Rating: 
Summary: Very impressive
Review: I thought this was a wonderful book about power and dominence and how the balance of those forces can shift: England over India; parents over children; men over women; old-world values and traditions over the new world's. And poor Samad is at the center of it all. Although India hasn't been England's "jewel" for more than 50 years, he can't keep English culture from infiltrating his family. He doesn't have the expected control of his wife, and his children haven't listened to him in years.I also thought it was very funny and even enjoyed reading about the characters I disliked (the Chalfens). Every character rang true. Well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting but uneven novel of the way we live now
Review: First, the good news. This novel marks the debut of an exciting writer with a brilliant imagination, a unique vision, the willingness to tackle bold and difficult themes, and stylistic virtuosity to spare. "White Teeth" is essentially the tale of the vicissitudes of two working-class London families over a 20-year period (the mid-70s through the mid-90s). The Joneses consist of Archie, an Englishman; his much younger Jamaican immigrant wife, Clara; and their daughter Irie. Archie, improbably yet (Smith manages to convince you) somehow believably, is best friends with Samad Iqbal, a Bangladeshi immigrant. Samad has twin sons and, like Archie, is married to a much younger woman (Alsana, also Bangladeshi). I think one of the reasons we turn to contemporary novels is our hunger to see reflected in them distinctly modern features of world we live in - especially those features, trends, and phenomena that are really new, that are of great importance now but were not so significant (and were perhaps even nonexistent) in the past. And certainly, one of the pleasures of reading "White Teeth" is that it so intelligently (and, at times, movingly) dramatizes one of the great themes of the modern world, which is immigration. In a way that's thematically very rich and satisfying, Smith views immigration in the context of related phenomena like alienation, homesickness (very often, for a world and a past that never really existed in the first place), assimilation (both the attraction toward it and the repulsion away from it), and the search for identity. Among the other delights this novel has to offer are Smith's vivid portrayal of a vibrantly multicultural London, her wonderful ear for dialogue, her attentiveness to history, and her sensitivity to the fascinating role that popular culture plays in the formation of the self (especially if that self is an outsider). Above all, there is Smith's spiky, delicious wit - I particularly enjoyed her sharp, knowing smackdowns of a certain type of patronizing liberal. That said, this is a very uneven book. Energetic, yes, but sometimes to the point of being excessively busy, and a little empty. There are some dull, uninspired patches - in particular, a subplot about animal rights activists that goes nowhere. But just when you're about to lose hope, Smith will dazzle you, with a sentence, an observation, that's so sharp, so wise, so astonishingly mature, that it will take your breath away. Like some other practitioners of this kind of big, ironic, postmodern comic novel (e.g., Rushdie, Pynchon), Smith sometimes confuses scope and breadth for depth. But, in contrast to a lot of the other postmodern biggies, Smith has real heart. This is perhaps seen most clearly in her portrayal of Irie Jones, a loveable, tender, wonderfully level-headed character who really anchors this novel. Perhaps next time Smith will do a better job of integrating her themes and ideas with her story's emotional content. Judging by the evidence of "White Teeth," she just may have the chops to pull it off.
Rating: 
Summary: An Awe-Inspiring Debut
Review: As an author who writes books that I feel address serious themes, I was simply bowled over by Zadie Smith's awe-inspiring debut. In WHITE TEETH, she addresses issues of sex, race, politics, assimilation/diversity concerns, socio-economic hardships, and gender politics all within a novel of epic scale. Its geographic range is great. Its characters may not be entirely admirable, but they do seem real. And her London is perfect. WHITE TEETH is a great book, fully deserving of the notice it is receiving. If you want to discover one serious gem of a novel this year, read this one.
Rating:
Summary: An epic standard
Review: As I was reading White Teeth, I was asked by a friend 'What's it about?'. I was totally unable to answer this question. Perhaps this is because of the diverse eclectisism that it holds: love, war, race, religion, drugs, London as a city. Yet to say that White Teeth was about any of these subjects would be a misgiving. Surely the only answer to the original question is life. Zadie Smith has created a masterpiece of a book. Three families (four in a way) over three generations weave together to become one remarkable discussion. White Teeth not only tells their story masterfully, but commentates, offering philosophical yet accesible thoughts on the nature of life and the world. One would expect its task to be rather difficult: it leaps around from year to year: begining in the late 70s, finishing in the very late 90s and passing, amongst others, 1857 on the way. Yet its method of flashing-back without seeming cliched in its way of doing so makes it very understandable, and, unlike how many lesser authors' books, you always know which year you are in, if only for what characters are there and what state they are in. The characters are perhaps the greatest aspect of the book. They are comic but they show an obvious seriousness in the unspoken (and sometimes masterfully spoken) philosophical thoughts they imply. Probably the greatest of these are those on race and culture. As for the characters themselves, they are comic and very well realised. And all this from a debut novel! Truly amazing.
