Explanation of The Novel's Title
The title of the book refers to the double ‘S' of the ogee shape, a shape which 'swings both ways', described by William Hogarth in his The Analysis of Beauty as the model of beauty, which protagonist Nick Guest uses to describe his lover’s body. For some characters, lines of cocaine are 'beautiful'. Another underlying theme is the difference between spiritual and material beauty.
Read more about this topic: The Line Of Beauty
Famous quotes containing the words explanation of the, explanation of, explanation and/or title:
“The explanation of the propensity of the English people to portrait painting is to be found in their relish for a Fact. Let a man do the grandest things, fight the greatest battles, or be distinguished by the most brilliant personal heroism, yet the English people would prefer his portrait to a painting of the great deed. The likeness they can judge of; his existence is a Fact. But the truth of the picture of his deeds they cannot judge of, for they have no imagination.”
—Benjamin Haydon (17861846)
“What causes adolescents to rebel is not the assertion of authority but the arbitrary use of power, with little explanation of the rules and no involvement in decision-making. . . . Involving the adolescent in decisions doesnt mean that you are giving up your authority. It means acknowledging that the teenager is growing up and has the right to participate in decisions that affect his or her life.”
—Laurence Steinberg (20th century)
“My companion assumes to know my mood and habit of thought, and we go on from explanation to explanation, until all is said that words can, and we leave matters just as they were at first, because of that vicious assumption.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)
“There is no luck in literary reputation. They who make up the final verdict upon every book are not the partial and noisy readers of the hour when it appears; but a court as of angels, a public not to be bribed, not to be entreated, and not to be overawed, decides upon every mans title to fame. Only those books come down which deserve to last.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)