Product Description

For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She's even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body. But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #158260 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed is the story of a year in the life of a late-twentysomething American woman: Cannie, a journalist on the Philadelphia Examiner, who has recently broken up with her boyfriend of three years (cue endless similarities with countless other books aimed at young Western women). Fortunately, Weiner's book has enough originality to break out from the mould, with an overweight heroine and a mother who has recently moved in with her lesbian lover. Good in Bed has its funny moments, dealing with humour and sensitivity with Cannie's status as a "larger woman", her bizarre family and her regrets at splitting up with Bruce, but there is often more a feeling of pathos than laughter. Cannie is not a tragic figure through her dress size--Weiner successfully side-steps any attempt to pity her or her fellow larger women at a weight-loss clinic, taking the humorous path instead--but through her relationship and career predicaments. It is therefore not clear why Weiner cast Cannie as a plus-size, unless to drive home the eternal fact that whatever their size, all women have the same neuroses inside. Cannie's year offers more lows than highs--with a particularly heart-breaking low towards the end of the novel, which is unlikely to be read by anyone with even a wry smile--and it therefore is not a "feel good to be a woman" novel. For laugh-out-loud writing with a dash of pathos try Shannon Olson's Welcome to My Planet, but for sensitive and ultimately tear-inducing touching narration try Good in Bed. --Olivia Dickinson

Review
Smart plus-sized reporter Cannie never wanted to be famous and was happy writing for her local newspaper. She could deal with her mother charging out of the closet and her father dropping out of her world and could even feel OK about ending her relationship with her boyfriend, Bruce. But then Bruce writes in a national women's magazine that 'loving a large woman is an act of courage' and this plunges Cannie into misery - and the most amazing year of her life. A fresh, funny debut novel from an author to watch.

Marie Clare
‘Weiner’s first novel – probably the only one this year that features a heroine who is well-rounded in every sense – is vastly entertaining and sympathetic too’

Customer Reviews

Witty, wise and thought provoking.
Jennifer Weiner has certainly written a novel, which provided me with moments of reflection, humour and enjoyment, which I dearly needed after a long stressful day in the office.

This is a novel about a year in the life of a twenty-eight year old woman. Cannie Shapiro is a smart, sharp, well-rounded lady who works as a journalist on the staff of the Philadelphia Examiner. She loves her job, her friends, her dog - Nifkin and her life, but she also recently broke up with her boyfriend of three years. Cannie also loves her apartment, her commodious, quilt-lined bed, made tenuous peace with her body and even thought that she felt all right about ended her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Bruce Guberman.

This novel has enough originality with an overweight heroine, a mother who has recently moved in with her lesbian lover Tanya, with numerous funny moments, humour and sensitivity with Cannie as a larger lady and her most unusual family. Her ex-boyfriend Bruce has written an article in a national women's magazine, talking about their sex life and his feelings about her body in a column titled 'Good in Bed.' Cannie is plunged into despair, public humiliation and now the most amazing year of her life begins.

This story is both emotional, extremely moving, compelling and utterly unforgettable.

Unique, Fresh and Hilarious
"Good In Bed" by Jennifer Weiner is a WONDERFUL tale of surpassing warmth and love. Cannie is an unlikely heroine and I loved her strength and spirit. She is forced to revaluate her entire life, make changes and stand up for herself when the world is constantly making her question everything she has believed in. I think that you can relate to Cannie in so many ways that no matter what your issues may be - you can see yourself in this tale. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to everyone!

What A Great Novel
I absolutely adored this novel. Too many reasons why but I will say romance,passion and everything a good book should be is here for the taking.