The Line of Beauty
January 28th 2008 07:29
There is nothing like an approaching movie or mini series to bump a book up to the top of the list. Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker Prize winner The Line of Beauty had been stagnating in my ‘books to read’ list for a few years now, but the BBC's adaptation aired on the ABC recently had me plucking it from the depths of ‘to read’ quick smart.
So, I played a game of tag with the series, just managing to stay a few chapters ahead each week. It was an interesting exercise actually. After reading the first third of the book, I had Nick Guest and his adopted Tory family firmly ensconced in my head. I easily stepped back into the 80s when homosexuality, gay rights and coming out began to take the back burner in social issues. That is, until AIDS hit … when who slept with who was everyone business.
But of course, when I tuned in that first Sunday night, Nick, his Oxford friend Toby and the whole Fedden family were complete strangers to me. “Who does this casting”, I thought. “How could they possibly cast her as Rachel Fedden, wife of Tory MP Gerald, who surely is more attractive and suave than this actor!”
Anyway, my curiosity overtook my rage and I continued the read and watch game for three weeks. It should come as no surprise to anyone that after watching the first episode and returning to the book, my characters had remarkably transformed into … you guessed it, the on screen faces of, I must admit, a very talented team of actors. The art of mind suggestion through media is a strong one, but I am not sorry I saw this series. It helped to put the book into a clearer perspective of the times. A world where views and roles were changing. Britain had a female Prime Minister, cocaine was the new martini and free love was expanded to gay love.
Nick Guest, lover of beautiful things and homosexual friend of Toby Fedden is taken in by the family. He becomes loved by all and a special companion for sister Catherine who suffers depression and self-harm tendencies, which everyone relies on Nick to keep an eye on. He indulges in lovers, but for everyone’s sake remains discrete, not willing to jeopardize the beauty of his surroundings at the Notting Hill address.
Gerald Fedden is a high profile MP, totally devoted to ‘The Lady’ (Thatcher), somewhat blind to his family’s needs but heading in the right direction - up. Things get messy though when he becomes involved in a crooked business deal and sexual meanderings with his assistant. Through an old newspaper boyfriend of Catherine’s, the media sniffs them out. As we all know, the British media are ruthless and never more so than in the 80s. A scapegoat is needed, to take the heat off the family and to simply take the blame – no self respecting conservative family could get into such a mess by themselves. Nick and his (now) perverse gay leanings becomes just that. It’s the blame game to perfection.
Themes in this book are many – politics, class distinction, family dysfunction, drugs and homosexuality. But what I found running strong through the whole book was a clear picture of people using each other. Every character is using another person for their own pleasure (be careful with this one if you’re not comfortable with explicit sex), advancement, support, satisfaction or service. Nick longs for the ‘line of beauty’ and believes he will find it among the world of the Feddens and Notting Hill. But what he finds is the cruel reality of deceit and abuse.
This is a good one and I recommend it … if you’re open minded about sex, and in particular homosexuality.
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