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The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty (2015)

by Amanda Filipacchi

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1638169,127 (3.43)1
"A magical and comedic take on modern love, the power of friendship, and the allure of disguise. Meet the Knights of Creation, a group of artistic friends struggling with society's standards of beauty. Barb, a stunningly beautiful costume designer, chooses to don a fat suit in hopes that it will help her meet the man of her dreams- a man who can see beyond her looks. Lily, Barb's brilliantly talented, unfortunate-looking musician friend, goes to fantastic lengths to attract the shallow man she loves. Penelope, neither beautiful nor talented, makes her living by selling hideous clay pots after convincing customers they've broken them. To complicate matters, the friends discover they may have a murderer in their midst, that Barb's calm disposition is more dangerously provocative than her beauty ever was, and that Lily's musical talents are more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Imbued with Amanda Filipacchi's characteristic twisted charm and absurdist, satiric wit, The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty is touching, whimsical, and gorgeously strange. "Filipacchi [creates] magic out of thin air. . . . One of our best satirists."-Neil LaBute"--Publisher.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
One of the most interesting books I've ever read! ( )
  Sunandsand | Apr 30, 2022 |
I can not explain this book except I found it to be a most compelling read (4 hours). It was lyrical, disconcerting, profound, intense & mystifying all at once.

The majority of the characters were not shallow, all were too human yet their kinship to each other and support was steadfast and admirable. ( )
  Auntie-Nanuuq | Jan 14, 2021 |
What an odd little book ( )
  rickycatto | Sep 9, 2020 |
If Joshua Ferris and Aimee Bender collaborated on a book, you would get this. (Although I have to say I think both Ferris and Bender are better prose stylists than Filipacchi is.) It's highly interesting, magic-realism-ish take on the importance of appearance in modern life and relationships. It's thought-provoking, to say the least, but the resolution is a little neat and the plot machinery a little clunky. ( )
  GaylaBassham | May 27, 2018 |
A Francesca Lia Block story for a middle aged, New York crowd . I loved the magical realism and the depth of the characters. Some parts felt rushed but there were moments that perfectly evoked the absurdly hideous beauty of humanity. ( )
  AmandaEndicott | Feb 21, 2018 |
Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
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"A magical and comedic take on modern love, the power of friendship, and the allure of disguise. Meet the Knights of Creation, a group of artistic friends struggling with society's standards of beauty. Barb, a stunningly beautiful costume designer, chooses to don a fat suit in hopes that it will help her meet the man of her dreams- a man who can see beyond her looks. Lily, Barb's brilliantly talented, unfortunate-looking musician friend, goes to fantastic lengths to attract the shallow man she loves. Penelope, neither beautiful nor talented, makes her living by selling hideous clay pots after convincing customers they've broken them. To complicate matters, the friends discover they may have a murderer in their midst, that Barb's calm disposition is more dangerously provocative than her beauty ever was, and that Lily's musical talents are more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Imbued with Amanda Filipacchi's characteristic twisted charm and absurdist, satiric wit, The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty is touching, whimsical, and gorgeously strange. "Filipacchi [creates] magic out of thin air. . . . One of our best satirists."-Neil LaBute"--Publisher.

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