Zadie Smith, The Autograph Man

Beatriz Perez Zapata (University of the Balearic Islands)
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Following the publication of Smith’s first novel, White Teeth (2000), The Autograph Man (2002) was less acclaimed. Its publication was surrounded by rumours of writer’s block (Tew, “Zadie Smith” 40) and it has often been regarded as Smith’s less powerful narrative, with critics such as Adam Mars Jones and James Woods arguing against its pastiche and the American feel of the narrative. Smith’s second novel is not a direct inheritor to White Teeth: although still present, the core themes of identity and cultural struggles that caught the attention of publishers and readers alike were not as evident. Furthermore, they gave way to an even more difficult one: grief in a m…

3151 words

Citation: Perez Zapata, Beatriz. "The Autograph Man". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 April 2019 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=10599, accessed 29 March 2024.]

10599 The Autograph Man 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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