WHITE TEETH by ZADIE SMITH

I liked this book initially when I heard about the modern Britain background. I thought the mix of ethnicities will add such flavour to the book. I was disappointed once again with a book (happened to me last week as well). This is particularly heavy going for me. It is difficult to source books and then you get someone like Zadie Smith disappointing you. 

The stories told by Archie (failed marriage, suicidal) and a Bengali who is British to the core - Samad. Serving together in a war the pair are such unlikely comrades but they are. Archie then marries a Jamaican woman in her twenties Clara and Samad marries Alsana in a proposed marriage. Both produce children a girl in Archie's case and twin boys for Samad. 

There are two distinct worlds here - the one of the Archie Jones and the one of Samad Iqbal. Circuitous, different and at the same time similarities  - the chaos of different generations, race and social factors all rolled into one. I did not like any of the characters but maybe that should be superfluous to a review of the book. I just could not get into this one. They left me dissatisfiied and faintly annoyed.

On a non book note, thank you for the good wishes for the quick recovery of my husband. His is an illness which is taking a toll on him - because from being a very active man he is now confined to the house which does not sit well with him. We box on the best way we can.