Welch schöne Tiere wir sind

by Lawrence Osborne, Stephan Kleiner (Translator)

»Welch schöne Tiere wir sind« ist eine brillante Studie über Schuld und Gier. Fesselnd, dicht und abgründig – ein literarisches Meisterwerk.

Die Luft scheint stillzustehen an diesem heißen Sommertag auf der griechischen Insel Hydra. Dort verbringt Naomi die Ferien in der Residenz ihres Vaters, einem englischen Kunstsammler. Gemeinsam mit der jüngeren Sam entdeckt sie bei einem Küstenspaziergang etwas Ungeheuerliches: Ein bärtiger, ungepflegter Mann liegt auf den Steinen, ein Geflüchteter aus Syrien, Faoud. Für Naomi die perfekte Gelegenheit, es ihrem Vater heimzuzahlen – für seinen obszönen Reichtum, seine hohlen Allüren, seine unerträgliche neue Frau. Doch als sie Faoud dazu anstiftet, bei ihrem Vater einzubrechen, hat das fatale Folgen.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Greece, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Crime

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Lawrence Osborne is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels, including The Forgiven (now a major motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain), and Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel, a New York Times Notable Book and nominated for an Edgar Award, as well as six books of nonfiction, including Bangkok Days. He has led a nomadic life, living in Paris, New York, Mexico, and Istanbul, and he currently resides in Bangkok.

Reviews

[Orsodimondo · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPLENDIDI ANIMALI



Secondo me Osborne non ha simpatia per i suoi personaggi, tutt’altro: e li descrive trasmettendo antipatia, distanza, rifiuto. Usa lo stesso cinismo che attribuisce a loro.
Non aiuta che descriva una delle due protagoniste, la più giovane, l’americana Sam (da Samantha) così:
E curiosamente non condivideva nemmeno un po’ la sua indignazione per la deriva a destra… Era da una vita che lo sentiva recriminare su questioni di giustizia sociale, aveva smesso pian piano di farle effetto. E cosa mai voleva dire il termine “fascista” dopo così tanti anni, dopo che era stato usato e abusato? All’università lo sentiva di continuo e ormai non ci faceva neanche più caso.



Neppure aiuta che suo padre, quello che da una vita recrimina su questioni di giustizia sociale sia il prototipo della gauche caviar, sullo stile di Bernard-Henry Lévy, il famigerato BHL, che in abito antracite e camicia bianca ampiamente sbottonata se ne va a farsi riprendere in giro per gli angoli più poveri e sfortunati del mondo, armato di immaginari scudo e lancia (microfono e telecamera). E se anche uno ha sempre protestato e partecipato a ogni corteo, e votato a sinistra sentendola troppo timida e moderata, una destra conservatrice ma meno reazionaria della destra destra, a BHL augura una generosa mitragliata, come quella che lui ha dichiarato ai quattro (ventotto) venti d’aver ricevuto in Mali. Peccato abbiano sbagliato la mira.
Troppo fumo?


Hydra

Trovo sia un grosso limite di questo secondo romanzo di Osborne che leggo, che l’altra volta con Cacciatori nel buio mi aveva convinto ben di più.
A me pare che Osborne aspiri a quel terreno coltivato a meraviglia da Patricia Highsmith, quel genere di temi e toni e personaggi e intrecci: ma si avvicina proprio poco alla scrittrice americana che emigrò appena possibile in Europa, tra Svizzera e Francia e colonie di gatti.
E uno dei motivi li separa è che a differenza della Highsmith, Osborne sembra giudicare i suoi personaggi, non li maneggia con empatia, e non genera empatia nel lettore.
Per fortuna, se così si può dire, Osborne attribuisce lo stesso cinismo a ogni classe sociale: l’emigrato e la cameriera sono altrettanto respingenti dei ricchi snob parvenu volgari.



Se poi si aggiunge che per la prima metà del libro lo stile (o la traduzione?) adottato da Osborne è pacchiano e sguaiato come il mondo dei ricchi occidentali vacanzieri che invadono un’isola greca d’estate che vuole descrivere, si dovrebbe capire perché questa volta salvo solo il tema (l’intreccio), molto ma molto meno lo svolgimento.

Altro handicap che ho incontrato è che certi dettagli e passaggi sono poco curati, a volte illogici: se uno si sveglia a mezzogiorno, si suppone che d’estate il sole sia già alto nel cielo. Perciò, se leggo che a mezzogiorno passato:
Quando vide uscire il sole si portò il caffè in terrazza…
Io mi irrito per la sciatteria della redazione.



Per fortuna a metà la trama prende corpo, c’è il giro di vite che la irrobustisce e spinge su altra spiaggia: la seconda metà del romanzo riscatta parzialmente la prima. La fuga di Fouad per la Toscana, per quanto qua e là poco verosimile, ha fascino e sostanza: peccato siamo ormai agli sgoccioli della storia.

