There is nothing embarrassing or dangerous about being fat. Well, at least for fat George who is a bright mind trapped in a fat body. In this hilarious and witty new book, the main character glories in his obsession and fantasies for food, and could very proudly parade around town buck naked and scream, "Fat people, unite!" Author Robert Lesser dishes a comical twist on the health issue of obesity in his new book "Fathead". Lesser's previous work initiated readers to the finer art of human cookery, sparing no one in his gourmet creations. In "Fathead", the author takes his gustatory predilections to new heights with the book's chocolate-covered pages. Can't resist that, can you?
Fat George begins with a description of himself and his general outlook about his condition, "I weigh exactly three hundred and forty pounds and am five feet three inches in height. I state this as a simple and measurable fact... being fat pleases me; it is my only individuality." For George, who works in amint candy factory, there is only one food, chocolate almond bars. In his mind, he groups other humans as either Vanilla or Chocolate people. Fat George prides in his "impeccable" hygiene and uses it as a weapon against criticism or insensitive jokes. In telling his thoughts and life, George takes us to his favorite bar, workplace, and his home, and introduces the people who add flavor to his life including his very own relatives-his cousin Jules, who goes through insane tactics to combat the enemy of food, and his Aunt Mabel who is "fat only on the left side." "Fathead" portrays our different attitudes towards food and obesity-obssession, fear or hatred. Lesser paints a crazy world filled with varied characters having his unique story, but "Fathead" is an intelligent work. Get a copy. After all,we live in a country obsessed with appearances but ironically counts obesity as one of its health epidemics. Go easy with the chocolate-laced pages though.
Robert Lesser is several Robert Lessers. First, a playwright of twelve plays who believes in the insertion of dramatic poetry back into drama. The great Greek and Elizabethan dramatists used it. Why not now, again in hard, pulpy street language written to make the hair on the back of you neck stand up? Second, a humorist having written three novels of political and social satire who believes that the two feet comedy stands on are invention and exaggeration. Invented, funny and the original characters you've never met and never will (Dickens and Waugh) exaggerate to the point of absurdity.then laughter. Third, caught and tangled up tight in the spider web of collecting: the author of two popular books on Popular Culture and numerous articles. His collections have been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Life? Very fast! Teenager into the Air force into the University of Chicago B.A., M.A. worked in their Institute for Nuclear Studies into the business world, made money, out of the business world, retired, writing full time. Along the way many lovely women were very kind to him. His life motto in Latin: NILS DESPERANDUM.NEVER DESPAIR.
