"Howard Belsey, a Rembrandt scholar who doesn't like Rembrandt, is an Englishman abroad and a long-suffering professor at Wellington, a liberal New England arts college. He has been married for thirty years to Kiki, an American woman who no longer resembles the sexy activist she once was. Their three children passionately pursue their own paths: Levi quests after authentic blackness, Zora believes that intellectuals can redeem everybody, and Jerome struggles to be a believer in a family of strict atheists. Faced with the oppressive enthusiasms of his children, Howard feels that the first two acts of his life are over and he has no clear plans for the finale. Or the encore. Then Jerome, Howard's older son, falls for Victoria, the stunning daughter of the right-wing icon Monty Kipps, and the two families find themselves thrown together in a beautiful corner of America, enacting a cultural and personal war against the background of real wars that they barely register. An infidelity, a death, and a legacy set in motion a chain of events that sees all parties forced to examine the unarticulated assumptions which underpin their lives. How do you choose the work on which to spend your life? Why do you love the people you love? Do you really believe what you claim to? And what is the beautiful thing, and how far will you go to get it? Set on both sides of the Atlantic, Zadie Smith's third novel is a brilliant analysis of family life, the institution of marriage, intersections of the personal and political, and an honest look at people's deceptions. It is also, as you might expect, very funny indeed."

I've got another copy on Mt. TBR, but found this one at Goodwill. (hardcover)

3/7/08 -- Mixed feelings about this, my first Zadie Smith read. I liked the subtle humor thrown in here & there. I liked the way each character had his/her own distinct personality & I thought the author did very well with character development -- some characters I could relate to, some I hated, some I liked, and they all evolved fairly well. Although I was so frustrated with Howard's character. He was passive in so many ways, but also detestable. I wanted to shake him. There were also some drier parts of the story where I thought Smith got too wrapped up in unneccesary detail, details which weren't crucial to the plot. And the ending...kind of a let-down for me. But overall not a bad read.

Off to chambejd, via relay! Enjoy! :')

It arrived today! Thanks, indygo88!