On Beauty

On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece Howard’s End. This influence is evident in the structure, themes, and characterizations throughout On Beauty.

Separated into three distinct parts, On Beauty explores the theme of beauty through the conflicts, internal and external, of characters struggling to come to terms with themselves. On Beauty is contemporary literary fiction reflective of current political issues and celebrates diverse views of dealing with the world.

Plot Summary

On Beauty begins with the tribulations of the Belsey family. Howard Belsey, the father, is English an art historian at Wellington College, just outside of Boston. He and his wife Kiki have three children: Jerome, Zora, and Levi. At the beginning of the novel, Jerome is in England studying under

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