Not So "Good in Bed"
Liz Tamny, who wrote an excellent response to Shallow Hal when it came out last year, has written a great review of Good in Bed, a book that has met nearly-universal applause for featuring a fat heroine. But Liz takes a critical eye to the book:
Dr. K tells us not everyone is meant to be thin, but Weiner makes it clear in her story-telling, with Cannie's interest in food compared to thin characters', that thin people don't eat much and fat people do and that's how it happens.Check it out and let me know what you think.
The Enormous Size 10 | You Can't Be A Fat Vegetarian!
Posted by paul on September 3, 2002| Lisa Nichols |
September 4th, 2002 | Link |
You know, I read Good in Bed
You know, I read Good in Bed last year, and enjoyed it, but after I finished it, something about it niggled at the back of my brain. It wasn't until I read this review that I figured out what it was. Liz Tamny managed to put her finger on what I could not.
As an aspiring novelist myself, I'm starting to feel like a challenge has been thrown down. I'm debating trying to meet it. ;)
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| Emily |
September 4th, 2002 | Link |
Now I'm curious. Is this
Now I'm curious. Is this just a romance novel or is there any more to it? My usual fare is sci-fi & epic fantasy. :)
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| Lisa Nichols |
September 4th, 2002 | Link |
It's pretty much your basic
It's pretty much your basic Bridget Jones clone. Single woman, living in the 90s with her little dog. Trials, tribulations, angst, career, boyfriends, blahblahblah. My usual fare is more the sci-fi/fantasy route too. :)
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| Emily |
September 4th, 2002 | Link |
Hmmm...may have to check it
Hmmm...may have to check it out one of these days. I also write a lot of sci-fi & fantasy, haven't had more than a few poems published though. But it's good stress relief. :)
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| Nancy Lebovitz |
September 19th, 2002 | Link |
I didn't have a problem with
I didn't have a problem with the _Good in Bed_ main character liking food--there's got to be some way of saying that (many) fat people enjoy eating, and that's just fine. (See also _Fat Camp Commandos_ and _The Afterlife Diet_ by Daniel Pinkwater.)
I've been told that it's a soap opera plot rather than a romance--I'm not sure what the distinction is, but I've found that while I detest the standard romance (falling in love with someone who you probably shouldn't trust), I get memerized by stories about an eminently suitable person falling in love with the main charater, but the main character is too busy/distracted to notice for most of the book.
Back to _Good in Bed_: What I found interesting/disquieting about it was the way the main character handles anger. Some of the best and worst things in her life happen as a result of her temper, and I don't think the author knows the difference between useful expression and dangerous dumping. (I've heard the author speak.)
_Good in Bed_ is a very Philadelphia centered book--I found that the Morning Glory diner really does have excellent frittatas, and the guy sends the main character a care package that includes TastyCakes.
It's not one of the great classics, but it's solidly fat accepting and a pleasant read. I spent some time after I finished it thinking about the characters, which is rather a good sign.
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