On Beauty 原版外文

图书标准信息

• 作者 Zadie Smith 著
• 出版社 Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• 出版时间 2006-08
• ISBN 9780143037743
• 定价 125.80元
• 装帧 平装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 464页
• 正文语种 英语

【内容简介】

HowardBelsey,aRembrandtscholarwhodoesn'tlikeRembrandt,isanEnglishmanabroadandalong-sufferingprofessoratWellington,aliberalNewEnglandartscollege.HehasbeenmarriedforthirtyyearstoKiki,anAmericanwomanwhonolongerresemblesthesexyactivistsheoncewas.Theirthreechildrenpassionatelypursuetheirownpaths:Leviquestsafterauthenticblackness,Zorabelievesthatintellectualscanredeemeverybody,andJeromestrugglestobeabelieverinafamilyofstrictatheists.Facedwiththeoppressiveenthusiasmsofhischildren,Howardfeelsthatthefirsttwoactsofhislifeareoverandhehasnoclearplansforthefinale.Ortheencore.
ThenJerome,Howard'solderson,fallsforVictoria,thestunningdaughteroftheright-wingiconMontyKipps,andthetwofamiliesfindthemselvesthrowntogetherinabeautifulcornerofAmerica,enactingaculturalandpersonalwaragainstthebackgroundofrealwarsthattheybarelyregister.Aninfidelity,adeath,andalegacysetinmotionachainofeventsthatseesallpartiesforcedtoexaminetheunarticulatedassumptionswhichunderpintheirlives.Howdoyouchoosetheworkonwhichtospendyourlife?Whydoyoulovethepeopleyoulove?Doyoureallybelievewhatyouclaimto?Andwhatisthebeautifulthing,andhowfarwillyougotogetit?
SetonbothsidesoftheAtlantic,ZadieSmith'sthirdnovelisabrilliantanalysisoffamilylife,theinstitutionofmarriage,intersectionsofthepersonalandpolitical,andanhonestlookatpeople'sdeceptions.Itisalso,asyoumightexpect,veryfunnyindeed.

【作者简介】

ZadieSmith
Thedebutwunderkindofthenewmillenniumwas24-year-oldZadieSmith,whofinishedhermanuscriptforWhiteTeethasacollegestudentinCambridge,England,onlytofindherselfsittingonasix-figureadvance,aninternationalbestsellerandonslaughtofliterarypraisecomparinghertothelikesofCharlesDickensandSalmanRushdie.

Biography
ThedebutwunderkindofthenewmillenniumwasZadieSmith,whofinishedhermanuscriptforWhiteTeethasacollegestudentinCambridge,England,onlytofindherselfsittingonasix-figureadvance,aninternationalbestseller,andanonslaughtofliterarypraisecomparinghertothelikesofCharlesDickensandSalmanRushdie.Bornin1975toanEnglishfatherandaJamaicanmother,SmithgrewupinLondon'spoly-ethnicWillesdenGreenneighborhood,abackdropshehasminedwithgreatsuccessinstoriesthatparsetheimmigrantexperienceandinvestigateoverarchingthemesofrace,class,andintergenerationalties.SheattendedKing'sCollegeinCambridge,submittedstoriestoacollegeanthology,andgotnoticedbyaliteraryagentwhowangledthedealthatledtoherfirstnovel.Spanning150years,mixingJamaican,English,andBangladeshiintoitscharacters'familytrees,andfocusedonthreeclansinLondon,WhiteTeethgarneredlavishpraiseonitspublicationin2000.NotoriouslycriticalNewYorkTimesbookreviewerMichikoKakutanicalledit"...abig,splashy,populousproduction...thatannouncesthedebutofapreternaturallygiftednewwriter."TheSanFranciscoChroniclepronounceditthefirstgreatnovelofthenewcentury,andTimelikenedSmithtoMargaretAtwoodandPulitzerwinnerMichaelChabon.Inthemidstofallthehosannas,though,onenegativereviewstandsout.AnoticeintheliterarymagazineButterflyproclaimed:"WhiteTeethistheliteraryequivalentofahyperactive,ginger-haired,tap-dancing10-year-old."Theauthorofthissnipe?ZadieSmith,ofcourse!"Iwasveryworriedthatifthisbookdidwellorwasforcedtodowellbyalotofhypebehindit,thatIwouldn'twriteanythingagain,"sheexplainedtoLondon'sIndependentin2000ApparentlySmithseriouslyunderestimatedheraccomplishment.WhiteTeethscoopedtheGuardianFirstBookAward,theWhitbreadFirstNovelAward,andtheCommonwealthWriters'Prizeandwasshortlistedforaseveralotherprestigiousliteraryawards.Moreover,shestareddownthedreadedspecterofsophomoreslumpwithhersecondnovel,2002'sTheAutographMan,ameditationonherowncelebritythatzoomedupthebestsellerlist,wontheJewishQuarterlyLiteraryPrizeforFiction,andpositionedSmithforinclusioninGrantamagazine's2003listofthe20bestyoungBritishwriters--arostercompiledonceevery10years.Smithcontinuestoforgefictionthatgetsnoticed.Inaddition,shehaseditedandwrittenintroductionstoanthologiesthatshowcasethepreeminentwritersofhergeneration.

GoodToKnow
Smithchangedhernamefrom"Sadie"to"Zadie,""becauseitseemedright,exotic,different,"shetoldtheGuardian.Smith'sthirdnovel,OnBeautytakesitstitlefromElaineScarry'sessay"OnBeautyandBeingJust."