Natural Beauty is a 2023 satirical horror novel by Ling Ling Huang that explores the intersection of beauty and wellness standards with social issues like classism, racism, and sexism. Her debut novel, it was published on April 4, 2023, by Dutton. It is in development for a television adaptation by eOne, to be co-produced by Constance Wu and Drew Comins.[1]
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Ling Ling Huang |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Kaitlin Kall |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Genre | |
| Set in | New York City |
| Publisher | Dutton |
Publication date | April 4, 2023 |
| Media type | Print (hardback), audio book, ebook |
| Pages | 257 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 978-059347292-7 |
| OCLC | 1335755735 |
| LC Class | PS3608.U22483 |
| Website | https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/718580/natural-beauty-by-ling-ling-huang |
Plot edit
The unnamed protagonist is a young second-generation Chinese American woman whose narrative shifts between her childhood as a piano prodigy and her present time beginning work for a renowned beauty and wellness company.
Her parents are also talented pianists who immigrated to the United States from China immediately following the Cultural Revolution. After they are severely injured in a car crash, they must reside in a long-term care facility, and the protagonist's struggle to pay for this care drives her to leave music and seek paid work.
Her new job demands that she undertake escalating measures to conform to the aesthetic standards of the company, and she must eventually confront what horrors these standards entail, both personally and globally.
Major themes edit
A New York Times review described the novel as "a meditation on vanity, the ways in which the pursuit of physical beauty can betray the other sources of beauty in one's life,"[2] while Publishers Weekly noted themes of "insidious Western standards, fears about bodily autonomy, and queer desire."[3]
In an interview with Vogue, Constance Wu said that "the themes of the beauty industry and beauty standards that we place upon women that are rooted in sexism, racism, classism" were part of what motivated her to option it for a television adaptation.[4]
Development history edit
Huang has traced the origin of the novel to her own experiences working in the beauty industry:[5] "Figuring out why I have visible pores and things that are totally normal started becoming exhausting, and that's when I realized I should take a closer look at why I've just accepted all of this as work I need to do."[4]
Reception edit
A Wired review lauded the novel as "a delightfully baroque grotesque,"[6], while a New York Times review said that its transition into horror felt jarring, but that Huang is "at her best when she skewers the narcissistic, corrosive version of self-care that can be mistaken for empowerment." Kirkus Reviews said the novel "ultimately moves too quickly to provide a satisfactory payoff on the many mysteries it lays out."[7]
The novel was among the New York Times Editors' Choice recommendations for new novels in April 2023.[8] It received starred reviews, marking it as exceptional, by Booklist[9] and Publishers Weekly.[3]
Natural Beauty was shortlisted for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Fiction.[10]
Television adaptation edit
Natural Beauty is in development for a television adaptation by eOne.[1] It is to be co-produced by Constance Wu and Drew Comins, an executive producer for the television series Yellowjackets.[11]
References edit
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 15, 2022). "Constance Wu & Drew Comins To Produce 'Natural Beauty' TV Series Based On Ling Ling Huang Novel In Works At eOne". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Hughes, Jazmine (April 4, 2023). "A Beauty Brand That Turns Self-Improvement Into a Nightmare". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "Natural Beauty". Publishers Weekly. February 1, 2023. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Khan Sethi, Parizaad (April 4, 2023). "Natural Beauty Author Ling Ling Huang and Constance Wu on Toxic Ideals and the Dark Side of the Wellness Industry". Vogue. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Huang, Ling Ling (April 4, 2023). "What Is 'Natural Beauty,' Anyway? Working in the wellness industry did not make me well". The Cut. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Knibbs, Kate (April 12, 2023). "Body Horror in the Age of Instagram Face". Wired. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "Natural Beauty". Kirkus Reviews. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "9 New Books We Recommend This Week". The New York Times. April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Dubiel, Cari (March 15, 2023). "Natural Beauty". Booklist. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "Announcing the Finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards". them. March 27, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Seddon, Dan (August 16, 2022). "Yellowjackets and Crazy Rich Asians duo team up for new TV series". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
External links edit
- linglinghuang.com, the author's website
- "Ling Ling Huang on the Intersection of Classical Music and Writing", a Literary Hub interview with the author