Sono convinto che Patricia Highsmith avrebbe adorato un plot così, sarebbe stata invidiosa di non averlo immaginato lei. È che ai giorni nostri l’emigrazione ha ben altro peso e corpo rispetto a quando Patricia scriveva.
Ma sono anche sicuro che Patricia avrebbe fatto ben altro lavoro: Osborne mostra i suoi limiti. Questa volta appaiono vistosi.


Hydra, la Puglia, Sorano, Sovana, Badia a Coltibuono, i dintorni di Arezzo sono i luoghi principali dove si svolge la storia.

PS
Gli splendidi animali sono quelli del titolo originale, Beautiful Animals: quelli che sanno perseguire il proprio percorso senza deviare, quelli che non si piegano a sentimento ideali valori, quelli che sono forgiati nel cinismo.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from the publisher.

The start of Beautiful Animals had me with its description of sun-soaked Greece. I was introduced to two young women, both from wealthy families, who are staying on the island for some time. They encounter a man who seems to have ended up on the shore by swimming there, maybe a refugee, but from where they don't know. Naomi decides to help him, and this starts a chain of events that... see this book is hard to talk about without giving it all away.

I'm not sure the writing held up as the novel went on, while I found it to be the best part of the beginning. Here's an example, maybe not final copy:

"Naomi smiled up at the sky and her skin, to Sam, was an English mask perfectly modeled to resemble a human face and the smile didn't break its polished surface. And yet she could feel the tensions moving back and forth beneath it, ideas and moods roaming as if from empty room to empty room. It could have been easily mistaken for boredom, but it was more electrifying than boredom. It was like a child looking for a centipede to kill."

I feel like this is an enjoyable summer read, but it isn't always sure if it is a thriller or not. Still I'd love to live on this quiet Greek island, lingering between the hidden beaches and the long afternoon hikes back to my home on the hill.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rich, they say, are just like you and me. The only difference is, they’re richer. Naomi Codrington puts that theory to the test in this sinister thriller by Lawrence Osborne. Naomi is visiting her father and wicked stepmother on the Greek Island of Hydra after being fired from her job at a British law firm. Amoral, narcissistic, resentful and ice cold – the female equivalent of Patricia Highsmith’s Mr. Ripley – Naomi happens across two malleable people: Samantha, a beautiful, emotionally undeveloped America, and eventually, Faoud, a young Syrian migrant who appears to have escaped at great risk from the chaos.

Naomi diabolically engineers a plot, seemingly to equalize the disparity between the wealthy American and Brit and the impoverished Syrian. But it goes horribly awry and many people are affected. To go further into the plot would deprive readers of the joy of discovery.

So I’ll just say this: Beautiful Animals is not a typical “hang on to the seat of your pants” thriller; rather, it is a fascinating psychological study of Naomi and her influence on those around her. Naomi’s ability to “step quietly from one life into another” is an insightful look about how a sociopathic mind works and how regret is not a useful emotion for those without empathy.

Do not go into this book thinking it is a typical story arc – a deed is done, the bad ones are punished, the good triumph. Rather, think of it as a meticulous study of manipulation and how sometimes, events can be fleeting and enigmatic.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is sort of a thriller, but it is so slow moving and lacking in suspense that I wouldn't want to mislead anyone with that description. It might be better to just think of it as a novel about a group of amoral, unlikable characters who do bad things without regret. It took forever for the plot to begin and I carried a paperback around with me for weeks unable to make myself read it. I only managed to finish it by switching to the audiobook and doubling the playback speed.

Smug, spoiled and charisma-free Naomi has lost her job as a lawyer in London and has come to spend the summer on the Greek island of Hydra with her father and stepmother. She doesn't like them, but is perfectly willing to use their house and money. She meets Sam, a slightly younger American girl, who is visiting Hydra with her own family. Naomi and Sam encounter Faoud, a refugee who has washed ashore, and help him - mostly due to their own narcissism and boredom. When Naomi comes up with a completely ridiculous plan, Faroud, Sam and Naomi's maid all agree to it and when it predictably goes awry it's amazing how quickly they all take to criminality.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I don't mind his languid style, but the plot didn't really grab my attention this time. At least one character in a book needs to have some spark that makes me want to follow them and know their fate (even if I don't like them). I didn't find that here.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Liz Barnsley]

DNF at 30%

Lawrence Osborne is a beautiful writer. My issue (very subjectively) with Beautiful Animals is the point at which an actual story kicks in. By the time I've put this aside pretty much nothing has happened. There are hints that things might happen. And what has kept me involved so far is the descriptive prose on the settings.

Basically though I just picked it up and felt like I was reading a really really upmarket travel brochure. That and the fact that the two girls in this are insanely irritating makes me just want to move on. So I shall.

My recommendation for this one would be those readers who love a good literary slow burner and don't mind hating all the characters. (Although you might love the characters I suppose) Sometimes this applies to me. Depends on the book. But not today.

