I don’t think there’s a lot of fiction about appearance makeovers for men [...] It wouldn’t surprise me if The Count of Monte Cristo (frequently referenced with TSMD) has one.
Not so much, if I’m reading it right. The Count persona is definitely striking, dresses very well, and has exceptional social competence, all of which Dantes lacked—but he’s also a lot older and I don’t recall him getting a lot of comments on physical beauty. It’s implied that he looks off-puttingly pale and intense, actually—there’s a running joke about him being a vampire. (One of his in-story nicknames, dropped in a lot of adaptations, is “Lord Ruthven)”.)
I needed something more exact than appearance makeover, I think. For men, the point wouldn’t necessarily be to look better/younger as to learn the clothing and manners of the class they want to move into.
Gully Foyle (The Stars My Destination) is a marginal case. He has facial tattoos removed, but scars remain. As a result, he has to learn to regulate his blood pressure so that the scars don’t show up red when he feels a strong emotion. I’m not sure this makes any scientific sense (the book was written before lasers), but it’s one hell of a metaphor.
Ah. In that case, yeah, The Count of Monte Cristo qualifies—though we don’t see much of the learning process. The closest female equivalent seems to be Pygmalion and its many imitators.
Not so much, if I’m reading it right. The Count persona is definitely striking, dresses very well, and has exceptional social competence, all of which Dantes lacked—but he’s also a lot older and I don’t recall him getting a lot of comments on physical beauty. It’s implied that he looks off-puttingly pale and intense, actually—there’s a running joke about him being a vampire. (One of his in-story nicknames, dropped in a lot of adaptations, is “Lord Ruthven)”.)
I needed something more exact than appearance makeover, I think. For men, the point wouldn’t necessarily be to look better/younger as to learn the clothing and manners of the class they want to move into.
Gully Foyle (The Stars My Destination) is a marginal case. He has facial tattoos removed, but scars remain. As a result, he has to learn to regulate his blood pressure so that the scars don’t show up red when he feels a strong emotion. I’m not sure this makes any scientific sense (the book was written before lasers), but it’s one hell of a metaphor.
Ah. In that case, yeah, The Count of Monte Cristo qualifies—though we don’t see much of the learning process. The closest female equivalent seems to be Pygmalion and its many imitators.