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Illustrated portrait of Bertrand Ouradi

A character in The Line of Beauty

Bertrand Ouradi

Wani’s immensely wealthy father, whose fortune funds the couple’s elaborate cover story.

What they want

Business success, family reputation, and continuity.

The book

Cover of The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
The Line of BeautyAlan Hollinghurst, 2004

Desire, beauty, class, and conditional acceptance inside wealthy 1980s Britain.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Bertrand is Wani’s powerful Lebanese businessman father.

His fortune supports the luxury surrounding Wani and Nick.

He values family reputation and continuity more than an open account of Wani’s life.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • CommandingHis authority extends through money and family.
  • WealthyHis fortune makes Wani’s camouflage possible.
  • Reputation-mindedPublic respectability governs family expectations.
  • DistantHe remains outside Nick’s deepest emotional world.

If you like The Line of Beauty

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