Play Book Tag discussion

The Fraud by Zadie Smith - 3 stars - My Review

Historical fiction that weaves together three main storylines related to real events in Victorian England and Jamaica. The first thread is focused on Eliza Touchet, a cousin and housekeeper for (real) author William Ainsworth. Ainsworth was a contemporary of Dickens and Thackeray and had much success in his early years. The second revolves around a (real) trial of a man who claimed to be the heir Tichborne family fortune. The third tells the story of a former slave who is a primary witness at the trial, supporting the Tichborne Claimant.

The storyline never really came to life for me. It is a lengthy book with myriad short chapters, and several appear to exist only to provide information from the author’s research. It could have been shorter and still achieved the same result. Near the end there is an exchange between Eliza and one of the Hogues that provides stark insight into the purpose of the novel, which is ultimately focused on the condemnation of race and class privilege (though I disagree with the slant taken on Charles Dickens). I have read other books by Zadie Smith that I enjoyed more, such as On Beauty and White Teeth.

Joy, the story never came alive for me either. There was not enough movement or growth in the characters to hold my interest. After giving it a good try, I stopped reading it.

Holly R W wrote: "Joy, the story never came alive for me either. There was not enough movement or growth in the characters to hold my interest. After giving it a good try, I stopped reading it."
Glad to hear it's not just me. I would have quit but I was reading it for the Subdue challenge.