Customer Reviews

Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

5 star:		(266)
4 star:		(161)
3 star:		(119)
2 star:		(93)
1 star:		(136)

 

 

Well, it has certainly been established here that this is a "love-it-or-hate-it" kind of book. :)

My own feelings about Jemima J are not warm ones, but as other people here have enumerated, with much eloquence, the same problems that I had with the book (i.e. the condescending and snotty attitude toward the overweight, Jemima's unrealistic weight loss, Green's tendency to tell us that Jemima and Ben are smart and lovable, rather than show why they are smart and lovable), I will not dwell on them overmuch. What I do find distressing, though, are the number of positive reviews that dress down the negative reviewers for demanding too much of Jemima J. These reviews are peppered with phrases such as "It's just a fantasy," "It's just fiction," "This is a beach read, it's not Shakespeare/Milton/Anna Karenina," etc.

I doubt that a single person who picked up Jemima J picked it up because s/he mistook it for Anna Karenina. This is a beach read, it is a sweet, lighthearted, confectionery read, or at least it is meant to be. Jane Green makes no bones about that, nor should she. We all know exactly what kind of story she meant to tell; the question is, did she succeed? If you loved the book, then yes, she did. If you hated it, then no, she didn't. I would hazard a guess that everyone who didn't like Jemima J, myself included, picked it up wanting to like it, wanting to read a fantasy about a goodhearted, underappreciated girl who gets all the good things she deserves in life. I know that I certainly wasn't looking for Milton, or Shakespeare. I was looking for a character I could root for, one who has an adventure and runs into trouble only to come through it a stronger, better person who lives happily ever after. Jemima Jones was not that character for me.

Even though this is a fantasy, there needs to be at least some kernel of believability in the story to make the fantasy work. Again, if you loved this book, if you were caught up in the fantasy, then that's great - it worked. But if the fantasy doesn't work for you, then no amount of admonishments to "lighten up, it's only a book" will make it work. For me, that point came when Jemima loses 100 pounds in less than six months by a combination of starvation dieting and overexercise. Now, everyone's diet-and-exercise experience is different, and what works for one may not work for another. That said, when Green tells us that Jemima is able to switch overnight from overeating to a regime of no breakfast/plain lettuce & tomatoes for lunch/grilled chicken & veg for dinner; that Jemima goes from no physical activity to doubling her new workout regime within a single month; that she suffers no cravings, or lightheadedness, or hunger-induced headaches, or stretch marks from rapid weight loss; that she loses five to six pounds a week for four months; and that, despite this marvelous change in her appearance, she is not thin enough at Ben's farewell party for him to notice that she has lost 40 pounds in two months...well, that stretches the fantasy too far for me.

Imagine that you are reading a story about a young girl who lives in a small town in Idaho. She has always dreamed of living in New York City. You know that she can live the dream if she believes in herself and tries to succeed. You know that one day she decides to go. So far, so good. But if the author then tells you that she drives from Idaho to New York in six hours, with no stops for gasoline, purely because she has the force of will to drive across country in six hours, would you still believe in her?

People that are Jemima J's size do not have the problems that Jane Green described. They can fit through doorways, and sit comfortably in normal chairs without breaking them. I used to be 20 pounds lighter and considerably shorter than Jemima J - so my body would have been at least as big as hers. I never had any of those problems. It's clear that Jane Green does not have experience with being fat - Jemima J would have to be much, much larger to have the physical problems described in the book.

And let's not get into the horrible stereotyping. Fat = pathetic, in Green's eyes. Oh, please. Fat people are capable of having social lives. I was active sexually at the height of my weight. In Green's world, this would mean that I was either allowing men to use me in degrading, humiliating ways because I was desperately seeking approval, or that I was with fat fetishists. This is patently untrue.

Besides the fact that her description of fat people is completely unrealistic, the plot is very weak. The climax? Boring and contrived. Better writing might have made the prejudices easier to take, but a poorly written, insulting novel? Don't waste your time or money.

Fat women, don't waste your time. It will make you feel bad.

Skinny women, don't waste your time. This is not how fat people live, think, or act.

Men, don't waste your time. It insults men too.

If you absolutely have to read this book, please check it out of the library. Don't give her any of your money. Read anything instead.

I liked the premise of this book and had high hopes, but was sorely disappointed. I'm not even sure where to begin on this book. First of all, it's impractical. There is no way someone can lose that much weight so quickly by over-exercising and under eating and remain healthy. The author even alludes to that fact, but the main character practically stops eating with no repercussions whatsoever! Second of all, it's insulting. People who are overweight may or may not have overeating to blame, but the author's comments about how one just needs to make a strong decision to lose weight and the pounds will melt away is ludicrous. More importantly, it perpetuates a ridiculous stereotype that people who are overweight just eat all of the time. It's just not that simple. Third, the author is painfully unsympathetic to her character. There is no reason that the reader should dislike this character - her main flaw is that she's overweight, but she's intelligent, thoughtful, and caring. She has some doormat tendancies, but that's hardly reason for the author to treat her with such negativity.

