Is Beauty Good by Rosalind Belben Review: A Literary Dreamscape 2026

Is Beauty Good by Rosalind Belben review reveals a novel that captures the hypnagogic state between waking and dreaming, a literary experience akin to free jazz. Originally published in 1980 and now reissued by And Other Stories, this eccentric polyphonic work challenges conventional narrative, inviting readers into a world where memories, dreams, and reality blur.

Belben, known for her unconventional style, crafts a novel that is both disorienting and mesmerizing. The book is divided into three sections—The Insatiable Wheel, Peacock Island, and The Great White Worm—comprising 30 vignettes, some just a single page. This structure mirrors the fragmented nature of dreams, where time and place shift without warning.

The Dreamlike Narrative of Is Beauty Good

At the heart of the novel is a narrator who is "a grizzled, cropped person," likely an elderly woman, lost in a landscape that may be mountainous or marshy. She drifts between memories of a nightmare-filled childhood and present moments of confusion. Belben's prose captures the "slippery state" that is neither asleep nor awake, a place where "I fall awake and think, I want to go home. But there is no home."

The novel's title poses a philosophical question, but Belben offers no easy answers. Instead, she immerses readers in a sensory experience—orchards with larks and swallows, "swifts to scream," and walls with "pink and blue angel" plaster. Each vignette is a fragment, a glimpse into a consciousness that refuses to be pinned down.

Literary Style and Structure

Belben's writing is often compared to free jazz—improvisational, dissonant, and yet strangely coherent. Her sentences flow and break, mimicking the rhythm of thought. The novel's polyphonic nature includes dreams of dogs and horses, adding layers to the human experience. This is not a book for passive readers; it demands engagement and a willingness to surrender to its logic.

For those familiar with Belben's earlier work, Dreaming of Dead People (1979), this novel continues her exploration of death, memory, and the subconscious. However, Is Beauty Good stands alone as a testament to her unique voice in contemporary literature.

Critical Reception and Comparisons

Upon its original release, the novel garnered praise for its originality. Critics noted its resemblance to the works of Virginia Woolf and Samuel Beckett, yet Belben's voice is distinctly her own. The reissue by And Other Stories has introduced it to a new generation of readers, sparking renewed discussion.

Below is a comparison of Is Beauty Good with other experimental novels:

Key Takeaways from the Review

• Is Beauty Good is a reissued 1980 novel that defies conventional storytelling.
• Belben's prose captures the hypnagogic state, blending dreams, memories, and reality.
• The novel's structure—30 vignettes in three sections—mirrors the fragmented nature of consciousness.
• It is a challenging but rewarding read for fans of literary experimentation.
• The new edition from And Other Stories makes this obscure gem accessible to modern readers.

Why You Should Read This Novel

If you appreciate literature that pushes boundaries, Is Beauty Good is essential. Belben's ability to render the ineffable is rare, and this novel offers a reading experience unlike any other. It is a book to be savored slowly, allowing each vignette to wash over you like a half-remembered dream.

For those new to Belben, this is an excellent entry point. For longtime fans, the reissue is a welcome opportunity to revisit a masterwork. Either way, Is Beauty Good is a literary treasure that deserves a place on your shelf.

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