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The Embassy of Cambodia

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The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith is a novella that follows the life of Fatou, a young Ghanaian woman working as a domestic servant for a wealthy immigrant family in London. The story portrays Fatou's struggles with her exploitative employment situation, her quiet resilience, and her determination to find moments of joy and freedom amidst her challenging circumstances. Through simple language and poignant observations, Zadie Smith weaves a narrative that delves into themes of immigration, exploitation, hope, and the complexities of modern-day London life.

Characters:

Fatou is a resilient character facing harsh treatment, while the Derawal family embodies the oppressive class system, and her friend Andrew brings a source of hope.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is informal and approachable, effectively discussing profound social issues through simple, impactful language.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative revolves around Fatou, who navigates her exploitative domestic work while reflecting on race and class disparities, enduring mistreatment yet finding small moments of joy.

Setting:

The setting captures contemporary London, with the Cambodian Embassy symbolizing barriers between class and opportunity.

Pacing:

The novella has a swift pacing, allowing for a quick read and tight storytelling.

Notes:

The Embassy of Cambodia is a novella by Zadie Smith, a London native.
The main character, Fatou, is a domestic servant treated poorly by her employers the Derawal family.
Fatou sometimes feels like a slave but recognizes she has more freedoms than that.
She enjoys small pleasures like swimming at a health club and going to church with a friend.
The title references the Cambodian Embassy, which Fatou passes on her way to the pool.
Fatou's story touches on themes of race, class, and exploitation of immigrants.
The brick wall surrounding the embassy symbolizes the barriers between classes in London.
The book is quite short, leading some readers to feel it lacks depth.
Despite her hardships, Fatou maintains a sense of hope and determination for the future.
Smith uses simple language to convey complex issues faced by immigrant workers.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

There are high content warnings due to themes of modern slavery, exploitation, physical and emotional abuse, and the struggles faced by immigrants.

From The Publisher:

Revisiting the terrain of her acclaimed novel NW, The Embassy of Cambodia is another remarkable work of fiction from Zadie Smith. 'The fact is, if we followed the history of every little country in the world - in its dramatic as well as its quiet times - we would have no space left in which to live our own lives or apply ourselves to our necessary tasks, never mind indulge in occasional pleasures, like swimming . . . ' First published in the New Yorker, The Embassy of Cambodia is a rare and brilliant story that takes us deep into the life of a young woman, Fatou, domestic servant to the Derawals and escapee from one set of hardships to another. Beginning and ending outside the Embassy of Cambodia, which happens to be located in Willesden, north-west London, Zadie Smith's absorbing, moving and wryly observed story suggests how the apparently small things in an ordinary life always raise larger, more extraordinary questions. 'Its range is lightly immense... a fiction of consequences both global and heart-rendingly intimate' Guardian 'Smith serves up a smasher' Independent Playful... unexpected and absolutely right... Skips to a beat all of its own' Times Praise for NW: 'A triumph . . .modern London is explored in a dazzling portrait . . . every sentence sings' Guardian 'Intensely funny, richly varied, always unexpected. A joyous, optimistic, angry masterpiece. No better English novel will be published this year' Philip Hensher, Daily Telegraph 'Absolutely brilliant . . . So electrically authentic, it reads like surveillance transcripts' Lev Grossman, TIME

 
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