Flesh

Like raw, disturbing fiction? Look no further; this is the book you want. Galef puts down all the facts concisely that it's impossible not to visualize every sentence allowing an easy read with a lot of dynamite packed into it. The last chapter felt a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the novel, but it's hard to beat the last sentence. That was masterful. I disagree with the one-star reviewer in terms of Galef being "anti-fat" so to speak, and think that the reviewer missed the point of obsession. This novel tells the story of an English professor, Don, who becomes unhealthily obsessed with his next-door neighbor and History professor, Max. Going so far as to spy on extremely intimate moments and gain weight to fit the mold of what Max finds appealing his fascination morphs into a disturbing love and longing - something emphasized with the growing distance between Don and his wife. The tragic ending and Don's response to it only emphasize his obsession as Don fills Max's role, loving him so much that essentially he becomes Max. Keep an eye out for Eric. Though a minor character, he's the most entertaining and interesting, in my opinion. Steamy book - if you get squimish by BDSM, read with caution. Gratuitous eroticism ahead.

David Galef has a keen sense of humor--FLESH exhibits his observational skills and knack for creating fully fleshed (!) characters, damned and redeemed by their flaws and innate humanity. Anti-fat bias? I read this novel from cover to cover and back again and could find no such thing. It is a book about fetishists and bent desires and is written with such obvious affection toward its subjects that anyone looking for an ax to grind had better check another tool shed. FLESH is achingly funny and its rather jaundiced depiction of academia reminds me of a terrific Richard Russo offering I read some years back. An erotic and knowing novel by a writer who has only gotten better over the years. Check out his new book HOW TO COPE WITH SUBURBAN STRESS and you'll see what I mean. A courageous and literate author.

A crisp, lively story with interesting characters and fascinating psychological turns. The satire of academe is delicious. Max's diary, revealed toward the end of the novel, is a gem worth waiting for. I liked this book a lot. Galef is both funny and profound.

I read FLESH in less than a week. It is a wonderful book the flows like a conversation. It is filled with accurate descriptions of academia, descents into voyeruism and other fetishes, and wonderful words (keep a dictionary handy-this book is a vocabulary builder). You follow the narrator's story without pause, waiting for the questions he brings up to be answered. You're on the edge waiting for answers until the last ten pages of the novel, but when the story ends you're still intrigued waiting for more definite answers. It is intelligent erotica with great "Fish out of water" descriptons. Read it despite the ending.

A young married professor comes to a smallSouthern university town and befriendsa colleague, whose interests include heavy dosesof bicycling. Soon, however, our protagonist noticesthat his friend is attracted to a certain kind of woman--the heavy kind! As the young professor voyeuristicallywatches his friend move from relationship to relationship, he begins to question his own rathermundane existence, and by the end of the novel he has become obsessed with his friend's lifestyle. I am a lover of BBW (Big Beautiful Women) myself, so I was instantly attracted to the subject matter.Although the climax of the story is somewhat troubling(suffice it to say that it appears the author "punishes"the colleague for his tastes), I thought the treatment oflarger women as objects of desire was otherwise fair.As more and more women rightly rebel againstAmerica's renewed "corset culture" (i.e., one thatdemands that women be ever slimmer, to the point ofceasing to menstruate), I am happy to see at least onework of professional fiction that celebrates fleshywomanly beauty. Perhaps "Flesh" will bring even moreFAs (Fat Admirers) out of the closet than are currentlyemerging on the internet, no longer afraid to confess tothe fetish that dares not speak its name