Making my way through Smith’s debut novel, I understood why the San Francisco Chronicle referred to it as possibly “the first great novel of the new century.” In 2000, I don’t think many books carefully handled religion, tradition, cultural identity, and the effects of westernization on immigrants as thoroughly as this. Twenty-three years later, it’s safe to say that White Teeth was groundbreaking mostly due to the time because despite it being extremely well-written, there a few common debut “hiccups”.

Zadie’s character building and sharp humor are what make this novel a pleasure to read. However, multiple character POVs, several subplots, and an extremely layered storyline was a bit overzealous and could possibly be overwhelming depending on the reader. Smith does an exceptional job thoroughly examining the topics she introduces, but there were moments when her tone became verbose and almost felt like she was drilling certain themes when her foundation was solid enough as is. 

It is interesting to note that Smith was writing her novel while she was in undergrad at Cambridge. Therefore, the books seems to be an amalgamation of a life the author had experienced, lived, and was still learning about. This is evident by quotes like “it’s not a line, life is not a line—this is not palm reading—it’s a circle, and they [generations] speak to us. That is why you cannot read fate; you must experience it”.

Despite its shortcomings, this novel made me appreciate the literary prowess of Zadie Smith who is considered one of the most powerful voices in modern literature. Full of humor and philosophy, White Teeth is for the reader that doesn’t mind going to the beginning where a beloved author found her voice in fiction.