''Nine Perfect Strangers'' is a 2018 novel by Australian author

Liane Moriarty Liane Moriarty (born 15 November 1966) is an Australian author. She has written nine novels, including the ''New York Times'' best sellers '' Big Little Lies'' and ''Nine Perfect Strangers'', which were adapted into television series for HBO an ...

. It was published on September 18, 2018 by Macmillan Australia. It is a ''New York Times'' Bestseller.

Synopsis

Nine people from different walks of life attend a pricey 10-day "Mind and Body Total Transformation Retreat" at a place called the Tranquillum House run by a mysterious Russian woman named Masha. Throughout the course of their retreat they realize that each of them are battling their own demons and all of them are subjects of an experiment.

Characters

Tranquillum House staff: * Masha, the Russian woman who runs the Tranquillum House * Yao and Delilah, her dedicated employees The nine strangers: * Frances, a romance novelist * Tony, an ex-athlete * Jessica, a plastic-surgery-obsessed lottery winner * Ben, Jessica's car-obsessed husband * Carmel, a single mother of four who was left by her husband for a younger woman * Lars, a divorce attorney * Heather and Napoleon, a married couple who lost a twin son * Zoe, Heather and Napoleon's 20-year-old twin daughter

Reception

The book received mixed reviews. Patty Rhule of ''USA Today'' gave the book two out of four stars, and said that it "does not match up to her captivating previous books." Specifically, she criticized the book for spending too many pages on character development. In contrast, Lisa Scottoline of the ''New York Times'' said that all the characters are "fully realized, with compelling lives, relationships and motivations" and that the novel is "thought-provoking, but never pedantic" as it "raises fascinating questions about our relentless quest for self-improvement." It was 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist: Best Fiction.

Television adaptation

In January 2020, it was announced that the novel would be adapted into a television series, which premiered on

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

in 2021. The series was co-written by

David E. Kelley David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney, known as the creator of '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', '' Picket Fences'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''The Practice'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Publi ...

John-Henry Butterworth John-Henry Butterworth is an English screenwriter who has co-written several screenplays with his brother Jez Butterworth. The brothers won the Writers Guild of America's 2011 Paul Selvin Award The Paul Selvin Award is a special award presen ...

, and Samantha Strauss and starred

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

as Masha and

Melissa McCarthy Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and tw ...

as Frances. On 27 May 2020,

Manny Jacinto Manuel Luis Jacinto ( ; born August 19, 1987) is a Canadian actor born in the Philippines. After several small roles on television, his breakout role came starring as Jason Mendoza on the NBC sitcom ''The Good Place'' (2016–2020). He has appea ...

was cast in the role of Yao. The cast also includes

Luke Evans Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, performing in many of London's West End productions such as ''Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in ...

as Lars,

Melvin Gregg Melvin Gregg is an American actor, model and comedian known for his roles as DeMarcus Tillman in Netflix's mockumentary series '' American Vandal'', Erick Scott in Steven Soderbergh’s sports drama film '' High Flying Bird'', Drew 'Manboy' Mille ...

as Ben,

Samara Weaving Samara Weaving (born 23 February 1992) is an Australian actress and model. She began her career in her home country, playing Kirsten Mulroney on the drama series '' Out of the Blue'' (2008). She came to prominence with her portrayal of Indi Wal ...

as Jessica,

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series '' Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significan ...

as Heather,

Grace Van Patten Grace Van Patten (born November 21, 1996) is an American actress. She has appeared in two films distributed by Netflix: '' Tramps'' (2016) and ''The Meyerowitz Stories'' (2017), and in Hulu's miniseries ''Nine Perfect Strangers'' (2021) and '' T ...

as Zoe,

Tiffany Boone Tiffany Boone (born August 27, 1987) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Roxy Jones in '' Hunters'', Mandy Lang in the second season of the FOX TV series '' The Following'' and for her supporting roles as Savannah Snow and Mimi ...

as Delilah,

Michael Shannon Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor, producer, musician, and theater director. He is an off beat actor known for his on-screen versatility, performing in both comedies and dramas. He became known for his frequent ...

as Napoleon,

Regina Hall Regina Lee Hall (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Brenda Meeks in the comedy horror ''Scary Movie'' film series (2000–2006). She has since appeared in the television series '' Ally McBeal ...

as Carmel,

Hal Cumpston Hal Cumpston is an Australian actor, producer and writer. Early life Cumpston grew up in Sydney and attended an all-boys school where he was heavily involved in drama. Both of his parents work in the film Industry. His father Jeremy Cumpsto ...

as Zachary and

Bobby Cannavale Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in ''Third Watch'', ''Vinyl'', and ''Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in ''Will & Grace'', which wo ...

as Tony. The series was directed by

Jonathan Levine Jonathan LeVine is an American art dealer, instrumental in the proliferation of lowbrow and street art on the East Coast of the United States. About LeVine grew up in Trenton, New Jersey. As a teenager, he encountered punk rock music and the p ...

. Filming began in August 2020, in Byron Bay, Australia.

References

{{Reflist 2018 Australian novels Australian mystery novels Australian novels adapted into television shows