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On Beauty

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On Beauty

By: Zadie Smith
Narrated by: Peter Francis James
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$8.99/month after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offer ends on 29 July 2026 at 11:59 AEST.

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Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2015

SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

From the acclaimed author of Swing Time, White Teeth and Grand Union, discover a brilliantly funny and deeply mving story about love and family

Why do we fall in love with the people we do? Why do we visit our mistakes on our children? What makes life truly beautiful?

Set between New England and London, On Beauty concerns a pair of feuding families - the Belseys and the Kipps - and a clutch of doomed affairs. It puts low morals among high ideals and asks some searching questions about what life does to love. For the Belseys and the Kipps, the confusions - both personal and political - of our uncertain age are about to be brought close to home: right to the heart of family.

'I didn't want to finish, I was enjoying it so much' Evening Standard

'Thrums with intellectual sass and know-how' Literary Review

'Filled with humour, generosity and contemporary sparkle' Daily Telegraph

'Satirical, wise and sexy' Washington Post

© Zadie Smith 2005 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Funny
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Critic Reviews

The tale of a mixed-race British American family in conflict with another family of opposing sensibilities. As with all Smith's work, it's smart, funny and a masterclass in the complexities of identity (Luan Goldie)
All stars
Most relevant
This is the first Zadie Smith book I've read. Initially I didn't know where it was going, I couldn't get my bearings until a steady rhythm kicked in after the first few chapters. I'll definitely be interested in her other books now. A stylish writer. Well crafted characters.
Good narration.

well worth the time

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had to listen twice to retain the story gave up in tge end, unfortunately not eligible to return.

Nothing grabs my attention

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