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult book to read and a difficult review to write. I completely see why some reviewers gave up and walked away after several chapters--I almost did myself. I completely see why some reviewers say the writing is 'overblown' or too literary. But having finished it, as you see, I am giving it 5 stars and I understand the need for the slow even boring build up and the deep dense prose later. Because that's what makes this dark, dark thriller so terrifying.

The two main protagonists seem like everyday, even dull, people. In other words, like us dear reader. But the more you learn about one of them the more frightened you become. Like any good thriller there is the out of control rollercoaster of action and Mr Osborne does it flawlessly. Once the big 'it' happens (no spoilers) there is absolutely a non stop voice in your head saying "What would I do? How would I have handled it?"

I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the issue of refugees is also portrayed in this book and here Mr Osborne's gravitas in language is absolutely needed and beautiful.

For those who did not finish the book I say go back and try again. Trust that the author is setting a scene which will enhance the second half of the book. It is a dark book but like really good fiction it allows us to go places we otherwise (hopefully, in this case) could not go. This book will leave you thinking. I really liked the way the author left the two protagonists at the end of the book. I applaud Mr. Osborne.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

***NO SPOILERS***

(Full disclosure: book abandoned on page 57, at chapter 5.)

Osborne didn’t write this engagingly enough to make me want to stick around to find out how the mystery plays out. I stopped at the point where two women stumble upon an injured man lying on a beach, rather ironic considering that sounds exciting and like a major turning point.

A big problem with Beautiful Animals is that it’s overwritten. Osborne loved writing description--paragraphs upon paragraphs of it--and even opened the story this way, something I always consider a flaw. To get to the heart of the story, which is the mystery, I first had to wade through his overwrought muck. No story is worth that. The dialogue he wrote to break up this muck is limp, and spoken among bland, indefinable characters. It's all so dull.

My understanding is that Beautiful Animals is a psychological character study, so it’s more a quiet mystery, not a grab-you-by-the-throat mystery-thriller. That’s all well and good--character studies, when done well, can be powerful--but a little grabbing by the throat could have helped this.

NOTE: I received this as an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in June 2017.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, the third of Lawrence Osborne's books that I've read, is suffused with the same air of menace as the other two. He has a knack for creating situations in which people out of their depth find themselves embroiled in scenarios that spin wildly out of control, often taking sometimes innocent people along with them as well as the reader. Comparisons to Graham Greene have been made, also, Patricia Highsmith, which is a more valid comparison. At the center is Naomi, an amoral, manipulative woman who has had everything that money can provide for her, yet she considers herself a do-gooder who nonetheless is capable of mishandling her fortune, dragging others along with her in a downward spiral without a tinge of guilt or accountability. Her choices and decisions have long reaching consequences stunning in their complexities. To reveal any more plot would be unfair, but I'll just say I'll read anything this guy comes up with in the future.

[Gabril · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Successe tra i vigneti delle colline e i viali di cipressi, nella luce del sole che civilizzava e faceva sembrare predisposte per la felicità tutte le cose che toccava. Ma naturalmente era un’illusione ottica. Il pericolo è ovunque, pensò, ovunque gli esseri umani esistano, si moltiplichino, respirino».

Un altro feroce ritratto delle nuove generazioni di ricchi, figli e figlie di genitori milionari che amano trascorrere l’estate nelle isole greche, in questo caso Idra, l’isola degli artisti, celebrata e resa appetibile negli anni Sessanta da Leonard Cohen e altri cantanti e musicisti (per tacer degli attori e vip di vario genere).

Il titolo originale, Beautiful animals, rende bene l’idea della qualità, fisica e morale, dei protagonisti: in particolare Naomi, rampolla ribelle dei britannici Codrington, Samantha, fanciulla americana in fiore, e Faoud, misterioso naufrago arabo e novello odisseo.

Ben presto il quadro sociale descritto da Osborne si trasforma in un racconto noir, dove implacabilmente i legami perversi che i protagonisti allacciano tra loro si trasformano in trappole: reali e fantasmatiche.

L’autore sposta alternativamente il suo focus sui vari personaggi, illuminandone le azioni e soprattutto la psiche, assumendo per sé la posizione di una neutrale e disincantata onniscienza. Il giudizio è lasciato a noi che assistiamo, sempre più coinvolti, all’evoluzione progressiva e inevitabile della tragedia in atto.

Anche gli scenari cambiano: non solo l’isola greca, ma anche l’Italia del sud e del centro, e poi il mare, le colline, i borghi inabissati nei boschi. Ma il viaggio principale è quello intrapreso nella contorta psicologia umana, nei luoghi comuni e nell’indifferenza, nell’ipocrisia egoistica e nelle menzogne che raccontiamo a noi stessi. Quelle che giustificano scelte estreme e irreversibili.

E ancora una volta salvare qualcuno diventa impossibile.

