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Unamuno: Aunt Tula

Julia Biggane

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Aunt Tula (La tia Tula), published in 1921, is one of the few novels written by Miguel de Unamuno to...

Film and Female Consciousness: Irigaray, Cinema and Thinking Women

Lucy Bolton

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Film and Female Consciousness analyses three contemporary films that offer complex and original...

Midge (525 KP) rated House of Beauty in Books

Feb 14, 2019

House of Beauty

Melba Escobar | 2018 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Very Original Crime Novel

I enjoyed reading HOUSE OF BEAUTY, although, I think it’s fair to say, not as much as I hoped to.

I was lured by the premise of a crime novel centring around a beauty salon, featuring the murder of a schoolgirl, concealed by corrupt officials involved in massive healthcare fraud, all happening in Bogota in Columbia. It sounded like a brilliant idea for a novel! I was also drawn by the notion of a beauty salon as a safe place to go, where women can discuss their innermost secrets with each other with no male intrusion.

HOUSE OF BEAUTY was an interesting read which brought a reality that touches on current and pertinent social aspects in Columbia.

I did not enjoy this novel as much as I might have, as some of my enjoyment was lost in the translation. Putting the issue of translation difficulties aside, I found there to be some confusing elements in this novel and not enough detail about the motive for the murder and the ensuing investigation. The detail of the murder itself is very specifically explained which I liked. The book is told from the perspective of two women, after the murder of Sabrina Guzman has already taken place. Claire, a customer at the salon and ghostwriter Lucia, are both middle-class Columbians. However, there’s nothing to make their respective points of view distinctive, so I was frequently puzzled as to which one of them was currently speaking. There are also third-person chapters from the perspective of Karen, a beautician at the salon; from Sabrina Guzman, the girl who dies; and from Sabrina’s mother, Consuelo.

I was fully involved in the story and was keen to know how Karen dealt with all of her difficulties she had with her life, however, I felt that I didn’t really understand the precise reason for the crime being committed. The conclusion, although it had some interesting twists, did not bring everything totally together for me, but maybe that was the author’s intention. It definitely left some room for further thought even after I had finished reading.

All in all, I would recommend Melba Escobar’s HOUSE OF BEAUTY for its originality.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.