Good in Bed

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
From first-time novelist Jennifer Weiner comes a sharp-witted tale of one woman's struggle to come to terms with her larger-than-life self after her ex-boyfriend writes an intimate and embarrassing column about her in a popular national women's magazine. Weiner's highly likable protagonist is an American version of Bridget Jones -- a single woman with a vulnerable heart, a biting sense of humor, and a pair of ever-widening thighs.

When plus-sized Philadelphia Examiner columnist Cannie Shapiro decides to take a break from her boyfriend of three years, she has no idea just how drastically her life is about to change. While she's used to exposing the inner secrets of others' lives in her column, she isn't prepared for what happens when the tables are turned on her. Not only does Bruce extol her sexual prowess in the article, he also discusses her size-related insecurities and how he never thought of himself as a "chubbie chaser." Fallout from the piece launches Cannie into an emotional whirlwind of anger, embarrassment, desperation, and depression. It also triggers a year's worth of events that will have an astounding impact on her life, taking readers along on a journey that is poignant, comical, and utterly unforgettable.

From the very first page, Good in Bed (which comes from the title of the ex-boyfriend's first column) bursts with charm, wit, and bittersweet humor. There are plenty of surprises to keep those pages turning, and Cannie's joie de vivre, unflinching honesty, and sidesplitting wit make for a hilarious and heartwarming journey that every woman -- big or small -- will thoroughly enjoy. (Beth Amos)

From the Publisher

Valerie Frankel Author of Smart vs. Pretty Funny, zippy, and unflinchingly honest, Good In Bed is a powerhouse debut for Jennifer Weiner. I consumed this extra-large portion of a book in one sitting, rooting for Cannie the heroine and willing horrible atrocities on her ex-boyfriend. Some big surprises kept the pages flying; I grinned the whole way through. Good In Bed can only be described as deeply satisfying.

Entertainment Weekly June 8, 2001 Entertainment Weekly gives Good in Bed an "A!"

[Good in Bed's] Cannie emerges as one of the most engaging realistic female characters in years...Weiner's smoothly written novel is stuffed with dialogue that rings with humor and truth.

Publishers Weekly

Weiner's witty, original, fast moving debut features a lovable heroine, a solid cast, snappy dialogue and a poignant take on life's priorities. This is a must-read for any women who struggles with body image, or for anyone who cares about someone who does.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

It is temping at first but unwise to assume Candace Shapiro is yet another Bridget Jones. Feisty, funny and less self-hating than her predecessor, Cannie is a 28-year-old Philadelphia Inquirer reporter preoccupied with her weight and men, but able to see the humor in even the most unpleasant of life's broadsides. Even she is floored, however, when she reads "Good in Bed," a new women's magazine column penned by her ex-boyfriend, pothead grad student Bruce Guberman. Three months earlier, Cannie suggested they take a break apparently, Bruce thought they were through and set about making such proclamations as, "Loving a larger woman is an act of courage in our world." Devastated by this public humiliation, Cannie takes comfort in tequila and her beloved dog, Nifkin. Bruce has let her down like another man in her life: Cannie's sadistic, plastic surgeon father emotionally abused her as a young girl, and eventually abandoned his wife and family, leaving no forwarding address. Cannie's siblings suffer, especially the youngest, Lucy, who has tried everything from phone sex to striptease. Their tough-as-nails mother managed to find love again with a woman, Tanya, the gravel-voiced owner of a two-ton loom. Somehow, Cannie stays strong for family and friends, joining a weight-loss group, selling her screenplay and gaining the maturity to ask for help when she faces something bigger than her fears. Weiner's witty, original, fast-moving debut features a lovable heroine, a solid cast, snappy dialogue and a poignant take on life's priorities. This is a must-read for any woman who struggles with body image, or for anyone who cares about someone who does. (May 8) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Weiner's first novel should satisfy readers from older teens and above. Cannie Shapiro is in her late twenties, funny, independent, and a talented reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. After a "temporary" break-up with her boyfriend of three years, she reads his debut column, "Good in Bed," in the women's magazine Moxie. Titled "Loving a Larger Woman," this very personal piece triggers events that completely transform her and those around her. Cannie's adventures will strike a chord with all young women struggling to find their place in the world, especially those larger than a size eight. Despite some events that stretch credulity and a few unresolved issues at the end, this novel follows the classic format of chasing the wrong man when the right one is there all along. Veteran storyteller Maeve Binchy gave us Bennie in Circle of Friends; now Jennifer Weiner gives us Cannie. Look for more books from Weiner. Rebecca Sturm Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A Philadelphia Inquirer columnist takes a fresh look at the miseries visited on women by their lovers, fathers, and themselves as they try to conquer the world by waging war on their own bodies. Cannie Shapiro has a lot to be thankful for: a diploma from Princeton, an affordable apartment, and a job covering the pop culture scene for the Philadelphia Examiner that not only pays the rent but offers perks like lunch with the latest Oscar contenders. Still, more is sometimes less, as she discovers when Bruce Guberman, her slacker ex, lands a job at Moxie writing a column called "Good in Bed." His sign-on effort, "Loving a Larger Woman," is the opening salvo in a series of journalistic invasions of privacy that send this rock-solid reporter reeling. She blows off steam first to her sympathetic best friend Samantha, then to her preoccupied mother (who recently swore off men altogether and set up housekeeping with a swimming instructor named Tanya), and finally to the perpetrator himself, flinging a barrage of invective and a half-used box of tampons at his unworthy head. But afterward Cannie reconsiders-after all, the point of his column is that, despite her dimensions, Bruce loved her-only to find her former partner vague and evasive. There's one brief encounter the night of his father's funeral before Bruce gives Cannie a no-frills brushoff, ignoring her tentatively conciliatory calls. Cannie seeks refuge in the University of Pennsylvania's Weight and Eating Disorders Clinic until its kindly director, Dr. Krushelevansky, informs her that she's been washed out of their newest clinical trial because of her pregnancy. Now Cannie has truly weighty matters on her mind as she confronts her losses, past and present, in order to secure the future for herself and her child. Weiner's voice rings true as she flouts conventional wisdom about what women want. An unpredictable and impressive debut.