Il significato è già racchiuso nella citazione iniziale:

“Non c’è nave per te
non c’è strada.
Ora che hai sprecato
la tua vita qui, in
quest’angolo,
l’hai distrutta in
ogni posto del
mondo.”
(K. Kavafis)

(Alla luce delle altre due letture di Osborne, riconosco che questo romanzo è decisamente meno riuscito e meno verosimile, anche se mi sono divertita lo stesso: 3 e mezzo)

[Laura Gotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scopro ora Osborne con questo libro, dopo averne sentito parlare come l'erede di Greene. L'ho letto in italiano e quindi non so come sia in originale, ma la sensazione che ne ho tratto è quella di un libro freddino, con personaggi non così riusciti, né i principali né i secondari e con una trama che, per carità, ti invoglia ad arrivare alla fine ma mi è risultata un po' inconsistente.

Sia detto che non amo i gialli, anche se questo non lo è esattamente, ma, alla fine, quello che mi è rimasto, è stato solo la voglia di andare a Idra subito, di isola greca, di tamerici sulla spiaggia, e di souvlaki al porto. Che è una cosa magnifica, di per sé, ma dalla letteratura mi aspetterei qualcosa in più. Non so se cercherò altri libri suoi.

Franciacorta rosé, ma la temperatura è cambiata e nel pomeriggio si è alzato un vento gelido di bora che mi ha fatto venire la consueta voglia di vino rosso, ma orami il danno era fatto. Domani è il mio compleanno, vedrò di rimediare.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What beautiful animals we are, Sam thought, beautiful as panthers

A short book, but definitely not sweet, this seems to be channeling The Talented Mr. Ripley (I've only seen the film) only here the amoral plotters are two young women. It's easy to bandy around labels like 'sociopath' but Sam and Naomi are perhaps not quite so easily pigeon-holed, and the shifting and enigmatic relationship between them is perhaps the best thing about the book.

Osborne certainly captures a kind of noir atmosphere despite most of the plot playing out in the heat of a Greek island, but there's an unevenness in his writing which sometimes got in the way of my enjoyment. There are odd instances, for example, of suddenly falling into indirect reported speech rather than dramatising conversations ('Sam said, without lying, that it was the best marmalade she had ever tasted. Naomi said they could smoke a little too'); but there are also moments of sharpness: 'There is the spinning top and there is the girl who whips it into motion but the two are merged in the same motion' (again, that repetition of motion feels clumsy).

Overall, this is the kind of book that has most impact when read in one sitting (it's only a few hours) and, preferably, in the sun - good if you like summer reading with some edge.

Thanks to Random House for an ARC via NetGalley.

[Kuszma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olyan, mintha inkább példázat lenne, mint regény. A pusztuló Nyugat metaforája. Ebben a kontextusban a tündéri görög sziget, Ídra a Paradicsomot jelképezi, amivel mégsem tudnak mit kezdeni azok, akik be kívánják lakni – idegenek, bitorlók maradnak benne. A Codrington- és a Haldane-szülők a múlt birtokosai, az előző generáció, akik felszínesek és unalmasak, gyermekeik pedig a jövő, ami semmivel sem szívvidítóbb: ők azok, akik felszínességben semmivel sem maradnak el elődeiktől, csak épp körvonalazatlan bűntudatukat eszement marhaságokkal próbálják kezelni. Például pesztrálni kezdenek egy partra vetődött migránst, aki szintúgy metafora: a fenyegető külvilágé, a kapu előtt álló barbároké, akik nem kifejezetten gonoszak ugyan, de ettől még szétszaggathatják a társadalom érzékeny szövetét.

Azt hiszem, ebbe a hipotézisbe azért kapaszkodom, mert másképp képtelen magyarázatot találni arra, Osborne miért ilyen csálé karaktereket alkotott. A regényben hemzsegnek a logikailag nem kellően alátámasztott cselekedetek, a szereplőknek passziójuk, hogy olyasmit műveljenek, amit az olvasó szerint nem csinálna senki, és nem igazán világos, mi motiválja őket erre. Mi más lehet az ok, mint az, hogy Osborne nem autonóm egyének által mozgatott regényt akart teremteni, hanem moralista példázatot, amiben a szereplők rigorózusan ügyelnek arra, hogy a rájuk lőcsölt általános típus keretei között maradjanak?

Hát... így elmélázva, egyéb ok is elképzelhető. Például hogy Osborne-t egyszerűen nem érdeklik az emberek. Mintha folyton szükségét érezné annak, hogy éreztesse az olvasóval: ő kívül áll ezen az üres, ostoba világon. Ettől az egész szöveg kap egy különös tónust, sznobériát és némi naivitást* orrontok benne, a "mindenki hülye, csak én vagyok helikopter" elmosódott árnya látszik a sorokra vetülni. Ami már csak azért is érdekes, mert miközben Osborne látható megvetéssel kezeli a liberális nyugati sznobériát, ennek a megvetésnek a sznobéria-tartalmát mintha nem venné észre. Tagadhatatlanul vannak a regénynek erényei – Ídra forró, üveges szépségének ábrázolása például tanítani való -, de én valami különös idegenkedéssel olvastam. Amit a fentiekben megkíséreltem megfejteni – vagy sikerült, vagy nem.

