The pieces in Intimations are short but arresting in the acuity of their observations. Suffering is absoluteIn ‘Suffering like Mel Gibson’, Smith wades into the discourse about privilege. For Smith, privilege and suffering are both “bubbles, containing a person and distorting their vision.” But though it is possible to “penetrate the bubble of privilege”, suffering is “impermeable”. Why else would a wealthy, young, attractive, film star — the epitome of privilege by any yardstick — seek to end his life? Intimations: Six Essays; Zadie Smith, Penguin, ₹299.

Source: The Hindu May 29, 2021 11:09 UTC