Given to me by a work colleague who was having a clear out prior to a house move.

The plot of this novel centres on an academic rivalry between two families, the Belseys and the Kippses.

Beauty is whether in art or nature is as the title suggests an important theme of this book but is far from being the only one. Race, religion, friendship, feminism, illness and death, family and love also feature heavily. However what is really important is the difference between the beauty on the outside as compared with that which is within. Howard and Monty are obsessed with paintings looking for flaws or the artist's motivation/ viewpoint for them but are incapable of seeing what is happening right in front of them. Zora, Howard's daughter, is seen as forthright and determined but this is just show as inside she is nervous and feels friendless. In contrast Vee, Monty's daughter, is gorgeous on the outside but is pretty shallow on the inside and misinterprets sex with desire whilst Levi, Howard's youngest son, looks for affinity with a group of Haitians despite having never visited the country.

There is a certain humour in the prose but it just doesn't last for me. I found the final quarter of this book disappointing and that it ultimately tended to slip into some tired old cliches meaning that I felt that it rather let the remainder down. The reader was also left with far too many loose ends. An OK read but also at times somewhat overblown, a missed opportunity that could have been improved with a little prudent editing.

Going out as part of a Reading/Want it thread. Enjoy!

An author I have wanted to read for a long time, thank you so much 4evagreen for giving me this opportunity!

I was quite disappointed by this book. It is long, yet there are too many characters. Few of them have flesh, almost all are stereotypes. You don't feel anything for any of them. Every comment I read praised the humour of the novel, I didn't laugh at all. And the academic rivalries at the university bored me. The race and social issues, the love and beauty themes are interesting, yet few of them are looked at in depth.
But I will try and give the author another chance (the novel I wanted to read is Swing time).
Nevertheless, finding another book to read in this time of confinement was very welcome, so thank you again 4evagreen!

Goes to the winner of my May RABCK offer.
Happy reading claudia_amorim!

Thank you so much for this RABCK, got here yesterday but didn’t have a chance to get online!

Was very interesting reading both of your reviews, I’m hoping to get to this very soon!

Could not get into this. I got about half way through and the story isn’t bad, just found it a little boring. I’ve been so busy lately that I would rather be reading something I really enjoy!

So this book is continuing its journey and you n to Switzerland!

Thank you for sending me this book! I have another book by Zadie Smith on my TBR shelf, so I'll read that one first. Really curious about both books, actually!

UPDATE: What a treat this book is! Two dysfunctional families are being entangled in some weird twists of fate, in London and in the US. Just perfect!

At the open bookshelf, near Beckenhof tram stop

If you aren't familiar with Bookcrossing, take a few minutes to check out this very cool site. Bookcrossers LOVE books, and more than anything, they love to read books and then set them free for other people to find and enjoy. I would love it if you would leave a journal entry -- you can say where you found the book or how you liked it when you read it.