Esther Wells goes on a diet and the scales fall from her eyes. Depriving themselves of fatty foods, both husband and wife have new perspectives on each other, and the process is one of slow destruction of their marriage. Esther tells in flashback, from the depths of her basement apartment in Earls Court, the history of her marital disaster - in between her consumption of chocolate cake, tinned fruit, sweet sherry and a host of other high-calorie goodies. This novel examines the role of Womanhood. The time is the mid-sixties when sex role stereotypes are being examined and rejected, and Fay Weldon's book reflects the passions, humor, and anger of an era when women's self-analysis entailed a good deal of disruption. This novel depicts the rage and outrage of that traumatic era.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
Esther Wells goes on a diet and the scales fall from her eyes. Depriving themselves of fatty foods, both husband and wife have new perspectives on each other, and the process is one of slow destruction of their marriage. Esther tells in flashback, from the depths of her basement apartment in Earls Court, the history of her marital disaster - in between her consumption of chocolate cake, tinned fruit, sweet sherry and a host of other high-calorie goodies. This novel examines the role of Womanhood. The time is the mid-sixties when sex role stereotypes are being examined and rejected, and Fay Weldon's book reflects the passions, humor, and anger of an era when women's self-analysis entailed a good deal of disruption. This novel depicts the rage and outrage of that traumatic era.
Description
In flashback and from the depths of her basement apartment in Earls Court, Esther describes the history of her marital disaster--in between her consumption of chocolate cake, tinned fruit, sweet sherry, and a host of other highcalorie confections. Funny, bizarre, and painful in equal doses, this novel, like her other works Down among the Women and Female Friends, examines the role of womanhood. The time is the mid1960s when sex role stereotypes were being examined and rejected, and The Fat Woman's Joke miraculously reflects the passions, humor, and anger of an era when women's selfanalysis entailed a healthy dose of disruption. Weldon depicts the rage and outrage of that era while examining the interplay of pain and humor that so often characterizes changing romantic relationships.
Critic Reviews
“"Fay Weldon gives an acute, comical analysis of the ordinary acts that precipitate marital crises... and makes the much belabored "role of woman" thing into a witty, crackling commentary." -- Library Journal”
"Fay Weldon gives an acute, comical analysis of the ordinary acts that precipitate marital crises... and makes the much belabored "role of woman" thing into a witty, crackling commentary." -- Library Journal
About the Author
Fay Weldon was born in England and raised in New Zealand. Her novels and short stories are bestsellers around the world. Her film and television work has been accorded great critical acclaim. She lives and works in London.
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