(no subject)

[jfb]

Two books I've recently enjoyed:

Caucasia by Danzy Senna. In the 1970s, a young biracial girl flees from the FBI with her white radical mother, passing for Jewish in rural New Hampshire and wondering when her father will come back to her. "A long time ago I disappeared. One day I was here, the next I was gone. It happened as quickly as all that." From these opening sentences I was expecting a more... poetic book than it is. Instead, it's mostly just a story, but it's a very good one. (Times review.)

The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith. A trader in autographs tries to juggle, among other things, a collapsing relationship, an impending ceremony for his long-dead father, and a search for the movie star he's idolized since childhood. Much thematic material on fame, loss, Jewishness, and moviegoing. Some of which sounds pretty heavy, but mostly the book made me laugh, which is rare and appreciated. (Downish Times review.)

Comments

[bnewmark.livejournal.com]

i heard that white teeth by zadie smith is -very- good - it's on my to-read list. have you read that one?

[jfb.livejournal.com]

No I have not. I kept hearing how great it was, and I've read about it with some interest, but when I pick it up, it doesn't grab me, so I put it down again.

I might give it another try now that I've enjoyed The Autograph Man. What I hear from people is that the latter is a "lighter" book than her first, which often seems to be an insult but might be exactly what I liked about it.