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Beautyland
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science Fiction (2024)From the acclaimed author of Parakeet, Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland is a wise, tender novel about a woman who doesn't feel at home on Earth.
At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced, but she reaches for warmth and light. As a child, she recognizes that she is different: She possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of Earthlings.
For years, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. Then, at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Is there a chance she is not alone?
Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland is a novel of startling originality about the fragility and resilience of life on our Earth and in our universe. It is a remarkable evocation of the feeling of being in exile at home, and it introduces a gentle, unforgettable alien for our times.
At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced, but she reaches for warmth and light. As a child, she recognizes that she is different: She possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of Earthlings.
For years, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. Then, at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Is there a chance she is not alone?
Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland is a novel of startling originality about the fragility and resilience of life on our Earth and in our universe. It is a remarkable evocation of the feeling of being in exile at home, and it introduces a gentle, unforgettable alien for our times.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published January 16, 2024
3463 people are currently reading
89896 people want to read
About the author
Marie-Helene Bertino
13 books1,053 followersMarie-Helene Bertino was born and raised in Philadelphia. She is the author of the novels Beautyland (Best Books of 2024 (So Far) NYTimes, TIME Magazine, Esquire, Elle)), Parakeet (NYTimes Editor's Choice) and 2 a.m. at The Cat's Pajamas, and the short story collection Safe as Houses. Awards include The O. Henry Prize, The Pushcart Prize, The Iowa Short Fiction Award, The Mississippi Review Prize, The Center for Fiction NYC Emerging Writers Fellowship and The Frank O'Connor International Short Story Fellowship in Cork, Ireland. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Tin House, Electric Literature, Granta, Guernica, BOMB, among many others. She is the recipient of fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Hedgebrook Writers Colony, The Center For Fiction NYC, and Sewanee Writers Conference, where she was the Walter E. Dakin fellow. In June 2021, "Disrupting Realism," an online master class and panel she designed to make graduate level resources available at no charge, was attended by 1,300 people. She has taught in the Creative Writing programs of NYU, The New School, and Institute for American Indian Arts. She currently teaches in the Creative Writing Department at Yale University. More info: www.mariehelenebertino.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,655 reviews
January 23, 2024
6 out of 5 stars. this shit has me fucked all the way up. sobbing. bye.
March 5, 2024
A mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam
Move along sci-fi readers, nothing to see here: Beautyland is straight up literary fiction. The ‘aliens communicate via fax machine’ hook is not a plot engine, it’s an entry point to the human experience. A slightly aslant frame around one woman’s relatively uneventful life, taking in the beauty and wonder and cruelty and sadness and absurdity of it all. ‘Beautyland’ refers to a discount cosmetic supply store, but it could be an alternative moniker for Earth.
Carl Sagan’s line about a mote of dust refers to Pale Blue Dot, a famous photograph taken in 1990 by the Voyager 1 space probe. In it, Earth appears as a tiny speck, 6 billion kilometres in the distance. The mental shift in perspective—a humbling/miraculous insignificance/significance—induced in the viewer is startling.
In Beautyland, we follow the Earth life of Adina Giorno, who believes herself to be an alien reporting back to unseen ‘superiors’. It’s a perspective shift that gives this novel an excuse to be relentlessly observational:
[Speaking of fifteen years in New York… there’s something wonky about this book’s timeline (1977 to 2020, give or take). I wish my brain didn’t fixate on these things, but given the space alien theme, I thought maybe the inconsistencies were clues to some kind of plot twist. In the end, they were never explained and I can only assume they are just errors.]
It’s hard to articulate exactly why Beautyland kept me reading late into the night. Its tone is in a similar vein to Rufi Thorpe, Vendela Vida, and Kevin Wilson—sort of quirky-but-grounded—and I would highly recommend it to fans of those authors. Beautyland is an engrossing, compelling, life-affirming read. 4.5 stars.
Move along sci-fi readers, nothing to see here: Beautyland is straight up literary fiction. The ‘aliens communicate via fax machine’ hook is not a plot engine, it’s an entry point to the human experience. A slightly aslant frame around one woman’s relatively uneventful life, taking in the beauty and wonder and cruelty and sadness and absurdity of it all. ‘Beautyland’ refers to a discount cosmetic supply store, but it could be an alternative moniker for Earth.
Carl Sagan’s line about a mote of dust refers to Pale Blue Dot, a famous photograph taken in 1990 by the Voyager 1 space probe. In it, Earth appears as a tiny speck, 6 billion kilometres in the distance. The mental shift in perspective—a humbling/miraculous insignificance/significance—induced in the viewer is startling.
