Line of Beauty

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I'm 300 pages into the line of beauty (Last year's booker winner). The problem is that I'm not enjoying the book very much. It's a so-so book. I fail to understand how did it get so great reviews? What am I missing here? Why didn't jonathan strange and mr norrell win the book when it's much much superior to line of beauty?

― Fred (Fred), Monday, 26 September 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

correction: Why didn't jonathan strange and mr norrell win the bookER

― Fred (Fred), Monday, 26 September 2005 12:05 (twenty years ago)

I think In The Line Of Beauty is very good, the best book I've read in a long time.

I don't think I read any reviews though. If I did I can't remember them.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 26 September 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

ITLOB may be the most purely enjoyable book I've read this year, although too obviously flawed for me to want to try to make a case for it as "good literature". I've just started reading Mr Norrell which has started well & I'm optimistic I'm going to love it, but after 60 pages or so I know that Susanna Clarke isn't in the same league as Hollinghurst as a prose stylist. Clarke has a clunky sentence on almost every page, Hollinghurst rarely writes them. Depends what you like.

― frankiemachine, Monday, 26 September 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

I agree, about In The Line of Beauty's prose style quality (quality prose style).

― the bellefox, Monday, 26 September 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

yes it is beautifully written. there's no "In" in the title btw.

Why didn't jonathan strange and mr norrell win the book when it's much much superior to line of beauty?

i'm puzzled by this connection. obviously the booker committee didn't agree with you since it didn't even make the short list. i've not read it (and never will) but i'd be amazed if it was better.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 26 September 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

I've never read any Henry James maybe that's why I can't appreciate Line of Beauty.

― Fred (Fred), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:48 (twenty years ago)

PJ Miller can you tell me what you liked about the book? I'm desperately trying to like it.

― Fred (Fred), Thursday, 29 September 2005 13:16 (twenty years ago)

I will think about it.

One thing I liked about it was that it was a "proper" story without any overt cleverness.

I liked the way it made me angry about Mrs Thatcher all over again. There is a growing trend, I think, for people pouring all their current malaises into hating Mrs Thatcher, so I felt pleased with myself for spotting it, and identifying with it.

It reminded me what it was like to be young(ish).

It was a smooth read, and I wanted to know what would happen next.

I liked the characters, or I disliked the characters, as required. I think perhaps it could be called "involving".

Perhaps those are not very good reasons, but I think they are important. I just enjoyed it in a way I haven't enjoyed a book for a long time.

I was left satisfied, unlike, say, Rip It Up And Start Again, which I enjoyed while I was reading it but was left with absolutely nothing to show for it.

I should say that the first time I tried to read it I couldn't get into it at all. Perhaps you will like it if you come back to it later.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Thursday, 29 September 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

I really like it. We covered it for our reading group one month and out of a dozen or so, I was the only one who enjoyed it. Some were very hostile to the prose style. It is very descriptive. There is so much to say about the eighties.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 29 September 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

Is the prose style unique to this book, or is it similar to that of other Hollinghurst books? Because it seems very appropriate to the subject matter of this book. I'm not sure what a gated drum is, but perhaps this is gated drum prose.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 30 September 2005 06:40 (twenty years ago)

!! Great line.

No, I'm not sure what it is either.

We know that there is no 'In' in In The Line of Beauty, but for us there is, in a way.

― the bellefox, Friday, 30 September 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

Okay PJ Miller I get the idea. I also feel what you felt while reading the book but my expectations were higher (maybe because the last book I read was house for mr biswas which was GREAT). After reading the first 100 pages of line of beauty I knew I would like to read the book again.

― Fred (Fred), Saturday, 1 October 2005 10:43 (twenty years ago)

Well, I agree that Mr Biswas is better.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 3 October 2005 06:38 (twenty years ago)

I started reading In the Line of Beauty last week while I was jetsetting to Chicago. 100 pages in, it hasn't really grabbed me. Perhaps I need to get to the Maggie Thatcher bits.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 3 October 2005 09:29 (twenty years ago)

Whilst it's undoubtedly well-written I really didn't get on with TLOB at all. Possibly because I actively loathed every single character. The swimming-pool library had more heart.

― Matt (Matt), Monday, 3 October 2005 10:02 (twenty years ago)

You actively loathed Leo?

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 4 October 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

I thought he was a splendid little fellow.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 10:20 (twenty years ago)

I think Leo's Mum was possibly my favourite thing in it, she was touching. I suppose Leo himself wasn't dislikeable, but I was too busy wanting to slap Nick to notice.

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

I love the scene in the south of France where they're talking about hotels in Venice. Horrible snobbery, nicely captured.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

Gorgeous, Gorgeous book. You know how I know? Because half way through the book... I woke up in the middle of the night and in my disoreintated state believed that I was gay and was so pleased to have this wonderful young man sleeping in my bed (my husband)! Go figure..
Brilliant imagery and tone throughout..
I've read the Swimming-Pool Library as well (loved it)and though the characters are more likeable, it wasn't as emotionally twisting as TLOB

― Jenna Sunaryo, Friday, 7 October 2005 05:17 (twenty years ago)

See now that's just it. TLOB didn't engage me emotionally (Leo notwithstanding) because I genuinely didn't give a monkeys what happened to any of them. I understand that it's well written, and brilliantly observed, it just left me cold, is all (though I'll confess to feeling a bit let down by Rachel, she seemed so nice).

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 7 October 2005 08:56 (twenty years ago)

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