What Are You Looking At? The First Fat Fiction Anthology
This singular and delightful anthology of stories and poems told by and about "fat" people is compelling in its honesty and surprising in its range-morbid narratives of murder and dark compulsions mingle with thoughtful reflections upon fatness in relation to family, friends, and culture. Andre Dubus's "The Fat Girl" follows Louise, who loses weight and loses herself in the process. Jill McCorkle presents sweet revenge in "Crash Diet." Peter Carey's "The Fat Man in History" is a bizarre and mysterious tale of a small clan called the Fat Men Against the Revolution that ends with cannibalism and a twist. Like any addiction, the focus is rarely on the poison of choice but rather on the relationship of the addict to himself and his environment and is ultimately a commentary on the complexities of a world where people are constantly trying to "find themselves" amidst a confusing array of social conventions. But the real joy of this anthology is that there is no "message" or moral that is thrust upon the reader, only stories attempting to illuminate aspects of the human condition-as all good stories should. Highly recommended. (Library Journal - Ann Kim)