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The Line of Beauty

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The Line of Beauty

By: Alan Hollinghurst
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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About this listen

Winner of the Man Booker Prize, The Line of Beauty is a classic novel about class, politics and sexuality in Margaret Thatcher's 1980s Britain.

There was the soft glare of the flash – twice – three times – a gleaming sense of occasion, the gleam floating in the eye as a blot of shadow, his heart running fast with no particular need of courage as he grinned and said, 'Prime Minister, would you like to dance?'

In the summer of 1983, twenty-year-old Nick Guest moves into an attic room in the Notting Hill home of the wealthy Feddens: Gerald, an ambitious Tory MP, his wife Rachel and their children Toby and Catherine. Innocent of politics and money, Nick is swept up into the Feddens' world and an era of endless possibility, all the while pursuing his own private obsession with beauty.

The Line of Beauty is Alan Hollinghurst's Man Booker Prize-winning masterpiece. It is a novel that defines a decade, exploring with peerless style a young man's collision with his own desires, and with a world he can never truly belong to.

©2018 Alan Hollinghurst (P)2018 Macmillan Digital Audio Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Satire Heartfelt

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The Pride List of Queer Storytelling

To mark Pride 2023 Audible teamed up with non-profit organisation, Out on the Page, supporter and champion of LGBTQIA+ writers and writing, to release an extensive Pride List of Queer Storytelling. Featuring contributions from some of the UK’s most important and exciting voices from the LGBTQIA+ community, this audiobook is one of the many featured on the list that is available to listen to on Audible.
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On reflection, I enjoyed listening to this. The narration was excellent - just the right sardonic time for the times. The writing is very beautiful too. The story moves slowly, but everything falls into place at the end, which is satisfying. But there is just too much explicit description of sex... it seems on every page. I do understand that this is an important theme... and I’m no prude, or I wouldn’t have chosen this book at all... but too much detail and too frequently just gets really tedious. If it was a paper book, I’d just skip those sections, but more difficult with audio.

Excellent prose - but do we really need all that detail?

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5 years ago, a friend told me I should read Alan Hollinghurst, I didn't get round to it then but I'm so pleased I have now

Hollinghurst takes ordinary characters, and some extra-ordinary too, and allows them to tell their stories in compelling, often heary-wrenching, yet very human ways.

Jack, thanks for the reading list!

My first Hollinghurst

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It's not an easy listen, but worth getting to the end. It's well narrated. The book moves well at the start. You get into the characters and the situations. The writer establishes the 80s well without being descriptive. But about two thirds into the book, it completely loses it's way and becomes dull. Not much happens for a while, and I was tempted to give up, but was glad I listened to the end. The book stayed on my mind for weeks after.

Possible spoiler.
At the start I expected to like Nick and feel sorry for him. He doesn't really do a lot. He just explores his sensuality. I felt kinship with him not being wealthy. But at the end I hated him. He's nothing but a leech, and an observer. Very polite. Almost a sycophant, but too boring. He just has nothing to him and no feeling or passion, and is extremely selfish. Perhaps a narcissist? Difficult to put my finger on it. He just watches really and tags along, and never really contributes. Interesting.

Challenging but worth it

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An unforgettable novel with complex characters and wonderful prose, full of sardonic witticisms and insights. Brought to life by the excellent narration

Superb literature and narrator

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If you want to understand the political landscape of 1980s Britain, this is the novel. If you want to understand the history behind the current media morality panic about trans people, this is the novel. If you want to understand our current government, this is the novel.

excellent writing and urgent listening

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I’m confused by the negative reviews of this book, which I can’t help feeling are fuelled (however subconsciously) by internalised homophobia… I understand the style and pace may not be for everyone, but in what way are class, politics and the AIDS epidemic ‘niche’ or uninteresting topics??

I found this a fantastically evocative, wry, observant and sad depiction of 80s Britain. Or, more specifically, of a young gay man’s experience brushing shoulders with the mega-wealthy/political elite in 80s Britain. Rich subject matter, deftly executed - the writing really is masterful.

It’s not a page turner exactly - it took me a while to get through - but I savoured every line, and finished with the overwhelming sense that this was a book I was going to remember for a long time.

Fascinating depiction, gorgeously written

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Absolute masterpiece. Complex characters, a protagonist with ambiguous morals leads us through a portion of sex, drugs, politics & first love - all handled expertly. The reeason this book was so successful is due to its honesty & accuracy with a genuinely interesting story. Also the sadness, hypocrisy & betrayal that the author showcases - in 80’s London high society is subtle & powerful. A book you won’t forget

Transcends Genre

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Well crafted story from a good author. Very good reader. Enjoyable commentary on the 80's.

Holds your attention

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Exquisite writing. Not a short book, but I was left longing for more! Highly recommended

A masterpiece!

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Aimed at a limited interest group. Cliche ridden. Hardly of interest to a wide audience.

Boring

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