In Beautyland, we follow the Earth life of Adina Giorno, who believes herself to be an alien reporting back to unseen ‘superiors’. It’s a perspective shift that gives this novel an excuse to be relentlessly observational:
‘The ego of the human male is by far the most dangerous aspect of human society. THIS HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED.’
‘Upon encountering real problems, human beings compare their lives to riding a roller coaster, even though they invented roller coasters to be fun things to do on their days off.’
‘The moment of silence under an overpass when driving in a storm.’
‘When you reach fifteen years living in New York... they surgically replace your heart with a bagel.’
[Speaking of fifteen years in New York… there’s something wonky about this book’s timeline (1977 to 2020, give or take). I wish my brain didn’t fixate on these things, but given the space alien theme, I thought maybe the inconsistencies were clues to some kind of plot twist. In the end, they were never explained and I can only assume they are just errors.]
It’s hard to articulate exactly why Beautyland kept me reading late into the night. Its tone is in a similar vein to Rufi Thorpe, Vendela Vida, and Kevin Wilson—sort of quirky-but-grounded—and I would highly recommend it to fans of those authors. Beautyland is an engrossing, compelling, life-affirming read. 4.5 stars.
February 28, 2025
Tender, captivating, and beautifully written. I had no idea what to expect when I picked this up and have to say it was a very pleasant surprise. Made me see humanity in a brand new way.
January 7, 2024
It looks like I'm going to be an outlier on this one... it was a very well-written book, it was entertaining and held my interest throughout. I liked the characters, I enjoyed the plot, it was all fine. But my main takeaway was that it was just... generic. A coming of age story about a girl who leaves her small town and goes to New York. The attempt to create a hook with the alien angle fell completely flat to me. It read like a novelized version of those "Strange World" comics by Nathan W Pyle with just a touch of YouTuber Ryan George explaining everyday activities like camping or birthdays in an unconventional way. "Boy these humans sure are strange, aren't they?" I do love both those things, and I didn't hate it in the book, it just wasn't enough to pull the novel to any real heights.
Grateful to Netgalley for the advanced audio copy!
Grateful to Netgalley for the advanced audio copy!
Read
January 15, 2024For fellow lovers of weird, philosophical, formally interesting coming-of-age stories!!
This book felt like a breath of fresh air in its warmth and tenderness. An extraterrestrial girl named Adina is born on Earth and grows up, trying to make sense of what it means to be human, in both its joy and darkness, from birth to death. Along the way, she communicates her witty and peculiar observations via fax machine to her ancestors on a distant planet. Adina’s self-discovery will make you feel grateful to be alive and occupying space with others, reminding you of the beauty in the mundane. Bertino has crafted one of my favorite characters in recent memory. This is an Adina stan account now!!!!
The novel has a fragmentary structure, which feels like the most appropriate way to tell this story; the novel gallops through time, parsing through bits of Adina’s life to explore her conception of loneliness and otherness. The result is wise, open-hearted, quietly sad, and earnest. Bertino crafts this novel with so much care; the novel is a fairly quick read, but I spent a week with it, savoring its copious ideas and construction.
One of my favorite passages in the novel is a quiet one that I feel captures the heart of the book: “Adina stares into the warm windows of passing houses. Every so often, she glimpses a moment of a stranger’s life. A woman holding a pot, crossing to a table. A man watering a plant. Every one of them has a mother. At the end of a long birthday week, salt air weary, the simple thought is miraculous.”
Read if you liked: The Idiot by Elif Batuman, How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti, No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
This book felt like a breath of fresh air in its warmth and tenderness. An extraterrestrial girl named Adina is born on Earth and grows up, trying to make sense of what it means to be human, in both its joy and darkness, from birth to death. Along the way, she communicates her witty and peculiar observations via fax machine to her ancestors on a distant planet. Adina’s self-discovery will make you feel grateful to be alive and occupying space with others, reminding you of the beauty in the mundane. Bertino has crafted one of my favorite characters in recent memory. This is an Adina stan account now!!!!
The novel has a fragmentary structure, which feels like the most appropriate way to tell this story; the novel gallops through time, parsing through bits of Adina’s life to explore her conception of loneliness and otherness. The result is wise, open-hearted, quietly sad, and earnest. Bertino crafts this novel with so much care; the novel is a fairly quick read, but I spent a week with it, savoring its copious ideas and construction.
