The Fraud
Published
2024
Pages
—
Language
English
ISBN
9780241983096
About this book
Book of the Year 2023 according to New York Times, New Yorker, Guardian, Economist, Observer, The Spectator, Financial Times, Vogue, The Times, The Oldie, i Paper, The Standard, Washington Post, Independent, Daily Express SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS' PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024 ONE OF SARAH JESSICA PARKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2024 'A writer at the peak of her powers' The Telegraph Truth and fiction. Jamaica and Britain. Who gets to tell their story? In her first historical novel, Zadie Smith transports the reader to a Victorian England transfixed by the real-life trial of the Tichborne Claimant, in which a cockney butcher, recently returned from Australia, lays claim to the Tichborne baronetcy, with his former slave Andrew Bogle as star witness. Watching the proceedings, and with her own story to tell, is Eliza Touchet - cousin, housekeeper and perhaps more - to failing novelist William Harrison Ainsworth. From literary London to the Jamaica's sugar-cane plantations, Zadie Smith weaves an enthralling story linking the rich and the poor, the free and the enslaved, and the comic and the tragic. 'It's difficult to give any idea of how extraordinary this book is. One of the great historical novels, certainly. But has any historical novel ever combined such brilliantly researched and detailed history with such intensely imagined fiction?' Michael Frayn 'As always it is a pleasure to be in Zadie Smith's mind . . . Dickens may be dead, but Smith, thankfully, is alive' New York Times 'Zadie Smith's Victorian-set masterpiece holds a mirror up to Britain . . . The Fraud is the genuine article' Independent 'Smith's dazzling historical novel combines deft writing and strenuous construction in a tale of literary London and the horrors of slavery' Guardian
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The Fraud is a masterful historical novel that brilliantly intertwines truth and fiction, offering profound insights into Victorian society and the enduring legacies of slavery and class. It's a must-read for literary fiction enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone seeking a deeply intelligent and thought-provoking narrative. However, those looking for a quick, light read may find its intricate detail and literary style demanding.
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Zadie Smith's 'The Fraud' transports readers to Victorian England, centering on the sensational Tichborne Claimant trial. A cockney butcher claims a baronetcy, supported by his former slave, Andrew Bogle. Through the eyes of Eliza Touchet, housekeeper to a failing novelist, Smith masterfully interweaves themes of truth, class, and race, connecting literary London with the brutal realities of Jamaican sugar plantations in this acclaimed historical novel.
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