I didn't mind the premise of the book. I didn't mind the general plotline of the story. But a dash of realism, with a little bit of goodwill towards the main character, would have prevented me from seeing the book as a piece of .... I read the whole thing and hoped for some redemption, but it just wasn't there. I won't loan this one to a friend. I won't give it away. It's just that bad.

After reading the first few pages of the book, I was amazed at how Jane Green was able to describe the life and feelings of an overweight person.

All that disappeared when I bought the book and had a chance to read a few more chapters. I'd have to agree with many points that were brought up in previous reviews: the fact that Jemima coult NOT lose so much weight it such a short time, and the fact that her skin wouldn't remain so smooth after such a quick diet. The fact that Jemima 'suddenly' became amazingly gorgeous once she lost the weight (a pretty face is noticeable even if it's fat!), so amazing that her close friend Ben Williams wouldn't recognize her from close up. The fact that airlines don't upgrade people based on looks (but based on miles or on a first come basis). The fact that the cravings don't just go away (even if you're in a good mood). The fact that Jane Green has exaggerated Jemima's weight and proportions so badly. The fact that Jane Green sees Americans (especially of the "Californian" breed) as shallow, stupid, and all the other stereotypes about Americans shw could find.

Many reviewers defended this book by saying it is basically a fairy tale. But if so - it's a dangerous one. Modern research discovered that overweight isn't caused by just overeating and lack of exercise - which is the way Jemima describes how fat people gain weight. Yes, Jemima (or rather - Jane Green), it HAS a lot to do with glands and other metabolic processes, which make some people gain weight relatively easily, while others manage to remain thin even if they pig out on food. The ease in which Jemima lost weight in a very unhealthy way (without any consequences, ranging from loose skin to severe health problems) might mislead people who wish these dreams to come true in real life to try this method of dieting. The goal Jemima sets for herself is also unrealistic, and so is the ease she has in keeping it by maintaining a 'fat free' diet (which is also unhealthy, by the way). Jemima's 'bad eating' habbits both as an overweight person and as a thinning pesron are EATING DISORDERS, which are severe psychological problems, which need A LOT more than a crush on a guy and a few healthy doses of amateur psychology Jemima applies on herself to resolve.

And yes, there are overweight people out there that are in peace with their body size, and there are people who like them. These people are not freaks!

Not only is this book insulting to overweight people and misleading in its handling of thie problem, I shudder to think the impression thin people would get out of it. Yes, it's fun to read, but how many wrong 'facts' would they take out of it into the world? How would this alter their image of overweight people? The equasion that weight loss equals a small amount of self control in a diet has long ago been disproved by scientists to the relief of all of the people struggling to lose some for years. I hope JJ's "assurance" about it doesn't take us back 10 - 15 years in time...

I was really bothered by the way Jane Green made Jemima look like a 'blob' and a 'monster'. Someone who weighs 217 pounds and is 5'7" would be far from thin, but definitelly won't have wouldn't have 3 chins, or would look as half as monsterous as Jane Green describes her to be. The only monsters I discovered in this book are people with Jane Green's way of thinking about the weight issue, which is about 10 - 15 years out of date (just as much as her fashion sense and technological knowledge).

Having lost 156 pounds myself, I was excited to read this book. In the first 1/3 I totally related to Jemima. At my highest weight I was 347 pounds and I was huge. I had three chins. I couldn't fit in a regular sized seat. I ate way more food than I should have. I kept feeling like YES, I know Jemima's pain! Then Green breaks the news that Jemima only weighs 217 pounds. WHAT??? Shattered. All hope for this book was shattered. At the time I read Jemima J, I weighed 210 and was wearing a size 16. I was in no way disgusting, nor did any of the discriptions of Jemima even come close to being real for a 217 pound size 16/18 woman.
It made me really mad.
This is not a fairy tale.

I'm assuming that this book is supposed to be something of a fairy tale- Sort of Cinderella Meets Slim Fast. The point of view even changes throughout the book, from Jemima's "I's", to a third person who comments, narrarates, passes judgement, and hints at the future.

I found this book to be contradictory or even hypocritical, and I don't know if there is supposed to be meaning in this. Jemima is hugely overweight and desperately wants to be thin. Ironically, all the attractive and thin people she knows are horrid, but the story doesn't seem to recognize this situation. Her best bud Geraldine is put forth as shallow and "selfish" and is only somewhat redeemed by her friendship with the fat girl. Her roommates are what are commonly known as "hootchie mamas," and the highly attractive woman in a bar who hits on Ben (Jemima's crush) is basically a loose woman herself. If the purpose of this book is that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover (a theme blatantly discussed), then it's a bit contradictory to make the fat woman the sympathetic character and all the attractive people snotty losers. It's just reverse discrimination. The other problem is that Jemima may be fat, but she has a beautiful face. Soo, does this mean that if you are fat with an *ugly* face, you are a lost cause...?