* Amikor például megjegyzi, hogy a sziget őslakos öregjei „időtlen türelemmel” iszogatják a kocsmateraszon az úzót, nekem az jutott eszembe, hogy ha kicsit közelebb menne hozzájuk, talán azt látná, ez az „időtlen türelem” valójában csak a masszív alkoholizmus szinonimája.

[James Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written but completely unbelievable as a thriller. I was given this book by a friend who said it was amazing (although not the best Osborne novel he had read). It was my first and I read through the first few chapters in awe at the sentences and style. About mid-way through, though, the book changes from a languid, precisely described literary novel into a kind of crime thriller. Almost immediately it becomes laughable, if still well-described and written. A weird conundrum.
Bottom line is, I´ll probably seek out more Osborne books but really think literary writers should dare to take a look down from their parapets at what workaday "normal" thriller and suspense writers are giving their readers. More than a little of the refinery and finesse Osborne brings to the writing needs to be deployed in the shaping and delivery of the plot, especially in a genre like crime, where readers expect far more sophistication than this.
A bit of a pig´s ear wrapped in silk, as my nan would say.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a journey!! One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time! On the Greek island of Hydra, two young women become friends. The British anti-heroine, the amoral Naomi, leads by the nose her new American friend Samantha, a follower, although sometimes unwilling. The two girls find a young Arab man, Faoud, on the beach, and in cahoots with him and the Greek maid from Naomi's household plot a revenge against Naomi's parents--father and stepmother--whom Naomi hates. Supposedly simple and straightforward with no intention of hurting anyone, the plot goes badly awry. All participants must bear consequences they had never dreamed of.

Well written and paced. I couldn't NOT finish the story, but I was a little disappointed at the ending.

Highly recommended. I thank LibraryThing for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this novel, I sensed a haunting and tilted atmosphere, a gradual closing in, an existential, nausea. Lawrence Osborne is a master at keeping us off guard with a rogue seduction, while his prose finesses with knife-like precision. Set on the Greek island of Hydra, this narrative contains restless, disaffected, wealthy, privileged characters, and a lusty, alluring setting. Osborne’s characters don’t change—-don’t look for a moral reckoning here. They just become more of themselves—their darker animus that exists within their light, surface beauty. It’s a story borne of a new friendship between two young women who meet during this long, humid summer on Hydra, each staying with their parents, searching for a way out of their time-laden ennui, eager for adventure.

Naomi is 24, British, sophisticated and a lawyer recently fired by the firm she worked at for reasons that will gradually be revealed. Her father, Jimmie, is a vacuous rich art dealer and her Greek stepmother is snobbish and cruel. Naomi herself is manipulative and cynical. Sam, an American of 19 or 20, is much more naïve and also beautiful, and besotted with Naomi’s urbanity. Both girls are staying with their parents, and find an enigmatic pull toward each other. “What beautiful animals we are…beautiful as panthers.” Jimmie is still trying to connect with Naomi on meaningful matters, and is bemused by her point of view on a theoretical discussion concerning migrants and puzzled by his daughter’s lack of authenticity. To him, it’s a contradiction of status for young affluent people to be empathetic to liberal social causes, although he is rather phony himself; he concludes “their consciousness had been created by the media, not by life.”

Unbeknownst to Jimmie, Sam and Naomi, on a long walk to a remote part of the island, came across a half-naked Arab migrant, Faoud, literally washed up on the rocks. They decide to make him a project, and this is where it gets murky, as the reader soon realizes that their motives—mostly Naomi’s, who takes charge—are not altogether pure or reasonable, but rather reckless. “His misfortunes made him charismatic…and therefore arousing.” Yet this seeming vulnerable refugee is multilingual and cosmopolitan, and not necessarily acquiescent. In fact, he is confident and insolent; however, Naomi insists on rebranding him, or tailoring him to her will to carry out a plan to save him, help him to safely flee to mainland Europe, one with unintended consequences.

The second half of the story belongs primarily to Faoud, and the cat and mouse suspense amps up the pace and the stakes. Mixed motives, misguided perceptions, and bent moralities add complexity and depth, as Osborne is not going to release the tension for the reader or connect his theme to a larger humanity. I was awed at Osborne’s ability to write this elegant satire, blending bite with the sublime. “Humans are like spiders in their old age, moving from shadow to shadow in the bright sun, inexhaustible in their way.”

