The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst - The Guardian

When the novel opened, Nick was a sexual innocent, daydreaming about consummating his desires. Now he is a practised operator, able to fit a ... SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageBookclubAlanHollinghurstTheLineofBeautybyAlanHollinghurstWeekone:ellipsisLinesofbeauty...AlanHollinghurst.Photograph:EamonnMccabeLinesofbeauty...AlanHollinghurst.Photograph:EamonnMccabeJohnMullanFri22Jul201122.55BSTEveryonewhohasreadTheLineofBeautywillrecallthepartyatwhichtheyoungprotagonist,NickGuest,danceswithMrsThatcher.Beforetheeventbegins,ascaterersfussandtensionmountsintheNottingHillhomeofToryMPGeraldFeddenwhereNickisalodger,heslipsout"forawalk".ItisaNovembereveningand,filteredthroughNick'sconsciousness,wegetfragmentsofcircumstantialobservation:wetleavesonthepavement,thesoundoffireworks,duffel-coatedchildrenhurryinghome."Nick'sroutewasanimprovisedzigzag,andintentionglimpsedanddisowned."Hearrivesatthetubestationgentswearingafrown,"asifthewholethingwasasurpriseandanuisanceeventohimself".Theparagraphends.Atthebeginningofthenextheiswalkinghome,"[f]rowningagain,athavingdonesomethingsovulgarandunsafe".Inthegapbetweenparagraphs,Nickhashadsex.Theellipsis–thedeliberateomissionoftheencounter–isbothcasual(liketheencounter)andtelling.Whenthenovelopened,Nickwasasexualinnocent,daydreamingaboutconsummatinghisdesires.Nowheisapractisedoperator,abletofitatrystintoanunexpectedgapinhisday.TheLineofBeautyisperfectlyexplicitaboutsexwhenitwantstobe,butbythispointreadersdon'tneedtobetoldwhathashappened.Thisepisodeischaracteristicofthenovel'snarrativemethod,whichistosetuspuzzleswithitsomissions.Itsfirstsection,"TheLove-Chord",isdated1983.NickhasleftOxfordandmovedtoLondontobeginhisPhDonHenryJames.Hefindsalover,Leo,byreplyingtoanadvertisement.Theirrelationshipispursuedinpublicplaces:Nick'ssexualityisneverdivulgedtotheFeddens,whileLeoliveswithhisdevoutlyreligiousWestIndianmother.Attheendofthesection,withthehousetohimselfforthefirsttime,NickhasLeotostayforthenight.Thenovelthenabruptlyshiftsforwardthreeyears.Itisthesummerof1986andweareatthemen'spondonHampsteadHeath,whereNickandhisfriendWaniarepickingupRonnieforadrug-fuelledencounter.Muchhaschanged:Nickisnoweasyinthehabitofcasualsexandwell-versedinagaysubcultureofwhichheknewnothingthreeyearsearlier.Inthefirstsectionofthenovel,Waniwasabeautiful,alluringobjectoffascination;nowheisNick'soccasionalsexualpartner.Whathashappenedinthethree-yeargapinthenarrative?Corruption?Refinement?Leohasdisappearedfromthestory.WashespecialonlybecausehewasthefirstofNick'snownumberlessliaisons?WewonderaswereadthesecondsectionwhatdidhappentoLeo,andareteasedbyCatherineFedden'spassingreferencetoNick'sfeelingsforhim.TheuncertaintyiscarefullymanagedbyHollinghurst,andchimeswithourlargeruncertaintyabouttheprotagonist.IsNickasensitive,wide-eyedobserver,orisheakindofexploiter?Weslipaheadanotheryear.Thethirdandlastpartofthenovelopensonthedayofthe1987generalelection.TheprecedingsectionendedwithGeraldFeddenapparentlytriumphant,seeingtheprimeministertohercarafterhisparty.Ayearandafewpageslater,heisonthebrinkofpoliticaldisgrace.Onthesameday,Leo'ssisterarrivestotellNickthatLeohasdiedofAids-relatedcomplications.Wani,youbegintorealise,isdyingtoo:thenewsofhisterminalillnessmusthavebeenbrokeninthegapbetweennarrativesections.Astheelectionresultscomein,Nickrecallsascenethattookplaceinoneofthenarrative'sgaps,a"bleaklittleimageofapartingonOxfordStreet".Ithadbeen"thelatestofseveralunhappygoodbyesnotmarkedinanywayasthelastofall".HerecallshisfinalsightingofLeo,"threeorfourmonthsago"inagaypub,whenNicknoticedagaunt,skinnymanwithagreyingbeardandahatwhoturnedouttobehisclearlyillformerlover.Nickdidn'tgreethim,butleftthepubwithhislatestpick-up.Theellipsesinthenarrative,yourealise,haveenactedNick'sownsuppressionofhisfeelings.Inasense,theyareanaspectofhisself-consciousness.Naturally,thebookendswithanother.NickismovinghisfewpossessionsoutoftheFeddens'house;intheafternoonheistohaveanHIVtest:"Theweekaheadwasalreadyshadowedbythewaitforhistestresults."Nickisconvincinghimselfthetestwillcomebackpositive.Everycircumstantialdetail,thepeculiarbeautyofaLondonstreet,isgivenastrangeintensitybythepremonition.Butthereweend,"inthelightofthemoment",knowingnothingmore.TopicsAlanHollinghurstBookclubFictionfeaturesReusethiscontentMostpopularMostpopularBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStage