The Line of Beauty

[fuschiagroan]

One of my all-time favourite books, I really do think it's quite perfect. Have been re-reading it recently.

It is quite similar to Brideshead Revisited, isn't it? The Oxford connection, the protagonist's obsession with the aristocracy and beautiful things/people, the fact that Nick/Charles are both charged with 'looking after' Sebastian/Catherine and then used as scapegoats for their behaviour. But The Line of Beauty completely stands apart as its own book, and is very much about Thatcherism and the 80s etc.

The Marchmains are more attractive personalities than the Feddens, though - I want to punch Gerald in the teeth even though he is a fictional character.

Also, does Nick have AIDS at the end or not? I thought he did, because Wani did and Leo, but then he says he has already had one test which was alright and he is having another, and this is after he has stopped sleeping with Wani.

I loved this book (although loaned it to a very liberal, chilled friend who was shocked by all the rude bits). I'd got that overtone of Brideshead as well both because of the way Nick is supposed to keep an eye on the family's children and it does have that air of golden, languid youth. I loved the Tory buffoon father and the party he throws for Thatcher.

I found Nick a tiny bit of a parasite, always insinuating himself with wealthier, more glamorous people and doing quite well out it but that was part of the reason that I felt he wasn't HIV-positive at the end - he just seemed to fall on his feet (I know HIV doesn't work like that in real life ).

Nick was a bit of a parasite, but I think overall still a sympathetic character. I felt sorry for him more than anything, trying so hard to be accepted by people who were never going to accept him. Even though he leads the high-life during the book, he's still quite naive even by the end, when he thinks he and Rachel will have conversations about what to do about Gerald's affair, when of course Rachel has no intention of doing anything (except blaming its discovery on Nick). The dancing with Thatcher bit was v funny.

Just you and me who have read it then, eh?

I adored this book - it was fab. I told all of My A Level history students to read it when we were studying Thatcher and the 80s (and 1 actually did).

Fab - my favourite book from the last 10 years.

Did you see the tv adaptation?

I enjoyed it too, very much. On first reading I thought he wasn't HIV positive at the end, but then on second reading I sort of 'realised' that he did (does that make sense?), and was very sad.

I saw the adaptation. I thought the boy who played Nick was very beautiful.