'The Fraud' asks questions as it unearths stories that need to be told

'The Fraud' asks questions as it unearths stories that need to be told Enlarge this image Penguin Press Penguin Press Zadie Smith's The Fraud is a lot of things: a meticulously researched work of historical fiction, a smart narrative about the importance of truth and the shortcomings of perspective, and a tale that delves deeply into authenticity and justice. However, Smith's knack for developing full secondary characters and her talent for descriptions and witty dialogue make some parts of this novel as entertaining as the wildest fiction. Sure, many of the conversations are full of the brilliant wit that made Smith a household name: Eliza's observations are one of the best elements in the book, and Ainsworth's collapsing career is interesting to read about —"I do not advise you to enter upon a literary career." However, while these questions are at the core of the novel and they are stark reminders of how much of a talented storyteller Smith is, there is so much surrounding that core that those questions are often invisible or simply hard to remember because we're paying attention to everything else that's going on.