A novel alternate perspective on the obesity epidemic (Fat - Rob Grant)

Member Name: Dinah93

Product:	Fat - Rob Grant
Date:	07/02/09 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to read, fictional form, well researched, very funny with sharp one liners.

Disadvantages: Characters are cold, book ends too suddenly

'Fat' by Rob Grant is an intelligent, funny, satirical take on modern society's desire for quick facts and instant results. The book can loosely be termed as science-fiction, not a genre I usually read, however I love a good 'what would happen if the individual had less control' premise. If you enjoy books such as Margaret Atwood's 'Oryx and Crake' or 'The Handmaid's Tale', this is one for you. The book could easily be set a few years in the future within Britain, when the government has decided to tackle the obesity problem.

'Fat' comes from the perspective of three characters, Grenville, Jeremy and Hayleigh. The chapters rotate between these characters, whose lives all loosely interrelate. Each of the characters has some interest or involvement with food and diet, and the book very much focuses on the relationships people form with food.

Grenville is the first character we are introduced to. Grenville is a TV chef, who is hugely overweight. I found him to be he strongest character, although not entirely likeable. Grenville is extremely funny, with sharp one liners and dry observations. Grenville's life is thrown into disarray through his own temper, which he refuses to acknowledge. Grenville is an interesting and humorous character, and is well structured. Grenville's love of food is clear and well described, and the depth with which his chapters go into the sensation of taste, as well as how he lives with the consequences are brilliantly structured. The sole focus of Grenville's personal and professional life is food, however he is an intelligent character, and challenges the stereotype of an ignorant tubby man who doesn't understand what he should be eating.

Jeremy is a successful businessman, who works in advertising. His story begins with a meeting with the Prime Minister. Jeremy is hired to turn around public conceptions relating to the launch of the Government's Well Farms. These Well Farms are essentially fat camps, where adults can go for an extremely rigorous diet and fitness regime. The level of detail that goes into describing these camps in Jeremy's chapters is astonishing. These are also the chapters that address how statistics can be manipulated to suit the whim, and scientific 'myths' which are exaggerated to suit government purposes such as salt and cholesterol. Towards the end of the book Jeremy's story starts to adapt a little and introduces a small element of romance, which seems at odds with his characterisation, and is clearly intended to make the book seem more rounded. I felt this did the opposite, and the author's strength's clearly lay in the scientific and humorous aspects of the book, rather than emotional.

All the characters came across as quite cold and detached from those around them. The book was one sided, in that it had an extremely strong premise and unusual concept, but presented the characters in quite a disconnected light. The emotional development of all three central characters was sparse, none appeared to be changed by the events of the story, and I would have liked to see at least one of the characters evolve during the book.

The final character is Hayleigh. Hayleigh is a teenage girl clearly in the throws of anorexia, although she can not see this herself. I found the views portrayed of anorexia quite typical and unexciting, and could have been presented in a more interesting way. Hayleigh herself seems very childlike in places, while being intelligent and methodical in others, I think this should have led to a natural characterisation of a girl who has developed anorexia as a result of underlying issues about growing up and her body developing, which is not an uncommon diagnosis, but would have added a more unique aspect to her story.

Overall I thought that this was an unusual and well structured novel. It is a fairly quick read despite some of the ideas introduced, and has certainly made me think long after finishing the book. The structure of the novel is laid out in the introduction, however there are some very nice plot twists, especially concerning the linkages between Hailey and Jeremy. I would improve this book by adding on an extra section at the end of the book, after the Well Farms become compulsory, as I felt this was the most important concept in the book, and yet was left not fully explored.

I would recommend this book thoroughly, the ideas are fresh and exciting, and the book is an intelligent, well structured novel, and I will be looking for more from this author.

Summary: Fascinating and hilarious read