One of my favorite passages in the novel is a quiet one that I feel captures the heart of the book: “Adina stares into the warm windows of passing houses. Every so often, she glimpses a moment of a stranger’s life. A woman holding a pot, crossing to a table. A man watering a plant. Every one of them has a mother. At the end of a long birthday week, salt air weary, the simple thought is miraculous.”
Read if you liked: The Idiot by Elif Batuman, How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti, No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
January 24, 2024
2.5
Could've gone further/harder in every way. This is a standard coming-of-age narrative masquerading as something more because of its half-baked sci-fi-isms.
Could've gone further/harder in every way. This is a standard coming-of-age narrative masquerading as something more because of its half-baked sci-fi-isms.
December 10, 2023
"Endings are hard."
This hit me in just the right way. We see Adina's life, an alien sent to study humans, through vignettes and the observations she faxes back to her home planet. To some of you, that's going to be an immediate yes. To the rest I say: trust Bertino.
This is such a quiet and beautiful novel about grief, longing, and belonging. It's about the mundaneness and beauty of humanity. It's also very specifically about being a bit lonely, a bit weird, and definitely having misophonia. 🙋🏼♀️ Let's just say, my Gen X heart is very attached to Adina.
For Hilary Leichter and How To With John Wilson fans. If E.T. was the first movie you saw in the theater and you miss Carl Sagan. If you pronounce it as 'wooder'. If you enjoy reading about joy and heartache. If you don't feel at home.
This hit me in just the right way. We see Adina's life, an alien sent to study humans, through vignettes and the observations she faxes back to her home planet. To some of you, that's going to be an immediate yes. To the rest I say: trust Bertino.
This is such a quiet and beautiful novel about grief, longing, and belonging. It's about the mundaneness and beauty of humanity. It's also very specifically about being a bit lonely, a bit weird, and definitely having misophonia. 🙋🏼♀️ Let's just say, my Gen X heart is very attached to Adina.
For Hilary Leichter and How To With John Wilson fans. If E.T. was the first movie you saw in the theater and you miss Carl Sagan. If you pronounce it as 'wooder'. If you enjoy reading about joy and heartache. If you don't feel at home.
February 1, 2024
Bertino skillfully dissects the alien nature of growing up and the complexities of human existence with dry wit, deadpan observational comedy, and incisive insights into life’s little absurdities.
This is a rare book where the concept and execution are both pitch perfect. Even if you dropped the fact that the main character is (oh by the way) an alien, this would still be a wonderful coming of age story. The alien angle is just gravy that Bertino plays with to great (tragi)comedic effect. Her writing is heartfelt, deeply funny, and without a whiff of cynicism about it. I loved this and can’t recommend it highly enough.
My thanks to the public library for providing me with a post-release copy in exchange for a pinky promise that I’ll give it back within 14 days. (I did).
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter and @thespeculativeshelf on Instagram.
This is a rare book where the concept and execution are both pitch perfect. Even if you dropped the fact that the main character is (oh by the way) an alien, this would still be a wonderful coming of age story. The alien angle is just gravy that Bertino plays with to great (tragi)comedic effect. Her writing is heartfelt, deeply funny, and without a whiff of cynicism about it. I loved this and can’t recommend it highly enough.
My thanks to the public library for providing me with a post-release copy in exchange for a pinky promise that I’ll give it back within 14 days. (I did).
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter and @thespeculativeshelf on Instagram.
January 28, 2024
Oof! I have to be more careful about what I read. And also, did I read the same novel as everyone else?
This novel was so heavy, it threatened to drag me down into despair. I was already sinking a bit this week, and listening to this book about the pointlessness of human existence didn’t exactly lift me up.
It helped that the writing was detached to the point of almost clinical as Adina, who believes she is sent to Earth to study humans, catalogues the endless banality and pettiness of people. It’s so bad that eventually she begs her “superiors”, via fax machine, to “please, please come get me. I’m done done done”
I kept waiting for the joy to come. I spent 97% of the book feeling no emotion except hopelessness, only to sob for about three pages and then the story came to an abrupt end.
This novel was so heavy, it threatened to drag me down into despair. I was already sinking a bit this week, and listening to this book about the pointlessness of human existence didn’t exactly lift me up.
It helped that the writing was detached to the point of almost clinical as Adina, who believes she is sent to Earth to study humans, catalogues the endless banality and pettiness of people. It’s so bad that eventually she begs her “superiors”, via fax machine, to “please, please come get me. I’m done done done”
I kept waiting for the joy to come. I spent 97% of the book feeling no emotion except hopelessness, only to sob for about three pages and then the story came to an abrupt end.