The other problem with this book is (as discussed in other reviews) the obsession with exercise and restriction of food intake. The extreme efforts she goes to to get thin aren't resolved in a satisfactory way to demonstrate that one doesn't have to be extreme in being skinny in order to love oneself- there's just a little epilogue that cleans it all up in one page and it was a little dissatisfactory. I was irritated that the great conquest in Jemima's life was getting Mr. Wonderful and NOT accepting herself as evidenced by the fact that the book peaks with Mr. Wonderful falling in love with her (now that she's THIN), and not with any sort of internal growth and acceptance of herself and her issues. She doesn't even realize that the grass isn't as green on the other side. It's just frustrating. I wanted the dramatic external change to be reflected by an internal. I read carefully, looking for this message, and if it is in there, I missed it.

I wouldn't be so harsh on the plot and message, but the pseudo-narrarator keeps making a big deal about how Jemima is a role model and we should strive to be like her, particularly towards the end- Yeah, I don't think so, particularly with the foolish things she does with regard to men (oh my). I do appreciate the fact that she is healthier and at least not eating 2 bacon sandwiches as a snack and she is working out instead of getting winded from climbing stairs.

It's worth a read, it's got a couple of giggles in it and it's a fast read. Maybe wait till paperback, though, because this book doesn't have the Grand Message it seems to want to have.

I read this book in one night, despite the tension headache caused by the author's continual alternation between first and third tense narration (she is, supposedly, trying to be a voice of reason in otherwise unreasonable situations). Jemima's weight loss schedule is completely farcical - although the narrator vehemently denies that Jemima is anorexic, no real person could keep such a regime and live. Additionally, Jemima's post-weight-loss lifestyle is so completely outrageous I found myself wanting to toss the book across the room. Her roommates' actions - both before and after - are unprovoked and plainly bitchy. If Jemima is such a slouch, why would they act with such jealousy? And Ben. Clearly by the end of the book Jemima still has unresolved issues. Sure, he loves her... when she's THIN (notice he wasn't too concerned with whether or not he wound up seeing her in LA... until he saw the "new" woman). Clearly this is the book's ultimate message... be thin, be loved. Oh... and the epilogue. At a "size 10", Jemima is "no longer thin". Uh... excuse me, but the last time I checked, size 10 is pretty darn good.
The entire Brad/Jenny situation is laughable (incidentally, this was so obvious it wasn't even funny... you can see this coming from chapters away),if Brad truly loved her, he wouldn't care about appearances... and he certainly wouldn't be sharing his life with someone else. The whole situation refutes the book's supposed theme.... that love can exist regardless of looks. Notwithstanding that, the entire explanation for such deception is completely contrived. You mean to tell me the author could come up with no better excuse for Brad's behavior than THAT?????
Overall, an okay read if you are able to completely suspend reality (fiction or not, I prefer my books to be grounded in some sort of normality). Otherwise, skip it.

Ok, so it's fiction, not to be taken seriously. Got it. But it's shallow fiction, with insulting references to overweight people and bad information. And it's not exaggerated enough for me to believe it was meant to be fantasy or satire.

Jemima J barely does enough at work to get byand constantly complains about the paper she writes for. She's a whiny doormat. Yet once she decides to lose weight - POOF! it happens and life gets better for her. While the book touches on her weight being unhealthily low, that's only briefly and no problem with anorexia is addressed. Jemima even makes the comment that the only excuse for being fat is eating too much - and she should know. Uh-huh. Nice of Jemima to have the inside scoop on the rest of the world. I can't imagine this book being part of a reading assignment as someone mentioned. The teacher should be slapped for sharing the shallow, judgmental philosophy. Then again I must be wrong since everything worked out like magic for skinny Jemima...

After reading Jennifer Weiner's "Good in Bed," this was definitely a disappointment.

If you are more than 10 lbs. overweight, I suggest staying away from this book. When the author first described Jemima, I expected her to be around a size 24 and over 300 lbs, only to find out Jemima is 5'7 and a little over 200lbs--not thin, but definitely not a beached whale!

Jane Green shows she has absolutely no idea what it is like to be overweight. The way Jemima J is written, you'd think Jemima just likes food. In reality, people who overeat to such a large extent usually have an emotional reason for eating--don't expect to see any sort of realism in this book.

Also, the way the book is written is terrible. It constantly jumps from 1st person to 3rd person, and it does not compliment the book stylistically. The characters are uninteresting (even Jemima J has no personality) and there really is no point in reading the book. If you want a fun book about young English women, try Bridget Jones or Confessions of a Shopaholic.

If you want to read a hilarious book about an English woman looking for love, read either of the Bridget Jones books. If you want to read a realistic and moving story of a fat girl who turns her life around, read "She's Come Undone." If you want to read a novel that's not funny; that's not clever or well-written; that has undeveloped, shallow characters (including the title character); that uses unnecessary and annoying shifts in point of view; and that is, overall, a complete waste of time, read this. With those expectations, you won't be disappointed.