Good in Bed

Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed is the story of a year in the life of a late-twentysomething American woman: Cannie, a journalist on the Philadelphia Examiner, who has recently broken up with her boyfriend of three years (cue endless similarities with countless other books aimed at young Western women). Fortunately, Weiner's book has enough originality to break out from the mould, with an overweight heroine and a mother who has recently moved in with her lesbian lover. Good in Bed has its funny moments, dealing with humour and sensitivity with Cannie's status as a "larger woman", her bizarre family and her regrets at splitting up with Bruce, but there is often more a feeling of pathos than laughter. Cannie is not a tragic figure through her dress size--Weiner successfully side-steps any attempt to pity her or her fellow larger women at a weight-loss clinic, taking the humorous path instead--but through her relationship and career predicaments. It is therefore not clear why Weiner cast Cannie as a plus-size, unless to drive home the eternal fact that whatever their size, all women have the same neuroses inside. Cannie's year offers more lows than highs--with a particularly heart-breaking low towards the end of the novel, which is unlikely to be read by anyone with even a wry smile--and it therefore is not a "feel good to be a woman" novel. For laugh-out-loud writing with a dash of pathos try Shannon Olson's Welcome to My Planet, but for sensitive and ultimately tear-inducing touching narration try Good in Bed. --Olivia Dickinson

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A gem of a book - Rated
This was such a lovely, deeply moving and uplifting book! Romantic but not gushy and so hilarious in parts it had me in stitches. I actually preferred this to Little Earthquakes and thought the author made some really thought provoking observations. Definitely more than meets the eye with this one.

Not Bad. - Rated
I just got done reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, and thought Good in Bed would be just the same old vapid chick-lit. Yeah, an overweight woman insecure about her weight. Wow, that's reinventing the wheel. Yet Cannie was different. She wasn't middle aged, like most protagonists in such works, she was in her late twenties. She wasn't an unattractive recluse who did nothing but eat all day. She was actual cultured, articulate and intelligent with an active social life. The book tended to be a bit topical at times, like Cannie's mother announcing at 56 years old she's a lesbian. But Cannie is uncomfortable with this, like most people would be. Despite being a Princeton graduate, living in Philadelphia, working for a newspaper their (a recipe for being a liberal if I ever heard one) Cannie cannot bring herself to put on a happy face about this development. Even the more farfetched events that take place don't seem so farfetched when written in Cannie's glib, self-deprecating voice. While not much on plot (an aspect that doesn't bother me as characters should dictate your plot not the other way around) the characters and stories are more than engaging. If you missed Tino Georgiou's novel--The Fates, I'd recommend reading that instead.

Don't judge THIS book by it's cover (or title)! - Rated
This novel goes far beyond classic chick-lit. It has all the `benefits' of classic chick-lit (funny, motivational, deals with self esteem and body / weight issues) but it drives its message home in an very different way ... it is honest, hard-hitting but also heart-warming, and puts daily angst into perspective in a very positive way.

AN ADDICTIVE, COMFORTING READ - Rated
possibly the best book i have read for a decade, so very comforting to read (over and over again!!)Cannie is observant, confident, witty and reassuringly not a size 2, not all of us are built like wire coat hangers with lipstick, the book is so very accurate in so many ways, particulary when dealing with society's obsessions of perfection, I also thought the ending was unpredictable, but the best bit was Cannie's own article written after her daughter was born refering to the fact that there are worst things in life than having an ample figure, namely the health of her daughter, her article really puts everything into perspective as does the entire book..

What A Great Novel - Rated
I absolutely adored this novel. Too many reasons why but I will say romance,passion and everything a good book should be is here for the taking.