Want to read
March 19, 2025i love books set in places i love
March 18, 2025
4.5 stars
Don’t be put off by the sci-fi in Beautyland. Yes, the book is about an alien woman born on Earth who uses a fax machine to communicate with her extraterrestrial superiors, but there’s really not much science fiction in the story at all. It’s just staging and set dressing for what is, instead, an affecting, gorgeously written coming-of-age tale.
Marie-Helene Bertino has gifted us the best kind of book – the kind where not much in the story is spelled out to the reader. Bertino has a unique style, one where she often writes around what is happening, circling with her words the event or whatever it is she’s focused on without specifically telling you what she wants you to know. This, in turn, forces readers to draw their own conclusions, to think on the information provided and connect the dots. She makes you work for it. And because Adina herself feels separated from humanity and doesn’t always understand why people do what they do, I found the blurriness of Bertino’s prose to be both fitting and effective.
Yet for a character who misses so much when it comes to social interactions and the desires and needs of humans, Adina’s observations couldn’t be more on point. Her musings are biting and funny, simplistic but wise, to where I often thought, Why didn’t I think of that? It’s right in front of me.
Here’s my favorite fax exchange with her alien family, an excellent example of what you’re in for:
“The ego of the human male is by far the most dangerous aspect of human society.
THIS HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED.”
Most of us – if not all – have a little bit of Adina in us. We’ve had experiences where we feel other and different, like we've been displaced from our home. We know what it’s like to feel uncomfortable in our own bodies.
Beautyland – such a bright and poignant moment of connection, waiting to be read.
My sincerest appreciation to Marie-Helene Bertino, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
Don’t be put off by the sci-fi in Beautyland. Yes, the book is about an alien woman born on Earth who uses a fax machine to communicate with her extraterrestrial superiors, but there’s really not much science fiction in the story at all. It’s just staging and set dressing for what is, instead, an affecting, gorgeously written coming-of-age tale.
Marie-Helene Bertino has gifted us the best kind of book – the kind where not much in the story is spelled out to the reader. Bertino has a unique style, one where she often writes around what is happening, circling with her words the event or whatever it is she’s focused on without specifically telling you what she wants you to know. This, in turn, forces readers to draw their own conclusions, to think on the information provided and connect the dots. She makes you work for it. And because Adina herself feels separated from humanity and doesn’t always understand why people do what they do, I found the blurriness of Bertino’s prose to be both fitting and effective.
Yet for a character who misses so much when it comes to social interactions and the desires and needs of humans, Adina’s observations couldn’t be more on point. Her musings are biting and funny, simplistic but wise, to where I often thought, Why didn’t I think of that? It’s right in front of me.
Here’s my favorite fax exchange with her alien family, an excellent example of what you’re in for:
“The ego of the human male is by far the most dangerous aspect of human society.
THIS HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED.”
Most of us – if not all – have a little bit of Adina in us. We’ve had experiences where we feel other and different, like we've been displaced from our home. We know what it’s like to feel uncomfortable in our own bodies.
Beautyland – such a bright and poignant moment of connection, waiting to be read.
My sincerest appreciation to Marie-Helene Bertino, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
March 25, 2025
I loved Adina so much. She is unique. She is sweet. She is honest. She is observant. She is generously loving. She is brave. She is lovable. And she evokes a ton of sympathy with her longing to go home, her loneliness among her peers, her self-isolation from social norms.
A few nagging questions remain for me:
1. Do younger readers (Gen Z/Gen Alpha) know what a fax machine is or looks like or how to operate one?
2. Who has paying for the faxes? They used to cost per page transmitted. Adina and her mom were poor, so who was paying for them, and what number was she using???
3. Is she really who she says she is? I was ready to believe it, until one of Adina’s fans gave me an alternative theory to ponder. Now I really don’t know!!!!!
If you’ve read this book, what do you think is the answer to the last question? (Yes or no only please, in orders to avoid spoilers for others!).
Rounding up to five.
A few nagging questions remain for me:
1. Do younger readers (Gen Z/Gen Alpha) know what a fax machine is or looks like or how to operate one?
2. Who has paying for the faxes? They used to cost per page transmitted. Adina and her mom were poor, so who was paying for them, and what number was she using???
3. Is she really who she says she is? I was ready to believe it, until one of Adina’s fans gave me an alternative theory to ponder. Now I really don’t know!!!!!
