Having loved several of Zadie Smith's previous books, I was so excited when I heard that she was turning her pen to historical fiction. Unfortunately 'The Fraud', for all that it is a masterfully written novel, just didn't quite work for me.

With a multi-layered plot, The Fraud is a complex novel. The story purportedly centres around the so-called 'Tichborne Trial', a real-life court case in which a 'claimant' contested his right to inherit the vast Tichborne fortune on the basis that he was, in fact, the missing heir to the estate. And yet, the story doesn't really centre on that at all. Indeed, the Tichborne case is, at best, a rather incidental backdrop to a pair of character portraits.

Instead we are placed in the shoes of Eliza Touchet, long-suffering cousin-by-marriage, housekeeper, and occasional lover to the once-lauded novelist William Harrison Ainsworth. Ainsworth is very much in the twilight days of his literary career and Eliza is doing the best she can to manage his growing household in heavily reduced circumstances whilst reminiscing wistfully about happier times. When she encounters the story of the Tichborne claimant, she becomes fascinated by Andrew Bogle, a 'freed' Jamaican slave who has travelled to England to support the claimant in their case and, as the novel progresses, the secrets that Eliza and Bogle both keep begin to intertwine.

Whilst I found both Eliza and Andrew's stories interesting, I struggled to draw out the connections between them and I never quite managed to shake the feeling that I was reading two separate novels rather than a coherently plotted whole. Short chapters, which often flip backwards and forwards in time, kept the pace brisk but added to the confusion and I found myself becoming quickly disorientated if I put the book down for more than a day or two. This really impacted on my immersion in the world and characters Smith has created. Although drawn with her trademark wit and style, I just couldn't get a firm grasp on them as they flitted through the pages.

I'm not sure whether it's because stylistically The Fraud emulates the heavy, ponderous style of the mid-Victorian novels mentioned so frequently within it, or whether it's just that the characters and the story didn't grab me but, try as I might, I just couldn't make headway with the book at all and, sadly, it ended up as a DNF. I suspect many readers will find a lot to enjoy here but, for me, the complex structure and lack of coherence detracted too much from the otherwise interesting world Smith has conjured.

There aren’t two sides in a genocide Zadie. Sad that you haven’t used your voice to speak out against an apartheid regime.

I am always excited by a new Zadie Smith publication. This is not a read for the faint-hearted, its a heavyweight, muscular work of historical fiction set in Dickensian England and Jamaica in the mid to late 19th century. Its also based around a real life court case, called the "Tichborne Trial" which involved an elaborate impersonation scheme, by a man referred to as "the claimant". who came forward as the missing heir to the Tichborne baronetcy. This was a rather infamous court case at the time which caught the publics imagination, resulting in the imprisonment of "the claimant" (a butchers son, one Arthur Orton) for falsely pretending to be Roger Tichborne, the heir to a vast family fortune.

The central characters are Eliza Touchet, who is housekeeper (and sometimes lover) to Victorian novelist, William Ainsworth who is very much on the literary decline. He hangs about in the same social circles as Charles Dickens, of whom Eliza has rather withering views. Ainsworth has had to significantly downsize his life and home and is deeply jealous of Dickens successes. Eliza meanwhile becomes fascinated by the Tichborne trials and in particular, the evidence given by Andrew Bogle , who is an important ally of "the claimant". As the trial proceeds, the lives of Eliza and Andrew Bogle become intertwined. Eliza is intrigued by both the evidence given by Andrew, who is an important ally of "the claimant", and his life story as a once-enslaved Jamaican man. This prompts Eliza to write a story of Bogles life which leads to further controversies.

This is a multi layered and complex story, at times, and covers a range of themes from racism to social class, discrimination and abolitionism. I really enjoyed it and gave it a 4 star rating. Many thanks to @netgalley and @penguinbooksuk for this advance copy in return for my honest review.

zadie smith can write. it's undeniable. she can craft a sentence and pace out a novel. i just didn't connect with this specific story. which is a shame. but she's strong enough writer that i will 100% pick up another book by her

Despite some intriguing portrayals of historical figures, I found the fraud a challenging read. The constant jumping around in time left me feeling disconnected and bored, and it was too long for me. I think others wil enjoy it more!

I have loved some of Zadie Smith's work - N-W remains a stand out to me - so I jumped at the chance of reading this. Smith's first historical fiction is a layered novel that offers social commentary, many strands, humour and thoughtful discourse. I think at its heart is the question, who is the fraud? Or perhaps, who isn't? The book teems with characters and each person shows a version of themselves to others. It's a book that explores the real life "Tichborne" case and throws in literary figures of the day (Dickens anyone?) as well as the Jamaican slave who is now "free" to serve in England, and the central figure, Eliza, who keeps her own secrets while closely watching everyone else. I'm not sure I enjoyed it but I certainly appreciated it.

Having enjoyed a few others of Smith's books, this has her trademark wit and reverence for literature, which makes this historical fiction tale a riveting one. The story identifies an important moment in history, one often overlooked, and turns it into a Dickensian romp that I enjoyed greatly.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is Zadie Smith's first foray into writing historical fiction, and it has all the usual hallmarks of her work. It is 1873. The Tichborne Trial has the whole of London, indeed England engrossed. Is the man who was presumed dead, but now returned to claim his inheritance, an imposter? Key witness Andrew Bogle captivates the interest of Eliza Touchet, the cousin by marriage of William Ainsworth, a once popular writer of the time. It's a novel that moves back and forth through time and introduces a multitude of characters, rather like the episodic structure of contemporary Victorian novels of the time. Whilst I know some have found that difficult, I quite liked the style, but it was perhaps a little over long.

