scattered thoughts as I sip my coffee_ruseJanuary 4 2006, 22:23:58 UTC
I've now read all of Hollinghurst's novels and, saying that, I am still a bit disappointed that The Master did not win the Booker. Though, I am sure, Hollinghurst's winning had more to do with (and I remember reading about this at the time) recognising his body of work rather than The Line of Beauty per se. Having started with that novel and then gone back to read his other work more chronologically, I think it's time for a re-read, most definitely. It was not so much that I disliked Nick (hell, reading so much James, I'm not necessarily a reader who needs to like characters at all) but that I felt there were aspects of the novel that were scattered and not concretised, like the manic-depression of the young woman (whose name I forget), &c., which I felt would have done better to be not as described if their descriptions in fact led to nothing at all in the way of, at least in her case, characterisation and plot. And I think I now am able to reconcile the use of Poynton in that novel, too, whereas I couldn't at first: the
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Re: scattered thoughts as I sip my coffeelobosoloJanuary 6 2006, 20:15:01 UTC
Catherine's manic-depression is actually fairly important to the plot: it's while she's in a manic phase that she recklessly tells the press about her father's affair with his secretary, thus precipitating the crisis at the end of the book.
The Line of Beauty is certainly a novel that would bear re-reading. I scarcely ever re-read a book. But I'm thinking of going back to re-read Brokeback Mountain. I loved it first time round, and it's short enough that a re-read wouldn't take long.
Re: scattered thoughts as I sip my coffee_ruseJanuary 6 2006, 20:30:47 UTC
Yes, I'll have to go back and re-read the Hollinghurst; I was perhaps more interested at the time in Catherine rather than Nick.
Re: Brokeback. Funny to get this comment as I've just gotten back from the cinema and I've just posted my thoughts on the film version. I re-read the story last week in preparation for the film itself.
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The Line of Beauty is certainly a novel that would bear re-reading. I scarcely ever re-read a book. But I'm thinking of going back to re-read Brokeback Mountain. I loved it first time round, and it's short enough that a re-read wouldn't take long.
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Re: Brokeback. Funny to get this comment as I've just gotten back from the cinema and I've just posted my thoughts on the film version. I re-read the story last week in preparation for the film itself.
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