Book Review: On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Does having a high social status necessarily signify a higher moral ground? Do the titles of academic proficiency and achievement equip one to resist the various temptations that life throws at us? Does doing the right thing only pertain to spheres of life that are open and visible to the society? Finally, who decides what is morally right and wrong — the liberals or the conservatives?
While the title of Zadie Smith’s 2005 novel On Beauty seems superficial, it delves into sensitive issues pertaining to larger questions about morality, and the pressure of keeping up a respectful social image. It cuts across various sections of the society to question if the perils attached to morality is applicable only to certain demographics. In this work, Smith exposes us to the various shades of her characters by giving us the freedom to interrogate the motives behind their acts while convincing us to accept them for who they are. You almost see Smith holding the ropes behind the characters, but never once do you see her instructing you about which of her characters are right or wrong. And that’s how you find yourself completely lost in this 430-odd paged novel.
On the outside, this novel is about two rival families, the Belseys and the Kipps, whose lives intertwine in more ways than one. The story kicks off with Howard and Kiki Belsey’s shaky marriage and how at the brink of an unfolding chaos, the family pretends that all is okay. As the story progresses, you realise that the questioning of morality does not only pertain to Howard’s infidelity but also to various other mundane happenings of their lives, that eventually pile up to a humongous mess. The character development and the humorous storytelling keeps you hooked and you find yourself laughing at morally awkward situations, which according to me only a very skillful writer is capable of executing.
The true stars of the novel are the female characters and Smith does an impeccable job at showing the reader various kinds of women trying to navigate their lives in what is clearly a man’s world. Kiki, Zora, Carlene, Claire, Victoria were some of the best characters I have come across in my life. All of them are flawed, finding their own ways to ward off their internal battles and insecurities. As a woman, I definitely found myself relating to them and the decisions that they make in their lives.
My personal favourite character was Kiki Belsey. According to me, she was the coffee bean that brought everybody back to reality. We see her as she confronts the biggest conundrum in her 30 year-old marriage, which forces her to not just deal with the complexities of her marriage but also her own identity. Having spent 30 years trying to fit into the life of her professor husband, she has forgotten who she is beyond the concept of “Howard Belsey” and her kids. There is an unspoken tension that brews between the two of them, and the few argument scenes make you feel relieved — a relief that they are finally saying what they actually think.
This brings me to the common theme that runs through the book — the unspoken tension between characters. The hypocrisy that spews in every interaction is beautifully encapsulated through Smith’s humorous narrative. She uses humour as a tool to reveal the dark, immoral side of academics and how academicians prove their higher moral ground compared to their peers in issues that truly don’t matter in the larger scheme of things. Behind these charades of “doing the right thing” is a life filled with dishonesty, infidelity, double-standards and misuse of power.
Overall this is a completely immersive read and I would highly recommend it, both as a family drama and as a novel that questions the workings of a highly valued academic society.