If you’ve read this book, what do you think is the answer to the last question? (Yes or no only please, in orders to avoid spoilers for others!).
Rounding up to five.
January 17, 2026
amy book
February 6, 2024
Adina was born to a mother in Philadelphia but she’s not human. Adina was sent to earth as a newborn in order to report her observations back to her home planet via fax machine. We follow Adina as she grows up, meets friends, struggles to fit in, and deals with heartbreaks.
Despite the story being about an alien, this is no science fiction novel. Instead it’s a poignant, coming of age tale about the human experience written with a lot of heart. Beautyland is also deeply funny and filled with humorous philosophical musings such as, why does that one Anthropologie model always make such pained expressions?
Following Adina growing up in the 80s made me super nostalgic. I adored Adina and could have followed her for a thousand pages! This story is truly one of the best books I’ve read in the longest time and will definitely be on my list of top reads of the year.
I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by Andi Arndt. If you do decide to read Beautyland, I highly recommend this format!
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino was published on January 15 so it is available now! Many thanks to Libro FM, Dreamscape Media, and FSG Books for the gifted copy🩷
Despite the story being about an alien, this is no science fiction novel. Instead it’s a poignant, coming of age tale about the human experience written with a lot of heart. Beautyland is also deeply funny and filled with humorous philosophical musings such as, why does that one Anthropologie model always make such pained expressions?
Following Adina growing up in the 80s made me super nostalgic. I adored Adina and could have followed her for a thousand pages! This story is truly one of the best books I’ve read in the longest time and will definitely be on my list of top reads of the year.
I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by Andi Arndt. If you do decide to read Beautyland, I highly recommend this format!
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino was published on January 15 so it is available now! Many thanks to Libro FM, Dreamscape Media, and FSG Books for the gifted copy🩷
March 24, 2024
This is not sci-fi. If you are looking for another Hail Mary then you’re in the wrong aisle. This is a coming of age work of literary fiction. If that’s your thing, you’ll probably love this. If it’s not, and the ‘alien communicating via a fax machine’ hook snared you, move along.
May 2, 2024
This wasn't bad it was just a generic life of someone on the spectrum. 100% not science fiction and not even a tease of sci-fi like Haig's The Humans. The vehicle to comment on the human condition is that Adina thinks she is an alien put on Earth to observe humans. The sub-text is that people on the spectrum frequently feel like they are outside of humanity so not human.
It was fine and I suspect others will like it, it just is yet another entry in my list of books about "normal" lives that I just don't ever seem to be able to engage with.
It was fine and I suspect others will like it, it just is yet another entry in my list of books about "normal" lives that I just don't ever seem to be able to engage with.
September 1, 2024
A stunner. Quirky, poignant, magical, heartbreaking - I loved it.
January 28, 2025
This was so beautiful and heart wrenching and poignant and silly at times and devastating at times and UGH BEING A HUMAN IS SO CONFUSING YET WONDERFUL
March 10, 2025
I was happily reading this book… Curious and excited to know how it was going to end! And then it’s like the Author said “Well - I’m not going to provide you any resolution or explanation of the ending - just make it up yourself”. 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️!
May 15, 2025
My review below is a comment I tried to put under the author’s review of her book which was understandably denied because we aren’t acquainted in life or on this platform. It does however, perfectly capture how I feel after just having finished the book.
“I literally just finished your book and am gobsmacked (if that means totally in love with something and your emotions are all over the place). You wrote something singular, something so special, and I will be diving head first into a Reddit rabbit hole to read what others think. This is the first time I wish I had a book club or friends to talk to because I need to discuss all things Beautyland. As a lonely person, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating a character in a world that made me feel less alone and more seen.
P.S. Congrats on all the success lol”
“I literally just finished your book and am gobsmacked (if that means totally in love with something and your emotions are all over the place). You wrote something singular, something so special, and I will be diving head first into a Reddit rabbit hole to read what others think. This is the first time I wish I had a book club or friends to talk to because I need to discuss all things Beautyland. As a lonely person, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating a character in a world that made me feel less alone and more seen.
P.S. Congrats on all the success lol”
November 28, 2024
Speculative Fiction has a chance of succeeding when the reader feels they can place their full trust in the author, and thus buckle up and be "all in" for the ride. I thought I could commit at that level here, and was okay for the first half, but gradually I wanted off. There was progressively more and more of the same; fewer and fewer new insights.
