this kept me reading…
The problem I had with reading this was that it seemed a lesser imitation of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend. In this case, however, there is no continuation and the flashbacks seemed random and arbitrary. The protagonist is far less sympathetic and we have little on why her dancer friend gave up.
A dance itself, syncopated, unexpected, and vital…Swing Time may not parse easily and fits no mold, but it is uncommonly full of life.
I became a fan of Zadie Smith through reading her novel White Teeth. She is again brilliant with Swing Time.