Customer Reviews

Bear Like Me

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Peter is not your typical gay man -- he has an upscale life with a fancy job working for a stylish magazine and everything is going his way, until the day he's fired, and in the always increasing competitive job market of gay culture, can't find a job. He has a friend Mac who convinces him to write about a subculture, one often overlooked but growing, and that is the bear culture.

Peter undergoes a transformation to being a bear, changing his clothes, his diet, his attitude and expectations along the way. This isn't simply a drag culture, but is one where the people live in a bearish fashion. Peter's partner Danny doesn't always quite know how to take this, and part of the tension of the story is the relationship with Peter and Danny. Another part is Peter's continuing struggle to come to terms with his past and his future.

Cohen writes in an interesting manner, and I was able to finish the novel in just a few days, because it was hard to put down. The characters were interesting, and the plot kept my attention.

I found this book so appealing, I lent it to a friend of mine who has had an extensive history with the Bear community in Chicago. He not only enjoyed it, he commented on how accurately it captures the "family atmosphere" he enjoyed among the Bears while living in Chicago. Since Mr.Cohen lays out the "ground rules" of the Bear lifestyle from an outsider's perspective, I lent it to a Strate friend of mine to see if she'd like it. While the book may have given her more details than she had bargained for (Not that the book is wall-to-wall with sex scenes), she did say she enjoyed the book. Who knows, with enough promotion, "Bear With Me" my become a cross-over hit with the general public! Spread the word, Bears!

My son and I adore this book, sharp, witty and hilarious by turns. I believe that it should appeal to a far wider audience than just the Bear community.

Well, I bought the book because I'm an aquantance of Mr. Cohen. I was looking forward to seeing his quirky and hilarious personality on paper, not to mention his brilliance. I was definatly not let down. Let me go ahead and say, I'm a straight guy, and I loved every bit of this book. I still laugh to myself about some of the great lines. All my female friends keep trying to steal this book from me, especially while I was reading it.... I feel very privalaged to have thanked the auther himself for writing the book, because it was truly a treat, and a nice repreave from the more serious stuff I normally get into and write myself.

Well... I laughed out loud, I cried (yes really), and I even went 'awwwwww' a number of times, (awwwwwww Ben). This book is certainly unlike anything I've ever read and I learned a lot about myself reading it and in a way I learned little things about the bear community that I never knew, and how to laugh at myself -which I thought I was pretty good at before. Every time things managed to tumble and fall apart for Peter I had to keep reading, I had to know what he was up to, and if he'd manage to right the wrongs that just kept falling in his lap. The characters that Peter runs into are just a riot, funny to laugh at and with, without being too cliche.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars because 1) I have no other story to compare it with and 2) because this story opened a lot of personal emotions for me for where I am at in my life, it really touched a nerve in me.
The book isn't very big and you'll probably think it's an easy read but I found it so quirky and fun that reading it was a blast and the size didn't matter.
I recommened it to anyone looking for some good laughs and a good(very touching) romance between bears. Enjoy

Who would have thought Jonathan Cohen's book would could have become more relevant and thought-provoking? Sure, it's about the bear sub-culture and the author provides humorous insights there. I found a chuckle on every page. But I also enjoyed Mr Cohen's views on identity crises. In these days of economic turmoil and unemployment, many of us can relate to Peter Mallory and the shock that his sudden dismissal from a cushy job brought to his self-image. Anyone who has ever suffered a blow to his/her self-identity will have to appreciate this author's wisdom and insights. I'd love to see a movie based on this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It's not the type of book I would normally read, but maybe now that'll change. It was very funny, breezy and actually pretty hot in some places. Nothing earthshaking, just a very entertaining story with some fun characters. Woof!

Bear Like Me is an witty and insightful look into the Bear community. The writing is brisk, filled with sharp dialogue and some truly memorable scenes (the protagonist's first venture onto the internet is hillarious).

While written with the Bear community in mind, this book should appeal to almost anyone who enjoys good humor. That is, of course, anyone except those with an unnatural fear of furry urban wildlife.

While some may think Bear Like Me is a bit over the top (so I've heard), this book hit home with me. When I discovered bear culture and slowly became part of the bear community, much of the feelings described in the book were mine. I believe Mr. Cohen does a good job keeping the bear "coming out" experience real and believable. Could the Peter/Dan thing really happen? I'd be more surprised if it hasn't yet! I enjoyed the spin of Peter/Dan - it added another dimension to the book. Thanks for helping me remember why I became part of the bear community, and also for reminding me what that same community has done for me over the years.

Peter Mallory doesn't take it well, when he is "downsized" from his job with a gay magazine, and dreams of getting revenge. Meanwhile, a friend suggests he consider writing a book about the "bear community" - using the approach of an outsider who changes his appearance to conform to that norm, and see what happens. Initially reluctant, Peter gradually gets more comfortable with his ursine contemporaries, learns from some of the regulars, and has more than a few of them interested in the newcomer. When one of them starts to get serious, and Peter thinks there could really be potential for a lasting relationship, he faces the problem of having to admit that he is essentially a fraud, a "twink in cub's clothing" and even using a fake name, and faces a deadline in trying to get back at his former employer.

The novel is smart and funny, although I have problems buying the whole "undercover bear" concept, and have no idea what he really hoped to accomplish by going after the magazine people. That said, it's a light, fast read, and provides a (rather one-sided, in my opinion) look at "bear" culture. I give it four stars out of five.

- Bob Lind, Echo Magazine