The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 31 August 2004
by Camryn Manheim
The author of this funny, vibrant and often moving book is today an award-winning actress. But she has struggled with her weight, her fat, all her life, and has fought fiercely against the pigeonholes that society would like her to squeeze into. At one point in the book, Manheim lists the many euphemisms for fat that have appeared in reviews of her work. That there are so many is indicative of this society's neurosis surrounding bodily weight. As a result, those of us who are larger than the "norm" (whatever that is) are up against society's images and expectations. The syndrome very often spirals into eddies of self-loathing, low expectations, and general unhappiness. Even now, we seem to be experiencing an epidemic of obesity, and the "general" public wants to blame fat people for their fat. It isn't so simple. How can fat be so bad when our culture nurtures it so avidly? One wag once commented that American culture seems geared toward finding a way to stuff the most cheese into a pizza. A laudable goal. Hey, if we could only stop eating all this fattening food, we wouldn't be so fat, right? Manheim compellingly counters these problems and stereotypes. She is honest and revealing about the whirl of self-hatred that fat image engenders. And she is bitchy and strong in the fight to accept herself for what and who she is. Manheim jumps around her life, telling the revealing tales of wins and losses in her battle, not against fat per se as much as against everyone else's perceptions of it. Her losses are often touching, and those of us feeling the same self-loathing will find much emotion to share here. Her victories are actually exciting, and one can't help but feel happy for Manheim when she wins an Emmy for her role in The Practice. One generally hesitates to use the word "inspiring" for a book, but here it seems appropriate. The book is honest, funny, cranky, horrific, and, yes, inspiring.