Comment on language / style

The author uses relatively casual, unpretentious language in most of her stories, as the majority of her main characters are ordinary people living out their lives under mostly unremarkable circumstances. However, they are still interesting people, and their thoughts and conversations frequently exhibit Smith's trademark wit and clever ability to capture universal truths. For example, in “Sentimental Education,” Monica says of her boyfriend's best friend Leon: “He did not look like anyone else, yet at the same time did not stand out...He was the embodiment of the phrase 'white youth' when used in a police report. He could steal your car in front of you and you still wouldn't be able to identify him in a lineup” (11).