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover should have put me off - girl in bikini on sun-soaked beach. The novel is part of a sub-genre I usually avoid - the idle rich holidaying on an island where family tensions and violence erupts. Here it’s Hydra which is portrayed in lyrical detail. However, all the characters are unconvincing and their motives confusing. There is hardly any back story for any of them so their actions are puzzling. Murder is simply a mild irritation which needs to be put behind them. But what is most irritating is that the serious plight of refugees is used as a plot device.
In retrospect, 2 stars might have been generous.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up. It's not really a thriller, nor much of a mystery ... but comparisons to Greene and Highsmith are apropos. There also isn't much 'new' in the book - it pretty much follows a standard formula, with a few surprises thrown in, mostly in the way of sudden turn of events described in almost haphazard fashion, and without much fanfare (especially the deaths). But the prose is much better than usual in this genre, and it's a fast read, hence the begrudgingly given 4 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Greek island of Hydra is where rich families go to spend their summers. Naomi's parents own a house there. She meets Sam, an American, and they quickly form a friendship. While exploring the other side of the island one day, the girls discover a Syrian refugee (Faoud) and decide that despite the law, it is their humanitarian duty to help him. Then things start to get weird. Naomi convinces Faoud to rob her rich parents and take the money to start a new life for himself. The robbery goes bad and Naomi's parents are killed. Faoud flees to Italy while Naomi, Sam, and the maid cover up the murder. Faoud is eventually tracked down and killed. Sam goes a little crazy with the secret that she is keeping for Naomi. And Naomi......just goes about life like nothing happened. The book also doesn't end when you think they've gotten away with the crime. It keeps going, describing Sam and Naomi's future prospects and hinting at their mental states. I don't think I needed that. I just wanted it to be over. Ya know?

This was the strangest story! I am still not sure what I feel about it. I didn't particularly like ANY of the characters and never got invested in them. The plot has some interesting elements, especially if you like situational plots. IDK, I feel like the author took a few characters that shouldn't have met, stuck them in a situation, and then shook it up to see what would happen - the results were odd. The one person you end up feeling shouldn't survive, does, and the rest are either dead or in a strange state of indifference. I like weird, but this was a little too odd for me.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are two “beautiful animals” in this book. One is Naomi, a young woman who is spoiled and rich and bored. She’s staying on a Greek island with her father and step-mother, neither of whom does she get along with. Sam is a naïve young woman who is vacationing with her parents. The two become friends. When they find a young man named Faoud hiding on the island, they believe him to be an Arab refugee. Naomi wants to help him and Sam is pulled unwillingly into Naomi’s plans. Naomi figures that money is what Faoud needs to make a new life for himself so she comes up with the plan to enable Faoud to rob her parents’ home.

I love the writing style of this author. I usually am a fast reader but when I’m reading one of Mr. Osborne’s books, his writing compels me to slow down and read every word. He has a beautiful way with words and pulls me into his stories as if I, too, were vacationing on this Greek Island and knew these people personally. This book is many layered, not only the suspenseful plot but also the dynamics between the characters and their families. This is a morally dark, disturbing tale and one that I became completely engrossed in.

Highly recommended.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Doug H · Rating 4 out of 5]

File under: Social Disconnection, Psychological Suspense, Xenophobia, The Ugly Rich, The Millennial Mindset, Food & Travel.

4.5 Stars

[Claire Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Animals really grew on me. I wasn't sure at first: a couple of rich girls, one English, the other American meet on Hydra and become friends. When out walking, they come across a migrant, whom they suppose has come from Turkey and they decide to secretly help him. So far, so okay, but then things get weird. The English girl cooks up a plan that goes badly wrong and the book takes on a very different shape with a private detective and a chase through Italy. Although events turn dramatic Osborne keeps the pace steady, which I really liked, and doesn't stop his descriptions of landscape and sea which I also really enjoyed. I was worried that he wouldn't be able to resist ramping up the ending, but no, that was beautifully down-played too.
(Some of the writing especially towards the beginning felt a little overwrought, but this is a minor point.)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start with the actual writing. Lawrence Osborne has crafted a beautiful novel. This is one of those novels that while reading, you feel as if you are floating on some perfect cloud of perfect imagery, description, and dialogue. This is masterful writing that requires thinking and feeling on your part as a reader. Moreover, I cannot imagine how anyone could read this book without developing overwhelming wanderlust. The descriptions of the landscape, food, alcohol, people, etc. have solidified my desire and need to visit Greece (and Italy).

Similar to an issue I had recently with another novel, there was not one character in this novel that I liked, or even respected for that matter. Naomi has lived an overly privileged life, with the exception of the death of her mother when Naomi was a teenager. Living in London with family homes in Italy and Greece, Naomi has been sheltered and spoiled beyond belief, although she was also extremely intelligent and independent. Her father Jimmie and her stepmother Phaine were basically narcissistic, alcoholic social climbers with even fewer redeeming qualities than Naomi.

Sam and her family were wealthy New Yorkers, but much less pretentious than Naomi’s family. There were several references to Sam playing Scrabble with her father or going to the beach with her mother – things that would never have occurred with Naomi’s family. Remaining characters included the angry and diabolical maid Carissa, Faoed the illegal young man from Syria, and Jimmie’s friend and odd, secretive business partner Rockhold. All of them had equally unpleasant characteristics.

