Sunday, July 18, 2004
Thinner Than Thou by Kit Reed
Thinner Than Thou by Kit Reed is science fiction that transcends the perceived geekiness of science fiction. You don't have to have (or fake) knowledge of advanced mathematics or wormholes or fuel/weight ratios. You already have the information that you need: your own experience in our image conscious society. In the, just over the horizon, future of Thinner Than Thou body image is everything. Body manipulations are strip-mall available and perfection is expected. We aren't perfect and the resulting stress as people worry about how society veiws them and if their wrinkles will keep them from advancing fuels an underground of obese strippers and food eating contests. The obese and anorexic are shipped to rehab centers that are offshoots of the one huge religious health empire of Reverend Earl and the wealthy but overweight can sign themselves into his "spa" with guaranteed results.
Thinner Than Thou follows two sets of characters: twins, their mother, and a boyfriend who are searching for an anorexic girl who was handed over to the Dedicated Sisters and a wealthy stockbroker who has signed into the spa. The roads that lead one person to obesity and one to anorexia are similar as are the bonds that bring them out of danger.
None of us are perfect but we don't usually pretend that we are. Reverend Earl has lead people to believe that not only is he perfect (because body is everything) but that he can make us perfect too. The truth is ugly.
A really well written and detailed book. Sometimes I can read a page of a book and glean the story but with this book I sometimes read a page twice to make sure that I had digested all the material.
I have recommended this book to several men and women in their 30-40's.
Thinner Than Thou follows two sets of characters: twins, their mother, and a boyfriend who are searching for an anorexic girl who was handed over to the Dedicated Sisters and a wealthy stockbroker who has signed into the spa. The roads that lead one person to obesity and one to anorexia are similar as are the bonds that bring them out of danger.
None of us are perfect but we don't usually pretend that we are. Reverend Earl has lead people to believe that not only is he perfect (because body is everything) but that he can make us perfect too. The truth is ugly.
A really well written and detailed book. Sometimes I can read a page of a book and glean the story but with this book I sometimes read a page twice to make sure that I had digested all the material.
I have recommended this book to several men and women in their 30-40's.
# posted by JJ @ 11:34 AM 
