Short of producing the modern equivalent of the Bible, nothing can outshine the blinding luster of White Teeth`s success. Smith`s debut novel, published in 2000 to rave reviews, is a tough act to follow. There was bound to be resentment. Even before we talk shop about craft, style and voice, even before you even begin to discuss Zadie the writer, you are forced to confront Zadie the beautiful, intelligent young woman with the slightly husky reading voice and the British accent (for crying out loud). One could argue that this early triumph engendered an irritable but mild and petty backlash against Smith and all her witty brilliance and youth. At a recent reading in Cambridge, MA she conceded, Most people my age hate me. Perhaps it`s because a lot of would be writers her age are penning reviews of her work (ahem)...right, so on to the review.

The Autograph Man is about Alex-Li Tandem. Some facts: Alex-Li is Chinese, Jewish (on his mother`s side) and English. He is in his late twenties (though he is only twelve when introduced in the prologue) and a philographer by way of profession. He has three best friends: Rubenfine (Jewish), Adam Jacobs (black and Jewish) and Joseph Klein (who once kept a folder of Judaica). He has a cat named Grace and a drop dead gorgeous (by all accounts) girlfriend named Esther. More facts: Alex indulges two of three obsessions. In no particular order, they are as follows: One, to list everything as categorically Jewish or goy (for those of you with your head in your tokhes, goy means not Jewish). He`s taken this to the extreme of working on a book of all things Jewish and goy entitled Jewishness and Goyishness. Two, obtaining the autograph of one Kitty Alexander, an obscure 1950s film star who signs autographs infrequently at best (unlike other celebrities who lesson the value of their John Hancock with every too easily attained careless signature). She lives just directly across the pond. The third and final (unindulged) obsession is his best friend Adam`s younger sister, Esther &mdash a.k.a. his drop dead gorgeous girlfriend.

The Autograph Man details the pursuit of all three obsessions, one of which takes Alex from London to New York and back again. Along the way we are introduced to a small cast of made for the movies characters, most memorably Honey Richardson (born of tabloid dish) and Kitty Alexander herself. But ultimately, the pursuit is of identity &mdash not one of ethnicity &mdash but for a defining self. On a broader scale, The Autograph Man is a look at contemporary young adulthood. Smith is a keen observer of her generation, aptly capturing the references that inform it and the symbols to which it is reduced. Her observations ring true across seaboards whether in London or New York. For example, in attempt to make sense of the gentrification of a far-flung Brooklyn neighborhood, Alex comes up with the following:

The Realm of Like-This

1) Poles need Hipsters because Hipsters bring new money into the area.
Sping comes, grass grows by itself.

2) Hipsters need Poles because Poles are proof that Hipsters&mdash despite their increasing financial stability &mdash are still bohemian. Living near Poles is a Hipster`s sole remaining mark of authenticity.
The blue mountain does not move.

3) Hipsters are Poles. Poles are Hipsters. Poles sell 1950s retro gas station T-shirts. Hipsters eat pickled herring.
White clouds back and forth.

Smith is creative on every level. Among other things, she includes an Instant Messenger discussion, parables, jokes and crude line illustrations in her text. It becomes apparent that the way her prose is presented on the age is as important as the prose itself. She goes so far as to invite reader participation: All of a sudden they run at each other once more and if you have a better phrase than like thundering elephants insert it here [ ]. While some might see these additions as mere distraction, they should be recognized as indicative of the expanding room with which writers have to play, (a fellow expressionist is Dave Egger, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

The Autograph Man is similar to White Teeth in that both are extraordinarily well-written and deliriously funny. They differ most in structure. The Autograph Man is decidedly plot driven and linear, as opposed to the character based sprawling spiral of storytelling that marked White Teeth. The Autograph Man, which was conceived before Teeth`s debut, is a worthy offering and Smith remains an amazing writer. We can only hope that after this she does not withdraw, weary, from the public world of scrutiny and leave us with only a taste of her phenomenal talent.