content: Like many other posters, it took me awhile to fully grasp On Beauty. I read White Teeth right before Beauty to get a grasp of the writer. In my opinion, Smith is much more focused on character development-where as the plot can sometimes become slow or irrelevant. She takes her time to develop each character with their flaws and curious qualities. I guess that it why it took me so long to understand or even care when Howard was discussed as a character. However, take the time to keep reading and you will see how he develops along with his family and colleaguesEven though the book can be "adjective heavy" with the plot, I still found it enjoyable and related to my college experiences with all types of students. Read On Beauty for what Smith does best---become invested with the characters.