Regarding the overall plot of the novel, I found it unique, engaging, and interesting. This wasn’t the best novel for me to take along on a weekend camping trip, but I did find myself captivated and unable to put it down. This wasn’t just a “rich girl helping a refugee story,” but something much more complex about people in general. Why are people willing to risk so much for a stranger? Why do some people feel compelled to put their own family at risk for a cause? What has happened in a person’s life to make them completely numb to consequences of one’s behavior?

As always, I don’t want to give spoilers, but this novel is a shining example of a wealthy, spoiled woman that feels so entitled she is unable to look beyond herself. Naomi frequently plays the “I had a bad parent card” throughout the novel as a justification to herself and others, but it did nothing to inspire me to be more tolerant of her.

Readers that enjoy higher-level writing that is thought-provoking (both good and bad), should enjoy and respect this novel. I loved the writing, as well as, the overall plot idea. However, if you need to make a connection with a particular character in order to enjoy a novel, Beautiful Animals is not the book for you.

*Thanks to Blogging for Books for this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tossed up for a long time whether this was a 2 or 3 star read for me. Beautiful Animals is a novel which had a lot of potential, most of which, in my opinion, wasn’t realised. It could have been a great novel about the refugee crisis in Europe, or it could have been a great novel about the self-centred nature of wealth and privilege. In the end, it was an average novel about both. I found the plot lacked pace where it was needed, and the were almost too many threads, none of which were fully explored. The characters were all a bit flat and superficial. At some points I recognise that this was the intention, but the end result was that I didn’t really care about what was happening to any of them. I decided to go with the third star, because in amongst all this, there were some nicely drawn observations of human nature, especially in Naomi and Sam, but on the whole it just didn’t really come together for me.

[Lotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️(?)
Ikke at det var en dårlig bok, bare ikke boken for meg🤡🍷👀

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very deceptive book. It starts out as the story of two young women, one American (Sam) and one British (Naomi), meeting on a Greek island. Both are from wealthy backgrounds and money seems abundant. As they wander around the island, they come across an Arab man (later we learn he is call Faoud) who has apparently been washed ashore while fleeing the crisis across the sea. The girls decide to make Faoud a "project": they will look after him and, possibly, help him escape to a better life in Europe.

I say "apparently" because all may not be what it seems. But perhaps it is! The book starts very slowly and I really wasn’t sure I was going to like it. But then, almost without you realising it, it creeps up on you and you find yourself wondering if everyone is being honest. Does one (or more) character have an ulterior motive? Is there going to be a big reveal where we discover the evil plan someone has been plotting? It could be Naomi. Perhaps it is Sam (less likely). Faoud, maybe? Or could it be the maid, Carissa?

Or could it be the author playing with his readers? Who is playing whom? Is Naomi as potentially dangerous as she seems? What’s with the possible sexual tension between the two girls? Does someone know more than they are revealing?

Then, at almost the halfway mark, a plan goes badly awry and the story splits in two as we follow someone on the run in Italy and others who remain back on the island. Still we are unsure whether the plan really has failed or whether someone perhaps wanted it to play out this way.

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but suddenly I realised I was absorbed in the book.

Osborne has a fairly detached writing style. I remember when I read his Hunters in the Dark, I noticed a phrase about dancers that said "footsure and elegant and distant" and that seemed a perfect summary of the writing. It feels that way again here. It's not fanciful writing, but it is effective.

I'm not going to talk about the story and how things do or don’t pull together at the end. Suffice to say I went from being very unsure about the book to really enjoying reading it. And I’m still not quite sure how that happened!

[Brett Benner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started of totally intrigued by this story of an American girl on vacation with her family on an island in Greece who becomes friends with an older wealthy English girl, but by the end found myself both slightly bored and frustrated at the outcome. The girls stumble upon a sexy Syrian man who has washed ashore, and attempt to help him more because of an incident in the British girls past that leads her to do what she thinks is a noble thing. What plays out is disastrous and i thought the beginning of a devilishly fun cat and mouse game. Sadly, and with no spoilers here, it wasn't. Osbourne's a very good writer and the book certainly is much more than it's tawdry cover that looks like a sun tan lotion ad, but I was just hoping for some kind of pay off that never came.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently, I am the only person that thinks this isn't the best thriller they ever read. To me, it wasn't a thriller at all. There was no suspense at any point-how can it be a thriller? Spoilers----it was rich kids, murdered parents, they didn't care. Mystery arab man who we never learn anything about gunned down in Italy. WTF? I gave it 2 stars because he did a 5 star job describing Hydra and it made me want to visit the Island.

[Monerl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meine Meinung
W.A.S F.Ü.R E.I.N B.U.C.H!

Es ist nicht einfach in Worte zu fassen, denn es ist ein echtes Lesehighlight! Ein Buch, das ich gefressen habe und ich nicht aufhören konnte zu lesen, denn die letzten 200 Seiten habe ich in einem Zug durchgelesen.

