Publishers Weekly
02/20/2023
Science writer Kelleher (Handcrafted Maine) delivers grimly illuminating essays about the unseemly processes that produce beautiful goods. She examines what’s required to bring such luxuries as gems, makeup, marble, mirrors, pearls, perfume, and silk to market and contemplates their appeal. Musk, she notes, used to be harvested by killing deer and extracting their pungent glandular sacs; natural musk has largely been replaced by chemical substitutes, but studies suggest these artificial fragrances disrupt hormone functioning and might cause tumors. Waxing philosophical about the draw of mirrors, she links the madness that came over early mirror makers, who inhaled the fumes of the mercury they melted to create reflective surfaces, with the “insidious” “cultural obsession with looks” that mirrors enabled. Kelleher eloquently interrogates the allure of luxury items even as she remains clear-eyed about the damaging social expectations that drive their value, as when she admits she gets a “thrill” from makeup shopping despite knowing it’s motivated by unrealistic beauty standards that cause women to “exercise our desire until it becomes the strongest muscle in our hearts.” The author’s perceptive analysis and self-reflection raise intriguing questions about consumerism, aesthetics, and gendered understandings of beauty. The result is a thoughtful offering as precious as the goods studied. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Rigorous and lavish...it is sumptuous text, full of delicious facts and sharp meditations.”—Washington Post
“The Ugly History of Beautiful Things is an installment in the vanishingly rare and valuable genre of decidedly non-self-help books that nonetheless contain truly helpful ideas about how to live.”—The Atlantic
“[Kelleher] has a knack for nimbly threading together her own memories and tastes with the histories of the objects themselves”—New York Times Book Review
“A lovely book... the major pleasure in reading it is anticipating Kelleher's next turns. Kelleher writes patiently, painstakingly, with a sense of unfurling not unlike the meticulous act of plucking petals, one by one, to discover what lies underneath.”—Star Tribune
“Deeply fascinating essays...Kelleher’s message is ultimately a hopeful one: There is plenty of pleasure to be had by honing your eye to see an object of beauty instead of rushing to own it.” —Curbed
“Stunning in its prose...by book’s end, I got the sense that I’d spent 10 chapters with someone who experiences life so fully and with such agony that even shiny ornaments have the power to bewitch and undo her.” —Jezebel
“[Kelleher’s] extensive research and magical prose make the book almost impossible to put down.” —Maine Home + Design
“There are writers you want to read on every subject, because they are able to whip up such stylish, intricate, and sparkling prose that they elevate every paragraph to an event. Katy Kelleher is such a writer – her sentences are as beautiful as the diamonds and marble surfaces she writes about, but contain far more depth. Her research shines through every page of this book without ever weighing it down. Kelleher has pulled off a magic trick: she has written a book that is both sumptuous and airy, rich and gossamer. I inhaled it.” —Rachel Syme, Staff Writer, The New Yorker
“A lovely book. Kelleher's voice is curious and full of insight into the often dark histories of the things we call beautiful. By the end of this book, you'll want to go pick some flowers and listen to the ocean out of a conch shell, empowered by the knowledge of where that desire comes from.” —Rax King, Author of Tacky and co-host of the podcast Low Culture Boil
"Fascinating and richly researched. You'll never smell a rose or stroke a silk blouse quite the same way again – even if, like Kelleher, you can’t stop loving them." —Alexandra Lange, author of Meet Me By the Fountain
"Katy Kelleher's The Ugly History of Beautiful Things is an astonishing accomplishment—for its insight, its honesty, and its willingness to ask difficult questions and probe the darkest corners of human nature for the answers. Without judgment or preciousness, Kelleher takes us on a journey into the complexity, power, necessity, and aliveness of beauty. This book's strengths are many, but above all, it is Kelleher's restless, thrilling curiosity itself—which she turns inward as much as outward—that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page." —Chloé Cooper Jones, author of Easy Beauty
“Fascinating, compelling, and at times unnerving–Kelleher's deep dive into the nature of beauty and the material reality that lurks beneath its surface lingers in your mind long after you've put it down.”—Colin Dickey, author of Ghostland
“Kelleher has always been obsessed with beauty, and this poetic book is a careful study of its ambiguity and meaning.” —Kirkus Reviews
"Kelleher’s engrossing essays cogently explore the unsettling dichotomy between the precious and the problematic, the seedy and the sublime to vividly reveal the pleasures and perils in pursuit of ideal beauty. —Booklist (starred review)
“Kelleher eloquently interrogates the allure of luxury items even as she remains clear-eyed about the damaging social expectations that drive their value...The author’s perceptive analysis and self-reflection raise intriguing questions about consumerism, aesthetics, and gendered understandings of beauty. The result is a thoughtful offering as precious as the goods studied.”—Publishers Weekly
Booklist (starred review)
Kelleher’s engrossing essays cogently explore the unsettling dichotomy between the precious and the problematic, the seedy and the sublime to vividly reveal the pleasures and perils in pursuit of ideal beauty.”
SEPTEMBER 2023 -- AudioFile
These reflections by a thoughtful observer of contemporary life strive to expand our awareness of the things we appreciate to include their darker aspects--the Asian children who make our clothing, the animal cruelty required for perfumes, the morality of factory farms. Cindy Kay's performance conveys an eagerness to be understood that is at the heart of Katy Kelleher's writing. The Maine author writes like she believes in her observations and impressive research but is not sure she's reaching her audience. Kay's performance captures this desire to communicate in a way that makes this audiobook exceptionally personal. Succeeding as a memoir and a message of social conscience, this audiobook will move listeners to think with broader sensibilities about what they enjoy. T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
Ruminations on beautiful things with dark origins.
A love of beauty is an essential part of being human, writes Kelleher, a freelance journalist who specializes in design and visual culture. She admits that for her, the study of beauty is more than a profession, and she notes that her desire for lovely things rescued her from the depths of depression at several points in her life. However, she also realized that many of the things she loved had problematic stories behind them, which she explores while trying to find the roots of her own desires. The mining of gemstones often involves environmental degradation, and most diamonds are unearthed by workers who endure slavelike conditions. The author also loves perfume, but it has a troubling history. Whales were slaughtered for their ambergris, which was the basis of expensive scents for a long time, and other animals were likewise exploited. Many cosmetics have equally unsavory origins. The red coloring of lipstick, for example, comes from the shells of crushed bugs. Kelleher saves some of her sharpest barbs for silk, a fabric she has desired since she was young. The production of silk involves the careful unwrapping of silkworm cocoons, usually done by children. Even marble, whether in sculptures or tabletops, is dangerous to miners and masons, leading to numerous health problems. For Kelleher, all this creates terrible moral dilemmas, but she eventually came to terms with the duality. “I came to accept that desire and repulsion exist in tandem and that the most poignant beauties are interthread with ugliness,” she writes. “There is no way to live without causing harm. Despite all that, we keep trying. At least, I do.” Though occasionally pretentious and self-indulgent, the author has plenty of interesting things to say.
Kelleher has always been obsessed with beauty, and this poetic book is a careful study of its ambiguity and meaning.
