Beautyland

Why people recommend it

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino is a whimsical and poignant contemporary novel about an alien intelligence sent to Earth in the guise of a human girl in the 1970s, who navigates the complexities of human existence while communicating with her home planet through a fax machine. The imaginative book has drawn high praise from literary critics. On July 18, 2024, Gilbert Cruz recommended the novel on an episode of The Book Review titled 4 Early-Year Book Recommendations, summarizing the plot based on a review by critic Alexander Jacobs, noting its premise of a young extraterrestrial protagonist coming of age on Earth and faxing her distant home world. Later, on December 13, 2024, during an episode of The Book Review titled Our Book Critics On Their Year in Reading, Alexandra Jacobs and Gilbert Cruz revisited the title in conversation. Jacobs and Cruz discussed the unique novel as a standout literary achievement of the year, examining its narrative themes and comparing its distinct storytelling style alongside Tony Tulathimutte's contemporary book within the broader landscape of modern fiction.