Page 12 - Swing Time News Today

This week’s bookcase includes reviews of The Fraud by Zadie Smith and Holly by Stephen King.

Since “White Teeth,” Zadie Smith has been moving toward character-driven realism, writes Andrea Long Chu. Now comes “The Fraud,” her first historical novel, which depicts the celebrated Tichborne trial of the 1870s through the eyes of Eliza Touchet.

The Fraud, a Victorian novel for the post-Trump era, is elegant, flawed, and sharp as a knife.

Zadie Smith is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW and Swing Time; plus a novella; three collections of essays; short stories, and the play, The Wife of Willesden. She’s also the editor of The Book of Other People. She was twice shortlisted, and once winner of the Women’s Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker. Smith was born in north-west London, where she still lives. The Fraud, her first historical novel, is published by Hamish Hamilton on Thursday.

After 17 years abroad, Zadie Smith has returned to her literary stomping ground of north London. She talks about fame, therapy and finding inspiration for her new historical novel on her doorstep

In complementary (and opposing) autobiographies, Rogers and Astaire explain the truth behind their big-screen magic.

A look back at some of the legendary TV interviewer's most famous chats, from sparring with Muhammad Ali to helpless laughter with Billy Connolly and teasing out 'that' nickname for David Beckham

This year the usual haunts hosted jazz now haunting, now swinging, including Jan Garbarek, Kyle Eastwood, Bill Charlap and Jan Lundgren

He makes you laugh, shares your woes and comes with no sexual strings attached. But why, wonders Caroline O’Donoghue, is the gay man/straight female friendship such a caricature in popular culture?

In a personal look at the shocking origins of minstrelsy, the actor speaks truth to power on the same channel that showed blackface in his living room when he was growing up