Author: Weiner, Jennifer
Title: Good In Bed
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit
Publication Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 375
Geographical Setting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, NYC, Hollywood
Time Period: Present day (2000)
Plot Summary (spoiler free): Cannie Shapiro has just broken up with her longtime boyfriend Bruce. Feeling alone and vulnerable (and edging into 30) she finds out her ex-boyfriend has written a tell-all expose about their relationship titled Loving a Larger Woman. Not only does the whole world now know about her relationship troubles but they also know about her weight struggles. Can Cannie come back from this humiliation and become the strong woman she was always meant to be?
This book is the first in a series
Saricks Rule of Three: Character-driven, witty, funny
Elements of Women’s Lives (may contain spoilers): Most women can relate to Cannie’s struggles with both body image and relationships, and this is one of the elements that makes up the women’s fiction genre. Reading this book is like having a conversation with a best friend. According to Saricks, “[t]he writing style may range from elegantly poetic to more prosaic, from conversational to humorous” (156). This book definitely falls into the “humorous” category. Another element of women’s fiction is that they usually have contemporary settings. This book is written in the present day and features issues that modern women face. Cannie faces issues with her body image, her career, her relationships with both men, friends and family, and an unexpected pregnancy.
Another element of women’s lives and relationships is triumphing over adversity. Cannie triumphs over the humiliation from her ex-boyfriend and triumphs in her career by writing a successful screenplay. She also triumphs over her past insecurity and relationship failures to have a successful relationship with a good man.
Setting is also very important. The setting in women’s fiction is often glamorous and contains details of the woman’s career or life. Cannie, a reporter who writes a successful screenplay, is swept away to New York City and Hollywood. Details from these exotic locales permeate the page and Cannie’s career is relevant to the setting.
The final element is the ending which if it is not happy, it is often hopeful. According to Saricks “[t]hese are books...that may or may not end happily (although they do generally end with issues resolved or the resolution suggested)” (156). The ending of the book is both happy and hopeful, with the major issues resolved.
Read Alikes:
Jemima J by Jane Green: Jemima J is overweight, overworked and underappreciated. Treated as less than at both her job and at home, she decides to “reinvent” herself and meet someone over the internet. After hitting it off with Brad, an attractive man from California, he demands an in person meeting. Can Jemima change herself in time? Or will she learn to accept herself for who she is?
Night Swimming by Robin Schwarz: Charlotte Clap discovers she only has one year left to live. Determined to make the most of it, she steals two million dollars from her job and lives out her wildest fantasies.
Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich: Holly, widowed at age 32 and not coping well, turns to food for soothing. After meeting Logan, famed personal trainer to the stars, she decides to turn her life around and get back into shape. However she can’t help but feel there’s more between her and Logan. Can they build a relationship together or is this just a fling?References:
Saricks, Joyce. “The Rule of Three”. Booklist, vol. 106 no. 3, 1 October 2009, pp. 25-25. Academic Search Premier, https://web-a-ebscohost-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=309d92ae-6094-47f4-9f1b-0d46d02b34f4%40sessionmgr4006. Accessed 27 February 2019.
Saricks, Joyce. The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. American Library Association, 2009.
“Read-alikes for Good in bed”. Novelist, http://web.a.ebscohost.com/novp/detail?sid=0aab0152-3096-4b5a-b0ee-bd63fdcd03dc%40sdc-v-sessmgr01&UI=UI+061442&vid=3. Accessed 27 February 2019.
“Good In Bed”. Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14748.Good_in_Bed?ac=1&from_search=true. Accessed 27 February 2019.
“Jemima J.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227941.Jemima_J?from_search=true. Accessed 27 February 2019.
“Night Swimming”. Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/751924.Night_Swimming?from_search=true. Accessed 27 February 2019.
“Big Girl Panties”. Godreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18090061-big-girl-panties?from_search=true. Accessed 27 February 2019.
All images taken from Goodreads.
This book sounds like it would be a funny and easy read. I actually do not read many funny books, and don't have much experience with them, but did you enjoy it? Will you read the rest in the series? Is this the kind of book your normally drawn to?
ReplyDeleteThis isn't normally a book I would read but I did enjoy it. It makes for nice beach/vacation reading. I don't think I'll pick up the others in the series just because they came out so long ago. This was published almost 20 years ago and some of the references were dated.
DeleteFrom the summary that you gave I could tell how this book was going to fit into women's fiction. It seem like a fun read that had a positive message in the end. I also liked how you related it to some well known authors so that those unfamiliar with the genre (like me) have a better idea of what books it is like.
ReplyDeleteI think you've done a great job with the read alikes. They not only look like good read alikes to this book, but also look really interesting! I think I'll have to put Night Swimming on my to be read list!
ReplyDeleteYa that one stood out to me as one that I would like to read too!
Delete