The idea of closely examining the world through the eyes of an alien "probe" - in this case, a girl named Adina Giorno - as that entity journeys from cradle to grave is certainly interesting. Bertino does provide moments of touching revelation from time to time. There are some great laugh-out-loud moments. Some high-quality vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout (decepticated, tesseracted). Her portrayal of complicated grief, both for a dear friend and for a pet, are excellent. But, for me, these strengths are undermined by matters of Earth Science, modern Medicine, and Culture that are off; sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.
"The halal meat carts rumble past her bedroom window and the room fills with the tang of pork."
Halal pork. For New York City Muslims? Allah, give me patience.
Other missteps include confusing "heat lamps" and "phototherapy lights". Adina is already noticeably jaundiced at delivery, which is not a thing if the mother has a functional liver and placenta (which Terese does). "Air hunger" (a symptom) and the death rattle (a sign) may both be present near death, but they are not the same thing. Adina is afraid to fly on a commercial airline but is fine driving to and through Manhattan with no prior experience behind the wheel.
I see from the book jacket that Kaveh Akbar has boldly stated, "I'll be rereading this forever." That's sincerely happy news, and other readers may experience this novel more like he did and less like me. But, to quote Taylor Swift, Adina and I are never, ever, ever getting back together.
2.5 stars
The idea of closely examining the world through the eyes of an alien "probe" - in this case, a girl named Adina Giorno - as that entity journeys from cradle to grave is certainly interesting. Bertino does provide moments of touching revelation from time to time. There are some great laugh-out-loud moments. Some high-quality vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout (decepticated, tesseracted). Her portrayal of complicated grief, both for a dear friend and for a pet, are excellent. But, for me, these strengths are undermined by matters of Earth Science, modern Medicine, and Culture that are off; sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.
"The halal meat carts rumble past her bedroom window and the room fills with the tang of pork."
Halal pork. For New York City Muslims? Allah, give me patience.
Other missteps include confusing "heat lamps" and "phototherapy lights". Adina is already noticeably jaundiced at delivery, which is not a thing if the mother has a functional liver and placenta (which Terese does). "Air hunger" (a symptom) and the death rattle (a sign) may both be present near death, but they are not the same thing. Adina is afraid to fly on a commercial airline but is fine driving to and through Manhattan with no prior experience behind the wheel.
I see from the book jacket that Kaveh Akbar has boldly stated, "I'll be rereading this forever." That's sincerely happy news, and other readers may experience this novel more like he did and less like me. But, to quote Taylor Swift, Adina and I are never, ever, ever getting back together.
2.5 stars
July 3, 2024
"She opens the window, and the halal food carts smell of pork fills the room" very interesting indeed
February 18, 2024
The novel showcases Adina Giorno, who is born to parents living in Philadelphia. Her birth is a dramatic one. Her mother almost dies and sees herself as wanting to move towards a bright light. Adina is different from the day she is born. We soon learn that she is an alien sent from a distant planet. Her mission is to report to her superiors on how humans think and behave. Adina communicates with them via a fax machine in the bedroom. It is an interesting premise.
I had a mixed reaction to the book. Some of the writing was fresh and original, with droll humor. I loved how Adina's mother was portrayed, but was frustrated with Adina's character, mostly when she was an adult. She didn't quite gel for me. Many of her faxes to her superiors were inane, in contrast to her intelligence (even with making allowances for her human age). And, as the book proceeded, her superiors' responses stopped. Adina was faxing her thoughts into a void.
Adina is portrayed as being on the autism spectrum. Themes include feeling different, alienation and loneliness.
The novel looks at Adina's evolution from childhood to up through her early 40's. We also get to know her mother, best friend Toni, Toni's brother, and eventually, Adina's boyfriend. I found myself preferring scenes with these characters, and also, the scenes with Adina as a child and teen.
Additional Note: There is a certain similarity to Agatha of Little Neon.
Content Warning: Cancer
I had a mixed reaction to the book. Some of the writing was fresh and original, with droll humor. I loved how Adina's mother was portrayed, but was frustrated with Adina's character, mostly when she was an adult. She didn't quite gel for me. Many of her faxes to her superiors were inane, in contrast to her intelligence (even with making allowances for her human age). And, as the book proceeded, her superiors' responses stopped. Adina was faxing her thoughts into a void.
Adina is portrayed as being on the autism spectrum. Themes include feeling different, alienation and loneliness.
The novel looks at Adina's evolution from childhood to up through her early 40's. We also get to know her mother, best friend Toni, Toni's brother, and eventually, Adina's boyfriend. I found myself preferring scenes with these characters, and also, the scenes with Adina as a child and teen.