Die ersten 60 Seiten plätschern ein bisschen dahin und man muss sich an den Schreibstil des Autors gewöhnen. Man lernt Naomi und Sam kennen. Zwei sehr junge Frauen, die ihren Sommer auf der Insel Hydra in Griechenland verbringen. Naomi ist Engländerin und kennt die Insel in- und auswendig, da sie seit ihrer Kindheit die Sommer dort verbringt. Sam ist ein paar Jahre jünger, Amerikanerin und verbringt ihren Sommer mit ihrer Familie auf der Insel. Sie ist noch recht unschuldig und naiv, was das Leben angeht, da ihr privilegiertes und behütetes Leben noch nicht viel von ihr eingefordert hat. Naomi ist anders, auch reich und privilegiert, doch charakterlich ganz anders als Sam. Naomi vermag sich auf ihrem Status nicht so richtig auszuruhen. Sie hat eine gewisse Unruhe, ist fast immer im Konflikt mit ihrem Vater und ihrer Stiefmutter und ist irgendwie immer auf der Suche nach einem Abenteuer oder etwas, das sie reizt und aus ihrem Alltag ausbrechen lässt. Der letzte “Nervenkitzel” führte zur Entlassung aus der Anwaltskanzlei. Als sie mit Sam auf einem Badeausflug den syrischen Flüchtling Faoud entdecken will sie ihm helfen und hat gleich etwas Unmoralisches im Sinn… Naomis Plan scheint absolut ausgeklügelt und doch kommt es anders, als sie, Sam, Faoud und die Hauhälterin Carissa denken und erwarten.

Nun, natürlich konnte es nicht gut gehen, aber wie der Autor so nach und nach die Geschichte entwickelt, ließ mich am Ende sprachlos zurück. Er zeigt die Verflechtungen und die Auswirkungen einer Entscheidung, die ausschließlich Naomi selbständig gefällt hatte. Doch diese Entscheidung zieht weite Kreise und beeinträchtigt das Leben vieler Menschen. Insbesondere auch von denen, die passiv daran teilnahmen, wie z.B. Sam. Obwohl sie am wenigsten mit dem Ganzen zu tun hatte, sind die Auswirkungen auf sie, ihre Psyche, ihr Leben am stärksten. Man gerät während des Lesens in den Strudel der Geschnisse und in den Sog der Geschichte. Abgründe tun sich auf, Verschiebungen von Macht werden deutlich, Fluchtwege werden verfolgt, Lügen entstehen und die Verteidigung hängt auf einem seidenen Faden.

Lawrenze Osborne hat mit ganz einfachen Mitteln und wenigen Figuren eine Art Thriller geschrieben, den ich gar nicht richtig benennen kann. Ich folgte der Geschichte, fühlte mich getrieben, obwohl sich alles recht gemächlich entwickelte. Ich musste mich einige Male zwingen nicht zur letzten Seite zu springen, um zu sehen, wie das Buch endet. Die Spannung war kaum auszuhalten.


Fazit
Dieses Buch tanz aus der Reihe und ist ein reiner (Lese)Genuss! Wer sich traut, über seinen Tellerrand zu schauen, sollte unbedingt dieses Buch lesen. Es ist ein Gegenwartsroman, ein Thriller, eine Art Krimi und eine Charakterstudie in einem. Lawrence Osborne nimmt den*die Leser*in nach Griechenland in die Zeit mit, als Flüchtlinge anfingen die Inseln zu überfluten und schafft es dennoch ein Buch zu schreiben, das nichts mit Politik am Hut hat. Es ist sehr atmosphärisch, schlicht aber auch düster und die Hoffnung während des Lesens überlagert stets das eigentlich offensichtliche Ende. Absolut lesenswert!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are mixed reviews on this novel but I really liked it! On vacation in Greece with her family, Samantha meets Naomi and the two become fast friends. Discovering a homeless refugee from Syria one day as they are on a hike, Naomi decides to help the man which eventually leads to unexpected consequences for many people involved--especially Naomi's family. Lovely images of Greece that will make you want to travel. It's about wealth, greed, privilege, and friendships; but it also turns dark. Fortunately, I don't have to love the characters to love the book as most of them are flawed and non-likable. Still it's worth a read!

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A migrant washes up on the shores of a small Greek island where the idle rich spend their summers. An unlikely crime is committed, a cover-up follows, and then a sharp, dogged investigator shows up and quickly discovers clues that send him down the right trail.

With these elements, Lawrence Osborne creates a nearly perfect thriller. My expectations, drawing on the standard fare of mystery and thriller novels, were--to my delight--foiled numerous times as the novel took unexpected but plausible turns.

This novel begins a bit slowly but gains steam quickly and grows more fascinating as the plot develops until it reaches the nearly perfect resolution. The characterization and pacing are very well done, and the prose is first-rate. Beautiful Animals is a beautiful novel.