Beautyland – Marie-Helene Bertino

When the movie “Elf” was released in 2003, I was completely charmed by Will Ferrell’s portrayal of Buddy, the titular character. His misadventures and observations about the humans of New York City lacking Christmas spirit were as endearing as they were comical. Ferrell played it straight, and it was easy to believe he was an oversized elf. 

Fast forward to my first job out of college the next year. Excited to share my love for the movie, I recommended "Elf" to a new colleague. Her response was surprising — she disliked, even hated, the film. Her perspective was that Buddy wasn't just naive, but rather a character with an intellectual disability who, instead of receiving help, became the target of jokes.

At 22, I scoffed at this interpretation and thought my colleague was being overly sensitive. But two decades later, I can see her point. There are moments in "Elf," a movie marketed as a heartwarming family comedy, that are undeniably cringe-worthy. If you have someone you love with an intellectual disability, Ferrell's portrayal of Buddy might come across as insensitive or crass.

All this to say, I thought about her take on “Elf” frequently while reading “Beautyland” as the main character, Adina, is not too different from Buddy. 

For most of the novel, Marie-Helene Bertino wants her readers to believe that Adina is an alien from the planet “Cricket Rice” born to a human mother in the late 1970s. Her sole job is to report back to her superiors (via fax machine) about the pros and cons of humanity, so they can determine if Earth will make a fitting home as they prepare to flee their dying planet. 

Following Adina from childhood to adulthood, she becomes an easy proxy for anyone who has ever felt like an “alien.” She struggles to understand emotions, particularly grief, shame and lust, and generally is fascinated by the simple moments that most humans take for granted. Taken at face value, Bertino’s characterization is cute – and the observations frequently profound.

[spoilers ahead]

But as we near the halfway point, a moment when I was growing tired of the schtick and wondering where things were heading, the author decides that Adina should release her faxes as a memoir, which naturally, creates an “is she?” or “isn’t she?” debate. 

It was here that the book fell apart for me. Up until that point, I was fine to accept that Adina was a real, true alien. Sure, how this came to be made absolutely no sense, but whatever, I can go along for the ride. 

But the introduction of this plot point, and the ongoing discussion of Adina’s otherness started to bother me. Adina was not the hero, she was the joke.

In reflecting on the previous plot points of the book, which included bullying, a quasi-sexual assault, failed relationships, lashing out in public and sympathy from strangers — not to mention all the discussions about her strange appearance — it became clear that Adina is a human on the spectrum. 

My enjoyment of the novel fully hinged on Adina being a true alien. When Bertino made me question this fact, everything that preceded the reveal felt tawdry. While others seem to enjoy this, it ruined an already mediocre story for me. 

[spoilers ended]

Even if this is a straight forward alien-living-among-humans tale, it’s still not great. And, if it’s about someone living on the spectrum, it’s worse. Neither premise is original enough to sustain a lackluster delivery. While the novel has its moments, and it's easy to understand its appeal, it lacked depth beyond the central conceit. 

While Adina (who we later learn is asexual?!) is interesting, her connections to other characters is mostly shallow, making it difficult to fully connect with her until the last few chapters. 

The beginning also felt rushed, as if Bertino wasn't sure how much backstory to establish before fully immersing the reader in Adina's world. It wasn't until Adina reached high school, roughly 30% into the book, that the various elements clicked into place.

But that doesn’t mean it’s good. There is essentially no plot, and the narrative structure is uneven. Some sections felt like an afterthought, with time jumps that disrupt the flow. Bertino excelled when she allowed the story to breathe. All-in-all, this felt like an incredibly long, short book.

Narrator Andi Arndt delivers a decent performance. She effectively portrays Adina's developing understanding of human emotions, while still retaining the detached delivery that is central to the character’s reports. If you’re going to read this, audio is likely the way to go.

Thanks to Libro.fm, Dreamscape Media and the author for a gifted copy. This exchange of goods did not influence my review.

Rating (story): 3/5 stars

Rating (narration): 3/5 stars

Format: Audiobook (personal library)

Dates read: June 27 – July 4, 2024

Multi-tasking: Okay. This strange and somewhat boring book jumps around a lot, so it’s easy to get lost in the narrative if you aren’t paying close attention.