Zadie Smith Livres

"'Un matin de bonne heure, tard dans le siècle, à Cricklewood Broadway. À six heures et vingt-sept minutes, en ce 1er janvier 1975, Alfred Archibald Jones, tout de velours côtelé vêtu, était assis dans un break Cavalier Musketeer, rempli de vapeurs d'essence, le visage sur le volant, à espérer que la sentence divine ne serait pas trop sévère. Prostré, les mâchoires relâchées, les bras en croix comme quelque ange déchu, le poing refermé d'un côté (gauche) sur ses médailles militaires, de l'autre (droit) sur son certificat de mariage, pour la bonne raison qu'il avait décidé d'emporter ses erreurs avec lui. Il avait joué à pile ou face et s'était tenu sans défaillir au verdict du hasard. Il s'agissait là d'un suicide mûrement réfléchi. Mieux, d'une résolution de nouvel an.' Maniant le loufoque, la satire et l'humour avec un art consommé, Zadie Smith produit ici un premier roman détonant, qui frappe par son ambition et son extraordinaire énergie. Ajoutons l'actualité des sujets abordés et la vitalité d'une prose qui se colore de tous les accents de la terre." [Source : 4e de couv.]

« Presque tout le monde a un accessoire flottant : bouée, frite, matelas pneumatique stratégiquement placé sous les bras, la nuque ou les fesses de façon à mieux flotter et à faciliter ce qui ne demande déjà aucun effort. La vie est un combat, mais on est en vacances de la vie, et du combat. Et on se laisse porter par le courant. » Afin d'avoir l'impression d'être comme les autres, une mère célibataire se résout chaque année à passer ses vacances dans une station balnéaire polluée et sans charme. À New York, trois riches amis habitués aux jets privés s'entassent dans une vieille voiture pour fuir la ville. Ailleurs, un jeune charpentier vit son dernier jour sur terre. En dix-neuf nouvelles entrelaçant les registres et les points de vue, Zadie Smith explore les arcanes du monde moderne avec un humour et une perspicacité inégalés.

In this 1983 short story--the only short story Morrison ever wrote--we meet Twyla and Roberta, who have known each other since they were eight years old and spent four months together as roommates in St. Bonaventure shelter. Inseparable then, they lose touch as they grow older, only later to find each other again at a diner, a grocery store, and again at a protest. Seemingly at opposite ends of every problem, and at each other's throats each time they meet, the two women still cannot deny the deep bond their shared experience has forged between them. Another work of genius by this masterly writer, Recitatif keeps Twyla's and Roberta's races ambiguous throughout the story. Morrison herself described Recitatif, a story which will keep readers thinking and discussing for years to come, as "an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial." We know that one is white and one is Black, but which is which? And who is right about the race of the woman the girls tormented at the orphanage?

Follows the life of Patrick Melrose, a member of an upper class English family, through his traumatic childhood with an abusive father, drug addiction, fatherhood, and the possible loss of his family home.

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. Visit the Penguin Readers website Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. White Teeth is the story of three very different families who live close together in London in the 1980s and 1990s. The Bowdens are part-Jamaican; the Iqbals are from Bangladesh; and the Chalfens are white. The story looks at how people's pasts affect their lives now, and the lives and futures of their children.

The collection of essays offers a poignant critique of America's social systems, blending personal experiences with political commentary. Through sharp observations, the author captures the complexities of contemporary issues, providing clarity on the peculiarities of the current moment. This powerful indictment resonates with readers, making it a significant addition to the discourse on societal challenges.

This is a short story originally published in Speaking With the Angel'In Zadie Smith’s "I’m the Only One," a young man recalls his strained relationship with his diva-esque sister.'

Graham Greene's classic exploration of love, innocence, and morality in Vietnam "I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused," Graham Greene's narrator Fowler remarks of Alden Pyle, the eponymous "Quiet American" of what is perhaps the most controversial novel of his career. Pyle is the brash young idealist sent out by Washington on a mysterious mission to Saigon, where the French Army struggles against the Vietminh guerrillas.As young Pyle's well-intentioned policies blunder into bloodshed, Fowler, a seasoned and cynical British reporter, finds it impossible to stand safely aside as an observer. But Fowler's motives for intervening are suspect, both to the police and himself, for Pyle has stolen Fowler's beautiful Vietnamese mistress. Originally published in 1956 and twice adapted to film, The Quiet American remains a terrifying and prescient portrait of innocence at large.

Split into four sections Reading , Being , Seeing and Feeling Changing My Mind invites readers to witness the world from Zadie Smith s unique vantage point. Smith casts her acute eye over material both personal and cultural, with wonderfully engaging essays some published here for the first time on diverse topics, including literature, movies, going to the Oscars, British comedy, family, feminism, Obama, Katherine Hepburn and Anna Magnani.

No subject is too fringe or too mainstream for Zadie Smith's insatiable curiosity. From social media to the environment, Tarantino to Jay-Z to Knausgaard, she has endless fascination and the boundless wit, insight and wisdom to match. In Feel Free, pop culture, high culture, social change and political debate all get the Zadie Smith treatment- dissected with razor-sharp intellect, set brilliantly against the context of the utterly contemporary, and considered with a deep humanity and compassion. This electrifying new collection showcases its author as a true literary powerhouse, demonstrating once again her credentials as an essential voice of her generation.