The Autograph Man – Zadie Smith

The Autograph Man has the reputation of being Smith forgotten novel, sandwiched between her wildly popular debut White Teeth and the magnificent On Beauty. At first I thought this was unfair as I got quite involved with Alex-Li’s entertaining relationships in suburban London. However, he then jets off to New York and things go horribly astray. The book is an attempt to analyse the modern craze for celebrity but can offer no insight, and the fictional corrolaries of real-life celebs are pretty painful.