Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61222 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'Simon Doonan's life is a tawdry and hilarious romp.' Rupert Everett. 'When I read this book I laughed and cried. For anyone who grew up in the fifties and sixties it feels like all our lives.' Jon Plowman, Executive Producer, The Office, Ab Fab, Little Britain. 'At last: a childhood memoir that's about coming to terms with fabulousness rather than incest or binge drinking. Who knew that Simon could write about growing up in a corner of England with as much wit, charm, and dead-on smarts as he brings to his chronicles of the luxe life in Manhattan?' Graydon Carter, Editor of Vanity Fair. 'Beautiful People is wickedly funny. Simon Doonan has an ear and an eye for sublimely bizarre details that will make readers laugh out loud.' Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and The City. 'Simon is a male Lucille Ball.' Donna Karen. 'Did you ever look at someone and wonder how they got the way they are? 'Beautiful People totally answers the question in Doonan's case. Read it - and weep! His tale of clawing his way out of the suburban suffocation of Reading to the manicured marvels of Manhattan is hilarious.' Hilary Alexander, The Daily Telegraph "Beautiful People is the very best kind of memoir: a cheer memoir" - Susie Boyt, Financial Times.

Donna Karan
`Simon is a male Lucille Ball.'

Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and The City
`Beautiful People is wickedly funny. Simon Doonan has an ear and an eye for sublimely bizarre details that will make readers laugh out loud.'

Customer Reviews

A beautiful holiday read!
This was my holiday read and I recommend it. This book, drink, sun-lounger, pool... perfect! It's very funny. Simon Doonan has a wicked way with words. I especially enjoyed his zany (?) but true-to-life view of things. I grew up in a different town and moved to London a bit later but the stories still reminded me of lots of things. I feel like I've met some of these people... or people like them over the years. Can't wait to see the TV series.

Charles Jamieson

The further adventures of narg...and they are fabulous!
If you have read Doonan's 'Wacky Chicks' you'll be familiar with Narg, his lobotomised grandmother. In 'Beautiful People', Narg is back and in full effect rampaging through the pages and what a joy she is to behold!

In 'beautiful People', Doonan describes his early years in Reading, his move to London and eventually America. The joy of the book is that it is so camp and over the top that you can't help but smile. Early on, Doonan describes writing this autobiography as like having a 'psychological enema' and he lays even the most embarrassing details open for our enjoyment.

Delights include; Narg (of course); his mother's quest to get bigger and higher hair; the wine making attempts of his father (parsnip wine?? I don't think so); a joyous holiday at 1950's Butlins and Blind Aunt Phyllis's guide dog, Lassie, who guides Phyllis into an open grave.

A pure joy! Camp, delicious and just what the doctor ordered!

The further adventures of narg...and they're fabulous!
If you have read Doonan's 'Wacky Chicks' you'll be familiar with Narg, his lobotomised grandmother. In 'Beautiful People', Narg is back and in full effect rampaging through the pages and what a joy she is to behold!

In 'beautiful People', Doonan describes his early years in Reading, his move to London and eventually America. The joy of the book is that it is so camp and over the top that you can't help but smile. Early on, Doonan describes writing this autobiography as like having a 'psychological enema' and he lays even the most embarrassing details open for our enjoyment.

Delights include; Narg (of course); his mother's quest to get bigger and higher hair; the wine making attempts of his father (parsnip wine?? I don't think so); a joyous holiday at 1950's Butlins and Blind Aunt Phyllis's guide dog, Lassie, who guides Phyllis into an open grave.

A pure joy! Camp, delicious and just what the doctor ordered!