‘Rouge’ Review: Reasoning with Our Reflection

“Rouge” by Mona Awad invites readers to descend into a world of reflection. The novel creates a surreal world in which outward appearances define us, and nothing matters more than the image that we create for ourselves. In doing so, “Rouge” challenges readers to dive into the complexities surrounding beauty. But the novel’s obsession with fairytales and its surreal tone may leave readers more puzzled than transformed by the time they leave its fantastic world.

“Rouge” follows Mirabelle, or Belle, a woman obsessed with maintaining her beauty. After her mother’s death, Belle travels to California to deal with both her mother’s physical holdings and the psychological remnants of their relationship. Belle loves fairytales, especially “Beauty and the Beast” and “Snow White,” and constantly watches YouTube skincare videos. The manner in which she unnaturally focuses on these topics is reminiscent of the accounting nature of other deranged characters, such as Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho.” Belle’s unhealthy obsessions are only heightened by her memories of her strained relationship with her mother, a gorgeous woman who seemed to emulate physical perfection. Throughout the novel, Belle tackles the envy, hatred, and love she feels toward her mother. Awad uses this twisted relationship to show the effect that parents have on their children and how certain attempts to make someone better can backfire and instead cause misery.

While the book is in many ways a character study of Mirabelle and her descent into the same madness that overtook her mother, Awad’s focus on her obsession with outward appearances and her relationship with her mother makes Belle remain a mystery to readers. It is clear that she is enraptured by an impossible image of herself, but that is as far as her characterization goes. The book would have benefitted if Belle was given more room to shine as her own distinct person instead of a reflection of her mother and her concerns of beauty.

Still, Belle’s character is used in a strong manner to communicate the novel’s ideas about the state of beauty in today’s world. Belle’s obsession with her own skin and how others perceive her echo the concerns that many people carry in the digital age, in which physical appearances are constantly being posted online and scrutinized by the world. Awad uses Belle’s character to show the dark places that people will go to in order to preserve their beauty, and the inherent dangers of the impossible search for perfection.

Awad mimics the style of a fairytale in “Rouge” by embracing a magical tone and a variety of symbols. The story is written in an enigmatic manner which, although signaling an attempt at complexity, may simply leave readers confused. The narrative also abounds in symbols — roses, jellyfish, mirrors, and the color red haunt Belle. Yet the novel’s characters spell out the ideas attached to these symbols too plainly. The characters surrounding Belle are not subtle about the connection made between beauty and the world. For example, instead of hinting at the strange relationship between Belle and her mother through the image of the warped mirror, Belle’s childhood imaginary friend straightforwardly tells her that her mother is stealing her beauty. The idea that symbols have power and can influence us is very strong, but these symbols are not used well enough in “Rouge” to keep their allure.

“Rouge” is surreal, mysterious, and even darkly funny at times. Yet it adds little to the fairytales it tries to emulate. While today’s readers may see 21st-century concerns about beauty and the self reflected in Awad’s magical mirror, they may also be distracted by the novel’s overly constructed world and heavy-handed use of symbolism. Awad’s book will ensnare those caught under the same spells under which Belle falls, but overall the book lacks a certain sense of enchantment that would bring it to the level of perfection that a character like Belle would seek.

—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.