Additional Note: There is a certain similarity to Agatha of Little Neon.
Content Warning: Cancer
December 1, 2024
I unfortunately will never get that time back 😭
The reviews that felt like this was emotional and amazing, what book did you read??? I guess this was not for me. 🙃
Yawn 🥱🥱🥱
The reviews that felt like this was emotional and amazing, what book did you read??? I guess this was not for me. 🙃
Yawn 🥱🥱🥱
August 7, 2024
I can’t even begin to tell you how much this book resonated with me. Chock full of symbolism in every nook and cranny. It was therapeutic, cathartic, beautifully written, original, and seamless. There’s parts that felt like science fiction and parts that felt that general fiction. I loved this. I’ve read a lofty amount of books this year and this is in my top 3 without any doubt. Believe the hype on this especially if you love symbolism and subtext. Blown away! Truly!! On my way to a beloved indie bookstore to own a hard copy.
June 18, 2024
READING VLOG
Major thanks to NetGalley and FSG for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:
Borders on twee and that indie-feel from the 2008's, but once you get into the swing of an alien girl sent to earth to fax back the going-ons of life to her homeland, you realize it's in Bertino's wry eye that you understand who we are and the way we act. Inventive. Fresh. A great sense of renewal. It sharpens its focus on humanity and, done brilliantly, on girlhood.
"𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘴—𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯? 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯."
It's also about grief and grieving (a very interesting surprise given I'd just come out of Akbar's Martyr!, who was one of the early readers for this book), friendship, and again, I must mention, girlhood, because this one is for the girls!!!
"𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘱, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦."
We're all a bit alien. We're all completely human. We are not alone in what ostracizes us, though we may feel that way. Because when you get down to it, there's a resilience in our species that will always overcome the worsts, to prove that there is greater good in the world.
"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦. 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵."
Bertino hits home with all emotional swells that it began hard to read the last few portions because my eyes started to blur. It was then I realized I was crying. Crying! Bertino got me good. And she will do the same for you.
Major thanks to NetGalley and FSG for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:
Borders on twee and that indie-feel from the 2008's, but once you get into the swing of an alien girl sent to earth to fax back the going-ons of life to her homeland, you realize it's in Bertino's wry eye that you understand who we are and the way we act. Inventive. Fresh. A great sense of renewal. It sharpens its focus on humanity and, done brilliantly, on girlhood.
"𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘴—𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯? 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯."
It's also about grief and grieving (a very interesting surprise given I'd just come out of Akbar's Martyr!, who was one of the early readers for this book), friendship, and again, I must mention, girlhood, because this one is for the girls!!!
"𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘱, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦."
We're all a bit alien. We're all completely human. We are not alone in what ostracizes us, though we may feel that way. Because when you get down to it, there's a resilience in our species that will always overcome the worsts, to prove that there is greater good in the world.
"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦. 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵."
Bertino hits home with all emotional swells that it began hard to read the last few portions because my eyes started to blur. It was then I realized I was crying. Crying! Bertino got me good. And she will do the same for you.
June 11, 2024
2 stars makes it seem like I hated it – I definitely didn’t. it’s more that I don’t think the book lived up to the full potential of its premise. I found out about it through electric literature’s march madness bracket of the saddest books of all time (lol), so maybe that shaped my expectations, but I think the emotional peaks / biggest heartbreaks of the book felt to me dampened, rushed & nonspecific to the character or world the author was leading us through? felt similarly about the observations about human nature, only a handful of which were stunning or singular, even from the perspective of a unique character. also felt underwhelmed by the memoir plot line. I think I’d blame most of this on how much of adina’s life this book tries to cover, all seemingly from the same distance – there weren’t really special zooms on more emotional or interesting moments (LIKE the memoir thing, which had so much potential!), & I think that muted this book’s impact for me.
February 23, 2025
Adina is born in 1977 to a human mother on Earth; but she is not totally of this world. Some part of her is also an alien, attuned to a planet with a collective consciousness, far away in the stars. Through a lonely childhood in Philadelphia, Adina faxes notes and observations on human life to her far away family. She grows up as the child of a single, working class mother, with few friends, but a fierce commitment to live as her own singular self. I really enjoyed the light-handed prose, the short slice-of-life chapters, and the insightful look at what it feels like to grow up an outsider. Adina reminded me of myself; she reminded me of many of my other oddball, queer, trans, or asexual friends who have always felt out of step with the lives of those around us. It reminded me, yet again, that there is perhaps nothing more human than feeling like an alien among one's peers.
