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Shannon's picture

DITTO!

I too have been having the same problem with reading On Beauty after Howards End. I really don't appreciate the book because I feel that Zadie Smith is just a copycat -- I do not consider it a "homage".

I am definitely a fan of originality, and when I read the first line of On Beauty, I knew I was not going to enjoy it because of its obviously familiar tone. For me, there just isn't any adventure or enticement to read On Beauty because I know that it is based from Howards End. I believe a book can spawn from another, but that second book does not need to closely copy the plot and have similar characters.

I completely agree with Annie Zambetti's post... couldn't have said it better myself!

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