AmosL
11-07-2006, 05:54 AM
Burnett, Allison,"THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL". Carroll and Graff, 2006
Amos Lassen and Literary Pride
I love a book that speaks truth. I love a book even more that speaks truth beautifully and "The House Beautiful" by Allison Burnett does just that. Here is a book of ?inspired insanity and unsettling truth." Not only will it make you think but it will have you laughing aloud as you read it and you will feel so much better afterwards. "The House Beautiful' is subtitled, "a novel of high ideals, low morals and even lower rent". That gives you an idea what is in store for you in this tidy little novel.
B.K. Troop, a middle-aged, bipolar, gay alcoholic lives alone in a cramped apartment in New York. His best friend, Sasha Buchwitz, dies suddenly after he sustains electroconvulsive therapy and leaves B.K. her brownstone which completely changes his life. Having no money, B. K. comes up with a scheme to raise cash by turning his new abode into an artist colony and invites young struggling artists to move in and he will serve as their master teacher and muse. He names the place ?House Beautiful? and the novel is off on a rollicking start.
Burnett paints the picture of that one summer when he meets Adrian Malloy who appears at the door of the house with a suitcase and a garbage bag overflowing with what B.K. assumes to be his collection of poetry. He is soon adopted by the master of the house and although the likeness between Adrian and John Keats is amazing but the guy is not a poet. He has been studying astronomy and he has come to ?House Beautiful? for some very private reasons which he is not ready to reveal (and which I won?t tell either). B.K. being a snoop by nature attempts to find out what is going on by using strategically well placed peepholes and in learning the truth, he falls in love. This friendship between the two men and their love story is what this book is all about.
?The House Beautiful? is one of the wittiest and m0st clever books I have read in a very long time. The jambalaya of love, art, philosophy and the high cost of living is beautifully simmered on a low flame of wonderful prose and served delectably on a plate of hilarity. If you are feeling down and need a lift, this is the book for you. Even if you are not feeling down, this is the book for you. It is an absolutely delightful read and you will not be sorry you sat down with it and spent a few hours with B.K. and Adrian.
Amos Lassen and Literary Pride
I love a book that speaks truth. I love a book even more that speaks truth beautifully and "The House Beautiful" by Allison Burnett does just that. Here is a book of ?inspired insanity and unsettling truth." Not only will it make you think but it will have you laughing aloud as you read it and you will feel so much better afterwards. "The House Beautiful' is subtitled, "a novel of high ideals, low morals and even lower rent". That gives you an idea what is in store for you in this tidy little novel.
B.K. Troop, a middle-aged, bipolar, gay alcoholic lives alone in a cramped apartment in New York. His best friend, Sasha Buchwitz, dies suddenly after he sustains electroconvulsive therapy and leaves B.K. her brownstone which completely changes his life. Having no money, B. K. comes up with a scheme to raise cash by turning his new abode into an artist colony and invites young struggling artists to move in and he will serve as their master teacher and muse. He names the place ?House Beautiful? and the novel is off on a rollicking start.
Burnett paints the picture of that one summer when he meets Adrian Malloy who appears at the door of the house with a suitcase and a garbage bag overflowing with what B.K. assumes to be his collection of poetry. He is soon adopted by the master of the house and although the likeness between Adrian and John Keats is amazing but the guy is not a poet. He has been studying astronomy and he has come to ?House Beautiful? for some very private reasons which he is not ready to reveal (and which I won?t tell either). B.K. being a snoop by nature attempts to find out what is going on by using strategically well placed peepholes and in learning the truth, he falls in love. This friendship between the two men and their love story is what this book is all about.
?The House Beautiful? is one of the wittiest and m0st clever books I have read in a very long time. The jambalaya of love, art, philosophy and the high cost of living is beautifully simmered on a low flame of wonderful prose and served delectably on a plate of hilarity. If you are feeling down and need a lift, this is the book for you. Even if you are not feeling down, this is the book for you. It is an absolutely delightful read and you will not be sorry you sat down with it and spent a few hours with B.K. and Adrian.