At the center of this novel are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal, hapless veterans of World War II. Archie and Samad and their families become agents of England’s irrevocable transformation. A second marriage to Clara Bowden, a Jamaican half his age, quite literally gives Archie a second lease on life, and produces Irie, a knowing child whose personality doesn’t quite match her name (Jamaican for “no problem”). Samad’s late-in-life arranged marriage - he had to wait for his bride to be born - produces twin sons whose separate paths confound Iqbal’s every effort to direct them. Set against London’s racial and cultural tapestry White Teeth revels in the ecstatic hodgepodge of modern life, flirting with disaster, confounding expectations, and embracing the comedy of daily existence.
Subliminal messages, polyphonic stories, cultural references, striking observations, our guests of Chapter 1NE undoubtedly drew a lot of inspiration from the oeuvre of Zadie Smith, a brilliant writer living and working in London. Het HEM has purchased her debut novel, White Teeth, for its library. Written when Smith was barely 24 years old, prior her graduation from Cambridge! She wrote a magnificent story praised for its humorous tone, its energy, and its character building. Basically the approach is no different than the rest of Smith's entire oeuvre: ah, humour. The pleasant and descriptive writing is both inherently linked to the place where she grew up and connected to literature I'm very interested in such as coming-of-age, feminism, religion and immigration. It all feels very personal yet described from afar, making her work all-encompassing. For me she is one of the most influential writers of the 21st century. Good to know Guillaume and Edson were on the same page when they picked the novel. ⏤ Joke Hoeven, head of communications
We advise to buy local.
White Teeth was included in The Couch selection of Chapter 1NE Guillaume Schmidt & Edson Sabajo.
