Beauty

Jaime is an artist obsessed with creating the perfect face. To this end, he has developed synthetic skin which he can mold to his liking. To fund his quest for beauty, he uses his invention to perform illegal cosmetic surgery on aging starlets, models and other celebrities. His life is changed when he meets a young woman and realizes that she can become the basis for his masterwork. Manipulating her into agreeing to the necessary surgery, he begins to work on her, ultimately creating a look so stunning that it creates an instant media sensation. Her celebrity is a personal triumph for Jaime, a confirmation of his artistic genius. The only problem is that he hasn't been as careful as he should have been, and his work is starting to come undone... D'Amato's novel is a stunning indictment of modern society's obsession with beauty, a horror novel that confronts readers with their own prejudices and forces them to question what Naomi Wolfe has labled "The Beauty Myth." The commentary on our culture that American Psycho could only pretend to be, Beauty points out how impossible society's standards of beauty are to meet and reveals how hollow these standards are when examined closely. Upon finishing, you'll wonder how we ever let it get so far out of hand.

I read this book many years ago, and I really wonder how it has not been made into a movie? And how is it not revised and rereleased. this is a classic by D'amato whom I don't have any idea where he disappeared. Sophisticatly written, incredible eye opening controversial dialogues, women isuess of beauty and how society looks at it at best, and an artists ego. Look at todays shows like swan or extreme make over.. this book was written so much earlier with the same concepts and guess what it predicted where this is going to take our society towards. I am really sad it's out of stock. I'd buy a copy for every one if i was rich and pass it through. To the publishers and movie makers! this is brilliant material ,, look at it!

I have never read this book. But I hope someone who has finds all the beauty in the world and strays away from the ugliness that plagues life. Or opens their eyes and sees what beauty really is and finds there is no beauty in being selfish, shallow and superficial.

I read this about five or six years ago. I was living in germany on an army base at the time and the lady who ran the little rental shop gave me a box of books. All of them were utter and complete crap, by the looks of em, but "Beauty" stood out for some reason. I mean, normally, I wouldn't have read the book considering the books it was grouped with, but I gave it a chance for some reason. Anyway, it was very cool, yes. I certainly wasn't expecting what was inbetwixt the tattered, paperback concealment. I suggest whoever reads THIS read BEAUTY. READ IT!!!!! Do it. Read the book. Read it I say! And someone make a movie out of it, okay? That's another thing, you know. When I was reading it I thought it would make a nifty little flick.

I read this novel several years ago -- From what I can recall, the story brilliantly weaves ideas about natural/artificial beauty, obsession & the hyper-indulgent Manhattan of the 80s into a dark & provocative thriller. Brian D'Amato shows in his writing that he is intelligent, insightful & extremely observant. His latest work, The Wooden Gargoyles: Evil in Oz, is showcased in Barbara D'Amato's latest Cat Marsala Mystery, Hard Road. I eagerly anticipate his next full length book.