Book Review for Beauty by Peter Linely
Beauty, by Peter Liney, is a twisted narrative about a society where beauty is valued, so much so its inhabitants would do anything to claim it.
One evening, Huey Glaister invites a few of his employees to his house for a special surprise. Initially, Perry is skeptical, believing it to be yet another symptom of his boss’s vanity. However, when Huey reveals this surprise to be a beautiful woman named Gloria, immediately Perry, as well as his colleagues, become obsessed with her. But when mysterious men begin to target him, and Glaister ends up dead, Perry is overtaken by the need to keep Gloria safe, as he ignores a society that has begun to develop the same obsession for her.
I loved how the characters revolved around Gloria. It wasn’t about her personality, or her intelligence, or patience; in fact the only thing they ever seemed to talk about was her beauty. I loved how Perry and the others tripped over themselves to meet Gloria, and how Glaister bought her with a blatant disregard of the fact that she was married. I also enjoyed how Perry did everything he could for Gloria, not only by abandoning his colleagues but also his life as well. He couldn’t understand why Gloria wanted to go outside, especially when he knew it wasn’t safe. He couldn’t understand why she still considered herself a prisoner, even when he didn’t consider her as such. He couldn’t comprehend her, and it was only when she starts living with him does he see her as a human being, rather than an object to be praised. But even then, the characters were still disturbing; the husband who claimed to possess her, and the people who adored her. It was as if she were a perfect, porcelain doll that children could gaze at, but not touch.
Liney shows just how determined these people are. In a culture where everyone had everything they wanted except natural beauty was interesting to say the least. I couldn’t help but be horrified by how far people would go to make absolute beauty theirs, even if it meant trampling on others to do so. How far would the elites go to get what they want, especially if they’ve fallen in love with a woman who considers them little more than a nuisance? Did anyone take into account Gloria’s wishes? Did they treat her anything else as more than a pawn? Was she just a slave to their fantasies? These questions are ones I have an absolute answer to, but I’d rather leave it up to the reader to decide.
Liney weaves together a nightmarish definition for obsession’s true nature. From the siren-like way Gloria’s beauty twists the characters, to the insanity of the people who claim to love her; it’s this very aspect that reveals their inner insanity. Thus, I would give this book a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this book to fans of the game, Little Nightmares and Mad Father.
