Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith must have felt freer in writing this book. She deals with a broad range of issues. There is no single theme that runs through them. There are essays that are quite ordinary. I have expected far more intellectually stimulating stuff from her. For instance 'North West London Blues' did not speak to me at all. In reading this book, I also have the feeling that since she is so well-known, no matter what she writes, she finds readers.
However, some of the essays are brilliant. For instance, I enjoyed reading 'Love in the Gardens.' Not that I found it intellectually stimulating, I like its free and frank nature – the homely touch. It seems to me that she could have written a full-length novel on that experience. I found it truly 'feel-free' sort of essay – a young woman spending some nice moments with her father.
For absolutely different reasons, I enjoyed reading 'Dance Lessons for Writers.' Even if one does not know the artists, one can still enjoy reading about them. It is one of the best essays in the book. The only essay where I stopped and reread, just to enjoy the words a little longer. The only difference between the essay I mentioned earlier and this one is this; once you read the essay 'DLW' you might not want to read it again; it impresses with its clever observations, but her essay 'Love in the Gardens' has that life-like quality that makes the reader go back to it again. It has moments that many of us can identify with it; it is a nice place to inhabit as it celebrates time spent with someone we value and admire such as a friend, a sibling, a parent, or a lover.
Actually, I have not read these essays in any particular order. The ones that I am instinctively drawn to are the ones that I read first. For instance, one such essay is called 'Life Writing,' but I was a bit disappointed as it was a short piece. Some of the other essays that I liked reading are 'On Optimism and Despair', 'Generation Why,' 'The I Who Is Not Me,' and 'Man versus Corpse.'
A long time ago I read her brilliant essay ''Fail Better.'' I guess essays like that compelled me to buy her book. But I found unexpected stuff. However, I must add that there are essays which do require some sort of background knowledge or a lot of patience to admire them. For instance the essays in the section titled 'The Gallery.' I skipped them. The failure was mine.
However, some of the essays are brilliant. For instance, I enjoyed reading 'Love in the Gardens.' Not that I found it intellectually stimulating, I like its free and frank nature – the homely touch. It seems to me that she could have written a full-length novel on that experience. I found it truly 'feel-free' sort of essay – a young woman spending some nice moments with her father.
For absolutely different reasons, I enjoyed reading 'Dance Lessons for Writers.' Even if one does not know the artists, one can still enjoy reading about them. It is one of the best essays in the book. The only essay where I stopped and reread, just to enjoy the words a little longer. The only difference between the essay I mentioned earlier and this one is this; once you read the essay 'DLW' you might not want to read it again; it impresses with its clever observations, but her essay 'Love in the Gardens' has that life-like quality that makes the reader go back to it again. It has moments that many of us can identify with it; it is a nice place to inhabit as it celebrates time spent with someone we value and admire such as a friend, a sibling, a parent, or a lover.
Actually, I have not read these essays in any particular order. The ones that I am instinctively drawn to are the ones that I read first. For instance, one such essay is called 'Life Writing,' but I was a bit disappointed as it was a short piece. Some of the other essays that I liked reading are 'On Optimism and Despair', 'Generation Why,' 'The I Who Is Not Me,' and 'Man versus Corpse.'
A long time ago I read her brilliant essay ''Fail Better.'' I guess essays like that compelled me to buy her book. But I found unexpected stuff. However, I must add that there are essays which do require some sort of background knowledge or a lot of patience to admire them. For instance the essays in the section titled 'The Gallery.' I skipped them. The failure was mine.
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