megan_montgomery's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
oliviaja's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Hate crime, Body horror, Grief, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Medical trauma, and Medical content
bibliodanafiles's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
vaticerratic's review against another edition
A little novella that is at once earthy and ethereal. I found it by turns too transparent, too opaque, and satisfyingly diaphanous.
A queer book about a world ravaged by a plague that you *can't* *not* read as AIDS. In an essay at the end, Bellatin notes that some readers might interpret the text as addressing "one disease in particular" and then goes on to say he considers all readings "valid." I'm not sure the artifice was effective here. Why not just say AIDS?
The narrator, once the proprietor of a beauty salon, has turned his establishment into a "moridero" (a place to die--like hospice but less euphemistic). He dedicates his life to the most sickly men, and he never explains this immense generosity, meditates on it, or congratulates himself for it. At the same time, the book is interesting because he's so venal and just bitchy. This contrast is what I liked about the book.
The narrator also adorns his beauty salon with aquariums, though throughout the book the fish keep eating each other, or dying from disease or neglect. In other words, they're another sign of how insubstantial life is, and how profound the cruelty inside ourselves and around. The fish kind of encapsulated how I felt about the book as a whole: I couldn't decide if I loved it or found it too pat.
A queer book about a world ravaged by a plague that you *can't* *not* read as AIDS. In an essay at the end, Bellatin notes that some readers might interpret the text as addressing "one disease in particular" and then goes on to say he considers all readings "valid." I'm not sure the artifice was effective here. Why not just say AIDS?
The narrator, once the proprietor of a beauty salon, has turned his establishment into a "moridero" (a place to die--like hospice but less euphemistic). He dedicates his life to the most sickly men, and he never explains this immense generosity, meditates on it, or congratulates himself for it. At the same time, the book is interesting because he's so venal and just bitchy. This contrast is what I liked about the book.
The narrator also adorns his beauty salon with aquariums, though throughout the book the fish keep eating each other, or dying from disease or neglect. In other words, they're another sign of how insubstantial life is, and how profound the cruelty inside ourselves and around. The fish kind of encapsulated how I felt about the book as a whole: I couldn't decide if I loved it or found it too pat.
alaidemo's review against another edition
2.0
mi profe dijo que este libro nos iba a volar la cabeza. no lo hizo conmigo, pero me pareció interesante.
[aunque se trata del mismo profe al que no le gustó como agua para chocolate y a mí me encantó, so why sould i trust him, verdá.]
[aunque se trata del mismo profe al que no le gustó como agua para chocolate y a mí me encantó, so why sould i trust him, verdá.]
thesaltiestlibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I feel weird rating a book like BEAUTY SALON four stars. Not because it was bad, or because I disliked it. But the realness of it. Like...the AIDS epidemic was not something I was taught about in school. I had to learn about it on my own when I grew curious about how it all started. "Oh, four stars! Bravo! Everyone died, and you made us feel that gloom!"
At the same time, this book well deserves the high praise.
Our unnamed narrator transforms his hard-earned beauty salon into what he calls "the Mortuary." This new iteration of his previous life as a businessman sees him caring for the men close to death from AIDS. And the brilliant thing about this little book is how the disease is never named, but you know it right away.
The prose is simple, but I think that lends to the effect. We never get names, ever. We only get descriptions, and even these are enough to bring the point home. These stricken people died in solitude and agony. And our narrator cares for them with a gentle but firm hand in their final weeks.
As hard as it is to face the truth sometimes, we need to face them nonetheless. This is a book that wraps up the real suffering of real people. It doesn't need to be any longer than it is to get that across. And, in my humble opinion, should be required reading for high school seniors.
I feel weird rating a book like BEAUTY SALON four stars. Not because it was bad, or because I disliked it. But the realness of it. Like...the AIDS epidemic was not something I was taught about in school. I had to learn about it on my own when I grew curious about how it all started. "Oh, four stars! Bravo! Everyone died, and you made us feel that gloom!"
At the same time, this book well deserves the high praise.
Our unnamed narrator transforms his hard-earned beauty salon into what he calls "the Mortuary." This new iteration of his previous life as a businessman sees him caring for the men close to death from AIDS. And the brilliant thing about this little book is how the disease is never named, but you know it right away.
The prose is simple, but I think that lends to the effect. We never get names, ever. We only get descriptions, and even these are enough to bring the point home. These stricken people died in solitude and agony. And our narrator cares for them with a gentle but firm hand in their final weeks.
As hard as it is to face the truth sometimes, we need to face them nonetheless. This is a book that wraps up the real suffering of real people. It doesn't need to be any longer than it is to get that across. And, in my humble opinion, should be required reading for high school seniors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Hate crime and Excrement
ginavulpes's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ninj's review
3.0
Rather surreal, in a vague, non-specific timeframe as things collapse in a pandemic and the owner of a former beauty salon (now, The Terminal) takes care of terminally ill men.
lilianapeace's review
Quick read for ROMLANG 498. Interesting that once the salon transformed into the Terminal he stopped accepting women/female clients… curious to see what the class will think about that given our minimal discussions about how women were/are affected by AIDS. Distinct from other books/essays because of the braiding of the fish story — like two stories happening at once. I forget if there’s another word for that style of writing (?).