The Line of Beauty

I just finished reading Alan Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty, which came highly recommended by Anne and Josh. Because I trust their opinions so much, I anticipated loving this book, too. It's 1980s London, and the novel's protagonist, Nick Guest, moves in with an Oxford friend's wealthy, politically influential, and conservative family, where he adopts a life he wasn't raised to anticipate. As a novice to the systematic social rules and demands, he both relishes and scrutinizes his role in this new world. Surrounded by temptations, he falls into typical patterns of excess while trying to live up to a vague but keenly-felt sense of obligation. Hollinghurst tracks Nick's life over four years of sexual awakening, social climbing, experimentation, and tragedy.

It took a while for me to be firmly pulled into The Line of Beauty, because Hollinghurst's style is somewhat cold. This coolness, though, smartly reflects the carefully created facades employed by so many of the characters; the style helps pull the reader into the world Nick inhabits. The writing throughout is beautiful, and I second Anne's and Josh's raves.