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September 22, 2005 7:22 PM
Jemima J
Very rarely in the women's fiction genre do you find a book that elicits such strong responses as Jane Green's 'Jemima J'. This truly is the kind of book you love or hate. I was one of many who read it in a state of pure disbelief, but felt so compelled to finish it that it was impossible to put down. It's easy to misconstrue it as a ridiculous tale with the moral 'being thin will make you happy', but it's not quite that simple...
Our heroine - and just about the only endearing character in the entire novel - Jemima Jones is overweight, lonely and desperately unhappy. Fed up with her food-fuelled life she embarks on the most drastic of make-overs, which involves all the usuals; a diet, a gym membership, a new hairdo and a soul-searching trip to LA. In her quest to become thin and happy, her obsession with her appearance becomes so great that she eventually becomes one of the unhealthily skinny girls she hated so much before. And that's where the real make-over begins.
The moral isn't as simple as 'thin makes you happy', because it's Jemima's internal struggles with her confidence that make the real changes in her life. Sadly, the story isn't presented in the best way possible, so that isn't as clear as it could be. The fault possibly lies with the character of Ben, the supposed love interest who doesn't give Jemima the time of day until she's skinny (quel surprise). The novel is also written in an oddly disjointed writing style which flits between first and third person for no apparent reason and just adds to the general confusion.
If you've ever dieted, struggled with your weight or had confidence problems, Jemima J is worth reading just so you can make your own mind up about it. This is a cautionary tale about going too far, but it's also a bit of a kick in the teeth whether you're fat or thin. And perhaps that's the point? Maybe we're all as bad as each other, no matter what we look like?
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Posted by Gemma on September 22, 2005 in British Authors, Modern Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink
Comments
Personally, I loved this book. One of my girlfriends recommended it to me. Even if not to the complete extent of Jemima, I think every girl feels the way she does and can relate to her in a way. She gets all those things that every girl dreams of, plus it's humorous along the way. I couldn't put this book down and I totally recommend it. This is the only Jane Green book I've read, what other ones of her's are good?
Posted by: Beth | September 23, 2005 5:42 PM
I haven't read Jemima J because I read Mr. Maybe first and HATED it. The main character dates a poor but awesome guy who isn't interested in commitment--this part of the book was realistically drawn and made me sympathetic. But then she starts dating one of the wealthiest men in Britain. He is so obviously Mr. Wrong that I rolled my eyes at every line of dialogue. I mean, the first time they kissed she wanted to throw up! But she keeps dating him, because he's RICH. I wanted to trip her in public and then laugh. I won't give away the ending--it's perfectly obvious anyway--but I wasn't going to invest my time in another book when this one was so unbelievably shallow. (To give her the benefit of the doubt, I think that one was her first novel.)
Posted by: Dancing with Myself, a wo-o-o | September 23, 2005 7:17 PM
I loooove this book and I've read it twice. It's a very unlikely book, but entertaining and insightful.
Posted by: Lauren | September 23, 2005 10:45 PM
Hated it. I simply hated this book. I hated the writing style and I hated Ben. Like the reviewer said, there were no endearing characters in this book, other than Jemima. This book was so bad (to me) that I don't care to read anything else by Jane Green.
Posted by: Teresa | September 28, 2005 9:27 PM
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have read this book probably 4 times. I think it's very inspiring. I have read every book Jane Green has ever written ladies. All of them are good but this one is my favorite. I know people say its unlikely to happen but thats what we call Fiction. So if you dont like those kinds of books then try Non-Fiction.
Posted by: Jessica | May 6, 2006 4:47 AM
This book was amazing! Whatever people say about the flaws in Ben's character, I think Jane Green tried her best to make him seem as non-shallow as possible by rejecting numerous beautiful girls, and the film star! The message at the end was that although he was inevitably attracted to Jemima J because of her makeover, the reason he fell in LOVE with her was her personality and her intelligence.
Posted by: JJ | May 4, 2008 9:20 AM
I loved this book. Read it four times! It's a fairy tale, and obviously so. Yes, Ben is a totally flawed character. But he's sort of an afterthought character to me. Jemima is in love with him, but essentially she doesn't make the changes she makes for him. She does it for herself. And that's the true beauty of the story. I think in the end, Ben doesn't matter, and that is quite clear. Jemima is happy because she's changed her life.
And anyone who claims that this story is unrealistic in terms of Jane Greens take on life as an overweight woman... well, they're either unfamiliar with being overweight to Jemima's extent, or they're simply in denial. As someone who has experienced all of the same difficulties that Jemima had (and then some), I can say that this is a blatantly honest portrayal of the fat life. Perhaps that's too hard for some to admit. But it's true, and it's part of what makes this such a great book.
Posted by: Hello | December 14, 2008 8:47 PM
This book sends a terrible message.
The characters are unlikable and the story is wildly unrealistic. Read only if you want a garbled incoherent and unbelievable mess of a story.
Posted by: Panther | January 4, 2009 11:06 AM
I think this book is absolutely fabulous. I was looking around to see if they had made a movie out of it yet. I think they should. It is one of my favorite books!!
Posted by: Catherine | January 8, 2009 9:05 PM
I just finished reading the book and have mixed reviews. I actually liked Ben's character and found him realistic. He was down to earth and likable, and genuinely liked Jemima as a person even if he wasn't physically attracted to her. Although "JJ" finally got his attention, it was Jemima who he fell in love with. Many women can have surface but only a few of them have real substance. I also found it hilarious that she lost the weight to impress her hunk and he ended up being in love with a "voluptuous" woman. lol... Overall, where I found the book to be shallow and cliche' most times, I also found it to be an entertaining read. I wouldn't mind seeing it made as a movie as well.
Posted by: Marnese | January 15, 2009 5:02 AM
I could not get myself to get past the first 50 pages. I loved Mr. Maybe, but Jemima J was completely unpleasant.
Posted by: Laurie | January 30, 2010 2:28 PM
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