The Autograph Man

Another success that has followed White Teeth, Zadie put me in the driver's seat to another complex set of people and their circumstances. This one was character-driven, as much of her work is, and yet there is this plot in the background that is very concrete and believable. It's made believable by the interior expose of the characters being also highly believable.Look, let's make matters simple here... Zadie Smith's work is great stuff, compelling, funny, poignant, interesting, and non-stop movement forward toward the goal of dissecting the human condition and making art out of it.So why not 5 stars? Well, the one star that is blank is most likely for her tendency to be a bit obtuse at times, not misleading, but a kind of "haze" gets laid over the writing that is almost like she's doing some purposeful misdirection, and the reason I think that she does that is because she does not want her work to be too simplistic, or to be taken that way. It's almost as if she has a fear that she will not be intellectual enough, or clever enough, so sometimes the story takes a direction that is more like a cul-du-sac on the journey, and it throws a bit of smoke on the scene. Then again, it could be this reader's inability to concentrate well enough on what some might consider slightly tough material. She is, after all, not aiming to be jejune.White Teeth does not appear to have that kind of distraction. The pace was much different in that novel, and it did not let up. White Teeth was more like a train to Autograph Man's hot air balloon. Both are valid means of transportation, but certainly with different perspectives and aesthetics.

Somehow, Zadie Smith's characters just didn't click for me. I didn't finish the book - though I read over a third of it - so maybe something would have come together if I had stuck with it, but the characters had no real appeal to me. There were no meaningful female characters, and the main male characters were lost young men who mostly seemed like losers with no redeeming appeal. It's an early novel of hers. I've enjoyed everything else she's written.

I'll read anything Zadie Smith writes. Really liked 'On Beauty' and 'White Teeth' and looking forward to NW. Smith can do dialogue just about as well as anyone and this one has a lot of exposition about the memorabilia trade which just was not that interesting. Also, the father-son dynamic just did not work for me.

I love Zadie's work, but honestly enjoyed White Teeth more. Recommended for those who want to read all of Smith's work...but check out White Teeth or Swing Time.

A moving text with incredible attention to detail. I loved it.

This book touches on so many issues and is so brilliantly executed.I couldn't put it down. The characters are so real you can almost feel yourself in their world. I can't wait to read her other novels.I got onto this watching a Stephen Fry documentary on language. He had this book in front of him and I thought.......if it's good enough for him.........and I was right.

An accomplished author at the height of her powers. Interesting characters that are compelling and fresh. Loved the narrative and the quality of the writing.

That this book got published is amazing; that the author won a prize for her first novel strains belief. It is hard to exagerate or decide which is more mixed up, the characters, the story, or the writer. It is beneath sophomoric as applied to someone submitting a paper in High School

I enjoyed this book.... but it's hard work. I know it's fiction but to really empathise with characters I need to feel they could really exist. Brian Duchamp - yes: nice sketch of a gross but likeable trader. But Alex-Li Tandem? I don't think so. And as for a "laugh-out-loud" read... well, I don't think so either (altho' I accept humour is personal). Only time I laughed out loud was over the gag re the inflatable headmistress (had me chuckling for ages, actually!!) but I assume that was just a gag the author has recycled. The end seems messy and unresolved - what did Alex do about Kitty? Did he get back with his girlfriend (altho' he didn't deserve her)? I suppose it shows I was I was sufficiently emotionally involved to even care but I rather felt cheated. Maybe Zadie didn't know what to do with these strands either. I found all the Jewish life, religion, language and ceremonies baffling. Full marks to author for researching it all but it just confused me without enlightening or entertaining me.Have also read White Teeth and On Beauty. If you want to try this author I'd recommend White Teeth.

I tried to read this book for a book club but soon gave up as I felt no empathy for the characters and their lives. There was nothing of interest in the story to motivate me to continue reading.

I love Zadie Smith's style of writing. The Autograph Man is a deeply funny, witty and smart from the first page. Smith is one of the most staggeringly talented writers of her generation.

Absolutely great read. Very entertaining and funny. Recommend to any Zadie Smith fans and those new to reading her work

Awesome