Beautiful Animals
A Novel
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3.7 • 51 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"Let’s not mince words. This is a great book. Truly difficult to put down... sophisticated, smart and uncomfortable, and the story is cracking." – Lionel Shriver, Washington Post
"Startlingly good...Osborne has been described as an heir to Graham Greene, and he shares with Greene an interest in what might be called the moral thriller.” – Katie Kitamura, New York Times Book Review
"A seductively menacing new thriller by Lawrence Osborne...who unites Graham Greene’s fondness for foreign soil with Patricia Highsmith’s fascination with the nastier coils of the human psyche.” –NPR’s “Fresh Air"
FINANCIAL TIMES SUMMER PICK 2017
GUARDIAN BEST HOLIDAY READS 2017
On a hike during a white-hot summer break on the Greek island of Hydra, Naomi and Samantha make a startling discovery: a man named Faoud, sleeping heavily, exposed to the elements, but still alive. Naomi, the daughter of a wealthy British art collector who has owned a villa in the exclusive hills for decades, convinces Sam, a younger American girl on vacation with her family, to help this stranger. As the two women learn more about the man, a migrant from Syria and a casualty of the crisis raging across the Aegean Sea, their own burgeoning friendship intensifies. But when their seemingly simple plan to help Faoud unravels all must face the horrific consequences they have set in motion.
In this brilliant psychological study of manipulation and greed, Lawrence Osborne explores the dark heart of friendship, and shows just how often the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Actor Campbell provides the vocals for the audio edition of Osborne's novel. Rich and charismatic Naomi is living at her parents' villa on the Greek island of Hydra when she meets Samantha, who is visiting the island for the summer, and the two become fast friends. Their summer takes an unforeseen turn when they encounter Faoud, a Syrian refugee washed ashore. With an aristocrat's penchant for mischief, Naomi convinces Samantha to help gather funds for Faoud to move into Europe by staging a robbery at Naomi's parents' house a plan that has dire consequences. Osborne's languid prose captures the beauty of a Greek island in summer. His keen use of dialogue conveys the power dynamics among the characters, particularly Naomi's dominance over Samantha. Campbell reads with a deep baritone voice that's both enticing and easy to follow. His smooth delivery and light emphasis initially come across as neutral but, as the story progresses, he mimics the air of resentment and arrogance that reverberates through Naomi's life. He isn't always able to capture the tense moments in the plot, such as when Naomi is confronted by the police and when Faoud is within reach of escape to a new life. As a result, the story is slow moving. A Hogarth hardcover.
