If you liked the British sitcom Beautiful People (2008-9) then give this book a read! The TV show was only loosely based upon it but the concept is the same – Simon, a gay teenager who wants to leave his home town of Reading on a quest to be fabulous, is planning a glamorous life with his best friend (Biddie in the book, Kylie in the TV show). His family are quirky yet they don’t seem to understand him. I read the TV tie-in edition and although the blurb suggests the family are the main focus of the book, a substantial part of it is about what happened after he left home, i.e. lots of madcap fashion adventures. There are memories from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s in particular. It’s an entertaining read but there are are a few mishaps regarding his privates that will make most readers wince. Mostly the book is fun, however Simon writes about loved ones he has lost. Simon became the creative director at Barneys NY, where he had begun as a window dresser. I especially enjoyed the postscript in which Simon details the fates of various people/items from the book.
First published as Nasty – My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints in 2005. This edition published by HarperCollins, 2008.