Rating:
Summary: "White Teeth" Sparkles
Review: On the cover of the paperback version of "White Teeth", there is one of those critical blurbs that proclaims what you are about to read/buy "may be the first great novel of the new century." Zadie Smith's debut work was certainly the "it" novel of the publishing world last year, so one can only begin to read "White Teeth" with fairly high expectations. Does "White Teeth" live up to hype? Yes and no. It is certainly a creative, fresh, and often comic piece of fiction. Smith has brought together a wildly divergent cast of characters living in modern day London - from the twin sons of an arranged marriage between two Bangladeshi Muslims to an 80+ year old Jamaican Jehovah Witness who rides a sidecar of a motorcycle. The novel has an epic feel, covering a 25-year period (with some flashbacks deeper into the past) in the intertwining lives of the many characters. Smith also shifts the narrative and time period focus four times in the novel. So, as other reviewers have noted, some characters and plot lines disappear, new ones come to the forefront, and others return. And this is where some readers might get into trouble. I readily admit I was baffled by the reappearance of a character in the novel's later stages (it did eventually dawn on me who it was!). At times Smith seems to lose her focus or perhaps just fails to keep the readers' attention (I plead guilty). With this ambitious work, some aspects of "White Teeth" (storylines, characters) will appeal to some readers, while others will not. But, in my opinion, much more things work than do not. All in all, this is a fine novel and an impressive debut from Zadie Smith. Unfortunately due to the heavy buzz that "White Teeth" has received, some readers will be undoubtedly be left disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Read But Wait A Minute .................
Review: I actually found the book very entertaining in the first half (of the 400+ pages) when it talked about Archie and Samad and their families. However, by the second half when the focus is on the Chalfens, SuperMouse and the weirdness of animal rights activists, Erie's sudden sexual involvement with the twins, and the meandering Jevohah's Witness' speeches, the book loses steam. The ending is kind of interesting but rather sudden after the rambling of the last 200 pages. I also felt that the way some words are joined together to make a more descriptive word, the manner in which some comments are itemized, and a certain elliptical way of approaching a subject all borrow from Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things. As an Indian I thought the Indian/Bangladeshi references somewhat confusing/inconsistent. Some examples: <1> How did Mangal Pande - a caste Hindu (and the mutineer who "started" the First War for Indian independance) end up with a great-grand son Samad Miah who is a pure Muslim? - This made no sense to me at all and I kept hoping that there would be some explanation during the course of the narrative. <2> How did Samad meet Alsana (his future wife) in Delhi (which happens to be in India) in 1973/1974 when Alsana's family is from Bangaladesh? Bangladesh was formed in 1971 (after a war with West Pakistan, East Pakistan broke off to form Bangladesh). Did Alsana come all the way to Delhi in India to meet Samad? <3> Members of KEVIN (a terrorist Islamic organization in London), have members with distinct Hindu names - like Brother Rakesh. <4> During the 2nd World War, how could Samad Miah have been in the Royal Air Force, then become injured in one hand and then be shunted to the Army all by the age of 17? I know its just fiction but I can't imagine such 17 year old war veterans exist even in stories. Especially because Samad is from India with a college degree in Biology (or something - this means had to be at least 20 years old) and joined the Air Force as an officer. Ultimately, I think it is a GREAT read. But keep an OPEN mind!!!
Rating:
Summary: a humorous look at London's racial stew..
Review: Like most of the reviewers, I read 'White Teeth' because I wanted to know whether its author was deserving of all the critical acclaim or whether it was just hype. Glad to say, Zadie Smith should be proud of her first novel; its merits greatly overshadow its flaws. As for the story, 'White Teeth' is a rather elaborate tale of two interracial couples and their children in north London from the mid-1970s until the present. All the characters are a bit odd, each one suffering one form of neurosis or another in coping with life in a racially mixed environment. It is these characters which are memorable, not the plot (which is actually a collection of rather whimsical and unbelievable travails these characters get into). Where Zadie Smith fails most is her inability to contain her enthusiasm for writing. 'White Teeth' is a joy to read, for the first four hundred pages. However it then seems Ms Smith doesn't know how to tie all the subplots into a satisfactory conclusion. And the author has a tendency to view interracial issues through rose-coloured glasses (..not sure if this was her intention all along). Yet all of this is forgivable since 'White Teeth' does contain wonderful prose, insightful looks into the London melting pot, and memorable characters. Bottom line: a very good read. Short on realism, long on enjoyment.
Rating:
Summary: An astonishing novel
Review: Completely brilliant: Zadie Smith is a genius. Every sentence is witty and precise. Her characters are human, her eye is splendid. This novel is highly entertaining AND profoundly intelligent. She's playful AND dead serious. I'm confused about the reviews here saying there is no plot--that's like saying there's no plot in a Dickens novel. Honestly, to say you don't like, or are disappointed by this book is to admit you don't like good literature.
Rating:
Summary: Rewarding and compassionate
Review: I really looked forward to diving into "White Teeth" each day on the subway going to and from work. The first two chapters are sensational, and though it's not consistently great, there are many places where it soars. Smith has tremendous compassion for her flawed characters. Just when she seems to be running out of steam in places, she introduces new characters like the incredible Chalfen family, or brings back old ones like Magid, the twin exiled to Bangladesh, whose dialogue with a cockney/Asian bar owner is priceless.
Rating:
Summary: Zadie Zwonderful!
Review: This is a wonderfully engrossing book. With each chapter the characters take on depth and oddities that make them feel like you know them like you know yourself or closest friends. I am not finished yet, (finished up page 257 last night) and I don't want it to end. And this is from a 25 year old author! What an incredible talent. I can't wait to see what she does next!
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