The Fraud, by Zadie Smith
Rating: 4/5
Published: Now
“It is not the prisoner's right to open his cell that is in question, Mrs Touchet. It is the gaoler's fraud in claiming to hold a man prisoner in the first place. The first is self-evident. The second, wholly criminal.”
I really enjoyed this book, although it took me a little while to get into. The themes of fraud and fakery run throughout this novel brilliantly. The vast cast of characters could all be considered fraudulent, and that is due to Smith’s powerful writing. I loved following Mrs Touchet’s story, and think she made a great protagonist, but I was particularly drawn to Mr Bogle. Despite being faced with constant struggles, he is dignified and calm, and like Mrs Touchet, I was fascinated by him. I found William wholly unlikeable in comparison. His arrogance, and sense of entitlement was absolutely despicable. It was also a powerful reminder of how certain men in society view those that they do not understand, and how social class is no guarantee of goodness. I also loved how Smith used Mrs Touchet as a voice of reason, and I particularly enjoyed the dinner party scenes with Dickens, where everyone is entirely insincere. A great novel. I loved it.

I haven't read any Zadie Smith since "white teeth' many moons ago, which I did enjoy so I was looking forward to this. Honestly, parts of this. liked, some parts left me a bit disinterested to be honest. At times it felt a number of different stories that had been cobbled together, and didn't feel like a unifying read. Perhaps my favourite aspect of the book was the writing, and I did like the character of Eliza. It's obviously well researched and detailed. But unfortunately for me, there were times when it felt like a bit of a drag.

I honestly found The Fraud very had to engage with, the timelines were hard to follow and I genuinely struggled to care about the characters at all. I loved White Teeth and Zadie Smith in general so I had high hope for this one but unfortunately it left me wanting. The novel is wonderfully researched and very well written which is as to be expected from Zadie, but I'm afraid The Fraud was not for me.

I waited for this for such a long time. A new Smith book is always an event and this one didn’t disappoint. So original, engrossing, thought provoking and perfectly written. And what a main character!

Great British novelist, Zadie Smith explores the notorious 19th century scandal of the Tichborne Claimant which rocked Victorian British society to its foundations. A superb read from the celebrated author of White Teeth and On Beauty.

I have enjoyed Zadie Smith's contemporary fiction before so was keen to see how I felt about a historical drama from her, particularly one based on true events and with some non-fiction characters involved.
Overall I enjoyed it but it was a chunky read and I found my mind wandering at times. its a period of time that I don't really know much about, and I enjoyed learning more about the case, but feel that it could have been slightly pared down to make it a sharper read. The three storylines weren't entwined enough for me to grasp onto them, and I couldnt always hold onto the storyline as well as I would have liked.

I read another review where they said it was a story of three storylines that while connected are ‘disparate’ and don’t particularly go anywhere. This matched my lukewarm but less defined thoughts. I didn’t dislike the book, but I was left underwhelmed I guess. But maybe in Eliza’s life, that was the intention!

I'm not sure where to begin and frankly it felt like neither did Zadie Smith. This book was confusing, scattered and not really enjoyable. Probably not the best introduction to Smith for myself....

I jumped into this book after hearing the hype and didn't know anything about it. Took me a good second to realise it was historical fiction - and then I read that this is her first foray into this genre, which makes sense why I was confused as she's known for her contemporary novels.

The narration goes between multiple characters and it left me confused as to the links and where things were going. I enjoyed the main character, Eliza Touchet, well enough but struggled through the trial and such.

After taking too long to review the book, I ended up getting an audio copy through my library app. I restarted this audiobook 3 times and it didn't make more sense after each try. I finished it just because I wanted to review it properly. I think if you want to give this book a try, definitely avoid the audiobook.

Zadie Smith's latest novel, her first venture into historical fiction set in 1870s London, explores the true story of the trial of Roger Tichborne, missing heir to a British baronetcy. The narrative, however, centers on Eliza Touchet, cousin by marriage to Victorian author William Ainsworth, who becomes embroiled in the Tichborne case. Smith skillfully portrays Eliza, a strong-willed septuagenarian with abolitionist beliefs, and Andrew Bogle, an intriguing character with roots in Africa and Jamaica.

The book offers insightful commentary on our current political climate, drawing parallels between Victorian Britain and contemporary issues like anti-vax beliefs, Brexit, and the complexity of understanding the world. Smith's writing is enjoyable and humorous, successfully capturing the Victorian style.

Despite these strengths, the novel's structure proves a significant drawback. The use of very short chapters, often flipping back and forth in time, creates disorientation and hampers immersion. While the character work is commendable, the prominent structural issues hindered the my overall enjoyment, making it a decent historical read with modern sensibilities, but not one that I think will work for all readers.

I really enjoyed the first 60% of this book but then I made the mistake of putting it down for two months (life got in the way), so when I picked it up again it was basically just incomprehensible to me... so that's a shame. But I really did enjoy reading the first half! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was not for me. The writing felt incredibly disjointed, so much so that half the time I had no clue what was going on.

I liked parts of the Fraud and usually enjoy Zadie Smith’s writing but there was a lot of characters to keep track of and this felt like two or three books within one. I do look forward to see if Zadie Smith writes another historical fiction book.