Comments on: And again today…

By: Rei

Rei — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:45:18 +0000

Of course there are always fantasy characters, Tamora Pierce’s The Protector of the Small quartet’s main character Keladry is a bigger girl, hell she’s a knight in training – shes got muscles galore even if she is ‘thick waisted’ as her sisters say. Everyone seems to have a problem with her body except for her! They call her ‘cow’ and ‘lump’ and she kicks their asses. She’s one of my favorite characters of all time! She hates bullies and kicks their asses all over the kingdom!

By: Dolly

Dolly — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:37:46 +0000

Okay, going off my comment from way up thread, but I read Pat Ballard’s Wanted: One Groom…

Um, while I don’t think of myself as a literary snob ;), I still didn’t find it all that good–and I enjoy reading amateur, online fanfiction! I think in terms of having a romance novel that exists with a fat heroine who isn’t shamed for her body, the book is successful — but I guess I want more than that.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:51:51 +0000

1. I clicked the link to the picture of the two of you and got a “bandwidth exceeded”. Which kind of gave me a giggle.

2. Thanks for linking to the Mammy caricature essay – I love Dr. Pilgrim’s writings at the Jim Crow site.

3. Sweet Machine, was the character in Cider House Rules Melanie? Was she really only 175 lbs? She was portrayed as a huge, “scary” lesbian if I remember correctly (I read that book when I was 14 or so).

4. “Particularly if you’re reading what is basically a good book and then it goes OH LOOK I CAN HAS FATPHOBIA ISHOOS LET ME SHOW YOU THEM.”

Yeah. I second (or third) this. In fact in general, not just in fiction, I’m feeling a bit depressed that sometimes it seems nearly everyone around me can haz fatphobia issues. How do you find a way to enjoy the book, or the movie, and shrug all of that off? Can you tell I am very new to FA?

By: Kath

Kath — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:32:11 +0000

Try Kerry Greenwood’s “Corinna Chapman” series, I think the first one is “Earthly Delights”.

Her heroine, Corinna, is not only VERY fat, but she’s sexy, successful, popular, smart, loves her food, has many beloved friends, a gorgeous house, delicious cats, has a SMOKING hot boyfriend (oh the things I would do to that man if he was real!) and solves mysteries in her spare time.

And the books are funny, well written and delightful.

By: GwenOphelia

GwenOphelia — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:44:11 +0000

Eucritta, every time I read a ridiculously detailed description like what you’re talking about, I feel like that author has taken the old writing workshop gem of “making sure the reader can picture the character” too far. I think there are writers that have had this rule beaten into their heads and don’t realize the reasoning behind it. Description should be purposeful, not a mindless laundry list of attributes just to fulfill the “reader can picture the character” checkbox. Gah.

And Elise, as a publishing professional myself, I feel that editing is hit or miss. There are places that you can get hired as a freelance editor without having to take any sort of competency test…maybe this happened in the mythological 35DD situation. This is not a slam on editors; I have great admiration for the good ones, and have worked with some unbelievably awesome and reliable ones. However, I’ve also worked with some that epic fail on even basic grammar rules, so it isn’t a stretch to me that a 35DD could pass through.

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:08:49 +0000

Heidi said:”What bothers me more are authors like JK Rowling, who are apparently incapable of writing a normal, well-adjusted, good fat character. Every single one of her fat characters is either lazy and fat (Harry’s cousin), comical and fat (Neville, the Fat Lady), or corrupt and fat (Slughorn).”

I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read it, but reserve judgement on Neville until you’ve read the series. Neville Longbottom is a stand-up guy and a true hero of the series.

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:58:55 +0000

I haven’t read the whole comment thread, but I’d like to suggest The Number One Ladies Detective Agency. She’s smart, she’s fat, she’s funny, she has a love life, and it is an all around great book. The first of a series, I’m told — I haven’t gotten to the others yet.

By: Pinky

Pinky — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:43:34 +0000

It’s so cool you addressed this, Kate. I know I’ve absorbed so much negativity about women’s bodies in other media genres, but I hadn’t thought about the impact books have had. I haven’t read She’s Come Undone, but the fat hate sounds especially insidious since it’s couched in faux-sympathy. I’ll have to read it this summer to see what I think.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:11:12 +0000

@Karalora – in addition to Sybil, Cherie in the guards series is described as “bullet-shaped”, but is a thoroughly sympathetic character. (She’s a dwarf, though, so maybe the same body standards don’t apply?)

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:03:58 +0000

I third the Precious Ramotswe character (and Jill Scott who plays her) – that show is amazing!