Customer Reviews

Such A Pretty Face

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

 

 

I ended up staying up far too late the night I got this book, because I kept telling myself I'd just read one more. The stories were well-written (I especially loved "Worse than the Curse" and "Casting Against Type"), and while the theme was definitely evident in all the stories, it was not hammered in. A touch of spice, rather than an overwhelming topnote.

I found Such A Pretty Face a delightful romp from one end to the other. I very much enjoyed the concept that someone's size is irrelevant to their personality and abilities. The characters were people first and fat/large/whatever second, something I think more characters (and people) should try. I intend to buy many copies to give as gifts and would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of the fat versus thin stereotypes. These stories prove that there is more to people than just their packaging.

I greatly enjoyed the stories in this book. I can't say that I liked all of them, but then again I've never read any anthology where that was true. I particularly appreciated the authors and editor resisting the urge to hit us over the head with the message of fat heroes and heroines. All the main characters were large, but that wasn't usually the crucial plot point. In other words, just like in real life (or at least the way it should be) size isn't their defining characteristic, it's just another facet of these well-rounded (pun intended) individuals. The stories span the range from traditional fantasy/fairytale to hard science fiction, with every step along the way.

Picking a favorite story from this anthology is quite impossible. "A Taste of Song" by K.D. Wentworth, "Demon Bone" by Teresa Noelle Roberts, and "Lady Emerdirael's Rescue" by Lisa Deason are three that stick in my mind. All three deal with preconceptions about physical appearance and personal value in an entertaining and enjoyable way. The introductory poem by Jane Yolen, "Fat is Not a Fairytale", is wonderful and sets the perfect mood for the book.

I sincerely hope that we'll see another anthology of stories like this from Lee Martindale and Meishe Merlin publishing.

And mine seems to vary from that of the Booklist reviewer, who thought the best stories were by the bigger authors such as Scarborough, Wolfe and Nye. Scarborough's was nice with lots of humor, Wolfe's was kind of tough to wade through though, and Nye's, well, I had to give up on it. A lot of the other so-called "unimaginative and unpolished" stories were superior to these.

This is an anthology about fat people published by Meisha Merlin Publishing. Such SF/F luminaries as Jody Lynn Nye, Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, K.D. Wentworth, and a host of others present a look at another view of the hero. A princess is cursed, and starts a new fashion trend, a sizeable selkie is the love of a man's life, a forty-year-old fat bi . . . uh, woman rediscovers the joy of creation on a lonely dirt road, and a couple of truly fat cats are far more than they appear. These and more stories just as exciting grace the pages of this thoughtful, wildly funny, and excellent volume of stories.

Enjoyed the stories, but after a little while it just seemed to get tedious harping on the heroine's size. It's better when it isn't such a big deal (pun not intended.)

"Such A Pretty Face" puts more than just a new look at an old stereotype. Editor Lee Martindale has put together an amazing collection of size-positive short stories to celebrate a new era of heroes. With contributions from both well-established authors to new-comers in the genre, these stories are inspiring and entertaining. They affirm the beauty and abilities of a snubbed majority - the person of size. This collection is ground-breaking, exciting, and long overdue, but has been well worth the wait...and weight.

No, I haven't any reason to think it will be a series, but I can hope, can't I?

I ran across the book back in July and fell in with the cover painting. Then I saw that it was edited by Lee Martindale, someone I remembered encountering (and respecting) in the size acceptance newsgroups. At that point I probably would have bought it no matter what, but the theme of the anthology cinched it.

I finished it within 48 hours of getting it, and it was wonderful. As usual with any anthology, I enjoyed some stories more than others. I think "Demon Bone" by Teresa Noelle Roberts had to be my favorite story. The poem "Fat Is Not A Fairy Tale" by Jane Yolen and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's story "Worse Than The Curse" were awfully good, though :-) Paula L. Fleming's "Polyformus Perfectus" left me wishing it were the beginning of a novel rather than a short story.

I've already recommended this book to quite a few people, but I have a feeling I'll be handing it out to more. I'll probably buy a hardback copy to keep and loan out the paperback, but I'll be buying some copies to give as gifts as well.

And if I EVER find a print of the cover painting by Doug Beekman, it's going in a place of honor in my living room.