February 8, 2024
Adina isn’t the kind of person who jumps into your mind when you first hear the word “alien.” By the time she reaches her teens, she is an underweight, bucktoothed, near-sighted extraterrestrial with an aversion to mouth noises.
But indeed, she is an alien born to a single mother in Philadelphia, from a faraway place. (Any similarities to the Jesus story are, I suspect, intentional). She is wholly of and not of Earth. Her mission is to communicate with her extraterrestrial superiors by fax. Her own planet, Cricket Rice, is dying, and she is asked to report to them whether the planet Earth is hospitable.
In ways, Adina is not unlike any person who feels different and apart from those who seem “normal” – people like the popular J girls – Janae, Joy, Jen, Jiselle, and the other Jen. She is far more sensitive and as an alien, she views the world with fresh and innocent eyes. She faxes interplanetary reflections like, “Human beings don’t like when other human beings are happy.” Or “Human beings fetishize no organ more than the heart”. Or more profoundly, “Every human dies. But the bad news is that every day they act like they don’t know they’re alive.”
But eventually, she realizes that to do her job correctly, she must get close to human beings. By doing so, she begins to learn that human life is quick, and human life spans do not give us time to feel temporally in proportion. As she begins to understand the quirkiness – and sometimes, the blessings – of being human. When a friend urges her to share her message with the world, she complies.
I expected great things from Marie-Helene Bertino after reading her remarkable debut book, Parakeet. Beautyland is a very different book, but it is equally stunning in its ability to delve into what it means to be alien – in reality, and as a kind of allegory for seeing things in a different way. I love this book and give a big thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
But indeed, she is an alien born to a single mother in Philadelphia, from a faraway place. (Any similarities to the Jesus story are, I suspect, intentional). She is wholly of and not of Earth. Her mission is to communicate with her extraterrestrial superiors by fax. Her own planet, Cricket Rice, is dying, and she is asked to report to them whether the planet Earth is hospitable.
In ways, Adina is not unlike any person who feels different and apart from those who seem “normal” – people like the popular J girls – Janae, Joy, Jen, Jiselle, and the other Jen. She is far more sensitive and as an alien, she views the world with fresh and innocent eyes. She faxes interplanetary reflections like, “Human beings don’t like when other human beings are happy.” Or “Human beings fetishize no organ more than the heart”. Or more profoundly, “Every human dies. But the bad news is that every day they act like they don’t know they’re alive.”
But eventually, she realizes that to do her job correctly, she must get close to human beings. By doing so, she begins to learn that human life is quick, and human life spans do not give us time to feel temporally in proportion. As she begins to understand the quirkiness – and sometimes, the blessings – of being human. When a friend urges her to share her message with the world, she complies.
I expected great things from Marie-Helene Bertino after reading her remarkable debut book, Parakeet. Beautyland is a very different book, but it is equally stunning in its ability to delve into what it means to be alien – in reality, and as a kind of allegory for seeing things in a different way. I love this book and give a big thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy
I requested this novel because I thought it might fall into that sweet spot between literary and science fiction, and it kind of does? I think fans of a more fragmented narrative style will find a lot to love here, but those hoping for a truly alien-alien story might want to look elsewhere.
Having decided years ago that I had read enough bildungsroman novels for one lifetime, I almost set this one aside, however I'm glad I stuck with it. I fell in love with Adina for her humour and how she navigated a world she struggled to connect with, from childhood into adulthood. It's these aspects that make the former bookseller in me want to tell all the fans of Convenience Store Woman to check this one out.
I requested this novel because I thought it might fall into that sweet spot between literary and science fiction, and it kind of does? I think fans of a more fragmented narrative style will find a lot to love here, but those hoping for a truly alien-alien story might want to look elsewhere.
Having decided years ago that I had read enough bildungsroman novels for one lifetime, I almost set this one aside, however I'm glad I stuck with it. I fell in love with Adina for her humour and how she navigated a world she struggled to connect with, from childhood into adulthood. It's these aspects that make the former bookseller in me want to tell all the fans of Convenience Store Woman to check this one out.
"Voyager 1 spacecraft launches in Florida, containing a copper-plated phonograph record of sounds intended to explain human life to intelligent extraterrestrials.......The astronomers hoped to include the Beatles’“Here Comes the Sun,” but Columbia Records asked for too much money. It’s hard to make human beings believe in things."
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