Thousands of prices just dropped across Thryft
Our price drop is now live! Find lowered prices on thousands of one-of-a-kind finds across Thryft
Free delivery on all orders above $30
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club
Get 10% off all year round and $10 off your next order! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Find more of what you love

Get thoughtful picks from Thryft’s ever-changing collection of pre-loved books, vinyl and CDs—plus occasional sales and events.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Thryft. You can unsubscribe at any time.

This item is sold out

Get an email when a matching copy is available again.

On Beauty

Zadie Smith

Which copies would you like?
Condition and budgetAny condition · No price limit

Excludes delivery. This filters future availability alerts; it is not a price-drop alert.

We check inventory once a day. We’ll email you once when we find a matching copy. Copies aren’t reserved. This does not sign you up for marketing emails.

On Beauty

by Zadie Smith
Compare to estimated retail price: S$27.37  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

On Beauty
On Beauty

Dissecting beauty in flawed familial and social tapestries.

"On Beauty" might just resonate with you if you're into rich, character-driven narratives. Zadie Smith delves into the complexities of family, academia, and politics with a sharp eye for detail and a deep understanding of human imperfections. It's the kind of book that offers no easy answers but instead, presents a slice of life that's as messy and intricate as the real thing. If you're up for a thoughtful examination of personal and societal beauty, this one's for you.

  • Booker Prize Nominee (2005)
  • Orange Prize for Fiction (2006)
  • Somerset Maugham Award (2006)
  • Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (2006)
  • Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize Nominee for Comic Fiction (2006)
  • Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book in South Asia and Europe (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

On Beauty

by Zadie Smith
Compare to estimated retail price: S$27.37  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9780143037743
Author: Zadie Smith
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date of Publication: 2006-08-29
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Literary Fiction, Contemporary
Related Topics: Race, Literature
Goodreads rating: 3.78
(rated by 87075 readers)

Description

This wise, hilarious novel reminds us why Zadie Smith has rocketed to literary stardom. On Beauty is the story of an interracial family living in the university town of Wellington, Massachusetts, whose misadventures in the culture wars - on both sides of the Atlantic - serve to skewer everything from family life to political correctness to the combustive collision between the personal and the political. Full of dead-on wit and relentlessly funny, this tour de force confirms Zadie Smith's reputation as a major literary talent.
 

Dissecting beauty in flawed familial and social tapestries.

"On Beauty" might just resonate with you if you're into rich, character-driven narratives. Zadie Smith delves into the complexities of family, academia, and politics with a sharp eye for detail and a deep understanding of human imperfections. It's the kind of book that offers no easy answers but instead, presents a slice of life that's as messy and intricate as the real thing. If you're up for a thoughtful examination of personal and societal beauty, this one's for you.

  • Booker Prize Nominee (2005)
  • Orange Prize for Fiction (2006)
  • Somerset Maugham Award (2006)
  • Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (2006)
  • Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize Nominee for Comic Fiction (2006)
  • Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book in South Asia and Europe (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Literary Fiction Books

Shop all
The Day of the Locust
Nathanael West | Penguin Classics

The Day of the Locust

In one line

Dark Hollywood dreams unravel into nightmare.

Goodreads 3.7

Condition: Well Read

$6.90 $4.90 29% off

The Behaviour of Moths
Poppy Adams | Virago

The Behaviour of Moths

In one line

Haunting sisterhood in a decaying house

Goodreads 3.24

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

The Zahir
Paulo Coelho | Harper Collins

The Zahir

In one line

Obsession and love redefine a writer's journey.

Goodreads 3.58

Condition: Well Read

$8.90 $3.90 56% off

Night for Day
Patrick Flanery | July 4, 2019

Night for Day

In one line

Hollywood noir meets McCarthyism in artistic struggle.

Goodreads 3.29

Condition: Like New

$12.90 $6.90 47% off

79% off est. retail
The Diary of a Nobody
Weedon Grossmith, George Grossmith | Prion

The Diary of a Nobody

In one line

Quintessential Victorian suburban life, humorously chronicled.

Goodreads 3.68

Condition: Well Read

$8.90 $5.90 34% off

Day
Michael Cunningham

Day

In one line

For readers drawn to intimate, fractured family portraits.

Goodreads 3.52

Condition: Well Read

$8.90 $5.90 34% off

Zuleika Dobson
Max Beerbohm | Modern Library

Zuleika Dobson

In one line

Satirical take on Oxford's enamored undergraduate life.

Goodreads 3.52

Condition: Well Read

$10.90 $7.90 28% off

72% off est. retail
Cover of Little Fires Everywhere (Movie Tie-In) A Novel
Just Arrived
Celeste Ng | Untamed

Little Fires Everywhere (Movie Tie-In) A Novel

In one line

Motherhood's pull, identity, and the rebellion against perfection.

Goodreads 4.07

Condition: Well Read

$8.26

52% off est. retail
Dressing Up for the Carnival
Carol Shields | Penguin Books

Dressing Up for the Carnival

In one line

Evocative vignettes exploring life's everyday masquerade.

Goodreads 3.53

Condition: Well Read

$10.90 $4.90 55% off

Vinegar Hill - Thryft
A. Manette Ansay | Harper Perennial

Vinegar Hill

Condition: Well Read

$3.88

Contemporary Fiction

Shop all
Right on Cue
Falon Ballard | Headline Eternal

Right on Cue

In one line

Hollywood second chances with sharp, sizzling chemistry

Goodreads 3.59

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

Goodnight June
Sarah Jio | Penguin Publishing Group

Goodnight June

In one line

Heartfelt mystery intertwining literature and lost connections.

Goodreads 3.84

Condition: Well Read

$13.90 $6.90 50% off

79% off est. retail
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman | Penguin Books Ltd

The Thursday Murder Club

In one line

Elderly sleuths solve crime with humor and heart.

Goodreads 3.86

Condition: Like New

$11.90

36% off est. retail
The Catch
Amy Lea | Penguin

The Catch

In one line

Influencer's façade meets love in rugged coastal village.

Goodreads 3.65

Condition: Like New

$11.90 $7.90 34% off

56% off est. retail
Cover of Little Fires Everywhere (Movie Tie-In) A Novel
Just Arrived
Celeste Ng | Untamed

Little Fires Everywhere (Movie Tie-In) A Novel

In one line

Motherhood's pull, identity, and the rebellion against perfection.

Goodreads 4.07

Condition: Well Read

$8.26

52% off est. retail
Dunbar: William Shakespeare's King Lear Retold
Edward St. Aubyn | Hogarth

Dunbar: William Shakespeare's King Lear Retold

In one line

Modern retelling of Shakespeare's tale of power.

Goodreads 3.42

Condition: Very Good

$15.90 $7.90 50% off

The Final Gambit
Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Little Brown & Company

The Final Gambit

In one line

One last puzzle before billions

Goodreads 4.1

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

Breathless - Thryft
Jennifer Niven | Penguin

Breathless

In one line

First love, heartbreak and self-discovery.

Goodreads 3.79

Condition: Well Read

$8.90 $3.90 56% off

77% off est. retail
The Tortilla Curtain - Thryft
The Tortilla Curtain
T. Coraghessan Boyle | Penguin Books

The Tortilla Curtain

In one line

Poignant satire on immigration and American Dream.

Goodreads 3.66

$3.90

86% off est. retail
See Me
Nicholas Sparks | Grand Central Publishing

See Me

In one line

A tender second-chance romance shadowed by danger

Goodreads 4.0

Condition: Good

$10.90

82% off est. retail

You might enjoy this if…

View book details