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Quote by Zadie Smith

“In that huge game of musical chairs, I turned round one day and found I had no place to sit. At a loss, I became a Goth—it was where people who had nowhere else to go ended up.”

Quote by Zadie Smith

Work

Swing Time

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Author

Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith is a British novelist known for her distinctive literary style and profound social insights. Her works cover a range of themes including race, class, gender, and identity, and have been widely appreciated by readers. more

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“We were perched on the precipice of manhood, drunk on our own importance, our futures promising, the present full of opportunity for seemingly endless firsts and lasts--first drink, first kiss, first love, first lay; last dance, last test, last performance, last season, last game. There were many dance and parties to attend: homecoming at both Steptoe and Yeatman, Steptoe's winter formal, holiday celebrations, and, in the spring, proms and the Tennessee Breeders' Cup. At times, it seemed our education was getting in the way of the events surrounding it.”

“Me he levantado justo a tiempo para ir al instituto, la alarma ha sonado después, no me imagino que habrá pasado. Bueno, en realidad habré ido posponiendo la alarma hasta darme cuenta que la he cagado. Me visto rápido, hoy tenemos deporte en el instituto, así que cojo unos pantalones de chándal de mi silla que no huelen demasiado mal, con las prisas, tiro el mando de la consola que me había dejado encima de la mesa y me doy cuenta de que lleva toda la noche encendida, eso no le viene bien después para el rendimiento.”

“Miksi minun olisi pitänyt lukea? Tietysti jotta pääsisin korkeakouluun, jotta minusta tulisi kunnon kansalainen. Vanhempani olivat molemmat lääkäreitä, niin, mutta ihmisiä kai he silti olivat eivätkä mitään riistäjäluokan petoja; tottahan he tienasivat enemmän kuin monet muut mutta eivät he upporikkaita olleet, tavallisia sairaalalääkäreitä jotka ruikuttivat reaalipalkkansa putoamista kun joskus luotua "herran" elintasoa oli niin vaikea säilyttää, eikä se mistään muusta kiikastanut kuin että menoja oli enemmän kuin tuloja, tuloja oli tarpeeksi, menoja oli liikaa. Vaikka vanhempani joskus, luullakseni, yrittivät opettaa minua nöyräksi, ymmärtäväksi (äiti jopa äänesti demareita) väijyi vanha vauraus kaikkialla: perintöosake Merikadulla, sataviisikymmentä neliötä, suvussa muinoin vaikuttaneelta suurliikemieheltä meillekin yltäneillä arvopapereilla hankittu kesämökki Kirkkonummella.”

“It occurred to Norris at that moment that Hairy Armpits probably would never give this moment a second thought, whereas, for Norris, it was already congealing into something rock-hard in his chest. It would definitely be one of those repressed high school wounds that only decades of living on a yacht made of nachos would someday come close to healing.”

“By the time we got to Ferrington, I was laughing at Will’s stories about Rockpoint High. It seemed the kids gave the teachers a hard time; they were always cutting up and saying funny things. Will was good at imitating their Down-East accents, but I had a feeling Susan was right about his not having any friends. It sounded as if he spent most of his school day watching and listening.”