Beauty, by Brian D’Amato; Beauty, in general; Beauty and the Beast

[rachelmanija]

In Beauty by Brian D'Amato, a creepy, pretentious, narcissistic artist/unlicensed plastic surgeon tries to create the perfectly beautiful woman. I don't think it's spoilery to say that he gets what's coming to him. A satire of American beauty culture, the 80s art scene in New York, misogyny, and the lifestyles of the idle rich, recounted by a seriously unreliable narrator.

What would Marilyn or Madonna or Cindy Crawford be without their moles? Nothing, I thought. Or a lot less. It’s interesting that moles are called “beauty marks.” What was it about them that made them so alluring? Are they like a sign that you can approach the goddess?

I spent a long time composing its position, but I finally decided the black spot would go nearly a centimeter above the left corner of her lip. A hair off to the left. The abstract element would round out her effect. It would make her unique and human and sexy and somehow pathetic. Because a mole is an intimation of death.

I am not big on social satire and much of it is now dated, but the prose style is to die for. The author is a professional artist and the technical detail is fascinating in the way of Dick Francis, though both narrator and tone are basically anti-Francis.

I do like this book but it is not my favorite book called Beauty, nor my favorite take on "Beauty and the Beast." My favorite book actually called Beauty is Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast, by Robin McKinley, and yes, I like it better than her Rose Daughter, which also retells "Beauty and the Beast." (One might argue that many and possibly all of McKinley's books are versions of "Beauty and the Beast."

My least favorite book called Beauty is Beauty: A Novel by Sheri S. Tepper, a horror novel which makes an apparently sincere case that horror fiction is evil. Tepper's books argue a lot of strange positions but that one takes the cake for the strangest.

What is your favorite/least favorite work called Beauty? What is your favorite/least favorite take on "Beauty and the Beast?"

Beauty

Comments

[sholio]

Grass is, I think, the only Tepper I've read all the way through (after bouncing off several other books of hers). I really liked it and loved the eeriness of the planet, though it's been long enough since I read it that I don't remember much of the specifics.

[rachelmanija]

I also liked Grass a lot. It's incredibly atmospheric, which is Tepper's strength.

[genarti]

Yes, same! I really enjoyed and was creeped out by Grass when I read it in high school. It was my first encounter with Sheri S. Tepper, and my last; later books I heard about first. I'm afraid to reread Grass in case it doesn't hold up, though. Most of what I remember are a few scattered and compelling moments.