I don’t know even know how to start this review. This book sure was different. It wasn’t what I expected at all. And this, this is a good thing.The story is about Jeff Lyons, a high school senior who wants to transfer from chemistry class to ceramics’ because he’s not that great of a student (doesn’t have the best grades) and being in ceramics class will be less demanding and that way he can go to college. There he meets Ellen De Luca, or “the fat girl” like he calls her. She’s twice his width, clumsy and super bad at ceramics. He can’t stand her and it doesn’t help that she’s always looking at him and that bothers him.In that class he also meets Norma Jerkins, who’s blonde, beautiful and has a talent with clay. They’re both good looking and it’s no surprise they become a couple. But one day in class when Jeff makes a comment on Ellen’s lacking skills in ceramics and she hears him and ends up crying; that’s the turning point for him. He tries to be nicer to her and when she confesses a secret, he wants to help her more than ever. And so starts the transformation from fat girl to Ellen.I really liked this book and the summary caught my attention right away. I thought this was going to be a cute love story about how the guy falls in love with the underdog and live happily ever after; I was so wrong. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. Jeff is a good guy and cares about his family, specially his mom since his dad left him and his sister years ago. His sister, Wanda, who’s a teenager has her own issues and they play as a second plot to the story. He and his mom sometimes don’t have the best communication, but that doesn’t take out the fact that they both care about each other.So, when things aren’t going good at home, it seems like his escape is Ellen. Like the nice guy everyone says he is, he tries helping her come out of her shell. He helps her find a hobby, think about college, and care about her personal image. He even helps her with the make-up and clothes she should wear. That part felt kind of weird because he’s a guy, you know? But it all makes sense in the end. At first, all this looks like good intentions from his part and they probably were but not for the right reasons. It doesn’t take long for it to become uncomfortable. He becomes sort of obsessed with her and her only. Now that Ellen is finding her place and losing weight, he doesn’t want her to be independent. He tries to mold her his way and what he thinks is right for her, but the thing is that it looks almost caring. It confuses you. You don’t know what to think of him. I got mad at him. But at the same time he doesn’t come off as a bad boy. Do you know what I mean?One thing I didn’t know was that this book was originally published in 1984 and it’s on its third printing. Again, I’m glad I picked this book up. It was really different. Even though its been years since this book has been out, you should definitely pick up a copy and experience it yourself. I haven’t read a contemporary like this one before.
Jeff Lyons can't stand Ellen de Luca, the fat girl in his ceramics class. She's huge, clumsy, can't throw a pot to save her life, and stares at Jeff all the time. But he's a "nice guy" and feels terrible when Ellen overhears his hurtful remarks about her. The "crumbs of kindness" he tosses her way soon turn into advice on weight loss, college, clothes, hair . . . and, to everyone's surprise, good-looking Jeff actually dumps his pretty girlfriend to be with the fat girl! Re-creating Ellen is a labor of love, Jeff thinks. But as her pounds melt away, Jeff resents the happy, independent young woman he has unleashed. Where is the gratitude for all he's done for her? With this darkly ironic take on the classic Pygmalion tale, Marilyn Sachs offers young readers a candid portrayal of what happens when the intoxicating thrill of control is confused with love.I had a horrible time with this book, sure it was entertaining enough to keep my attention for a boring afternoon but come on. Jeff made me blow up in anger more than once I can tell you that. He was so unrealistic for this day and age, just reading I could tell the writing was old fashioned and I wasn’t to thrilled that it wasn’t that entertaining. Jeff Lyons made me really doubt my faith in the human race a couple times because the poor kid suffered sure but he never changed. I saw no character development and the ending pretty much summed up the whole book, yeah he should have taken that chemistry class so that way I wouldn’t be struggling to read this guys weak story. Ellen also made me deeply agitated, sure she was the attention starved fat girl who just wanted to be loved but did she really have to be so devoted to Jeff that she didn’t say anything to anyone when he started treating her like crap? Also I really think that adding in her wanting to kill herself and being “saved” by Jeff was really unnecessary. This just made me want to skip pages because they wee so unrealistic. Also by the way I despise people like Jeff’s mother, they seem to be struggling with massive amounts of depression but nobody gives them help. Seriously? Jeff, his dad, her sister, his sister and anybody who entered that house could figure out that she needed help. So why did everyone just ignore it and just assume that was the way that she was? This was just so unrealistic with the writing and could have been so much better if the main character wouldn’t have been Jeff. I would have gladly heard from Ellen rather than Jeff, mainly because Ellen actually transforms while he basically has no change though out the whole entirety of the book. Sure I read it in a short period because I kept reading hoping for something interesting to happen. The ending was well done as well as the beginning but the rest of it should have been changed drastically.
What do You think about The Fat Girl (2007)?
The Fat Girl by Marilyn Sachs starts with a boy named Jeff who didn’t want Mr. Wasserman’s class, and ends with a broken heart. Jeff joined ceramics class to avoid Mr. Wasserman’s class, and fell in love with Norma, an amazing ceramicist. They would always hang out, and they really cared about one another. Jeff never thought that anything could come between them until Ellen, the Fat Girl, came along. Ellen was not good at ceramics, walking, dressing or anything else. Jeff made rude comments about her, and one day she overheard him, which lead her to want to kill herself. At that point, Jeff regreted everything he had said about her and tried to change her with weight loss, clothes, hair and walking. The more time he spent with her, the more he cared for her. Eventually, he dumps Norma for Ellen. Jeff thinks he can control Ellen, but while her pounds melt away she starts to feel more independent and doesn’t need Jeff as much as before. Jeff can’t believe it, but Ellen can’t stand Jeff telling her what to do, and she breaks up with him. The Fat Girl has many meanings but the main issue is loneliness. Jeff thought if he couldcontrol Ellen, and she was dependent on him, he would feel wanted. Ellen thought that since Jeff was there for her, she could be loved and do whatever she wanted. Jeff worried that Ellen might leave him, as his father had left his mother, if she got too independent. All Ellen wanted to do was be a normal girl in a normal body. Jeff wanted to feel like he was doing something for Ellen. It turns out her was really helping Ellen for himself.
—82_little_red
Although many people are giving this book a bad rap, I quite enjoyed it. Before you begin to disagree, you need to hear me out. Yes, the style of writing can be inconsistent at times, but it is meant to portray the narcissism of the protagonist(?), Jeff, and to bring out his characterization. What I found interesting was the way Jeff's characterization was brought out. I remember near the beginning of the book Jeff was annoyed that his girlfriend kept saying "poor Jeff" due to his family problems/etc and later on in the book he kept talking about his new girlfriend and saying "poor Ellen." He also becomes more and more like his mother, whom he never wanted to be, but found himself relating to her in the end when Ellen becomes self-aware of how he treats her and leaves. Him and his mother talk, saying how "they're never grateful" (referring to his recent ex girlfriend and his runaway sister) and how his desire to make Ellen happy when he cannot do the same for anyone else changes him into what he doesn't want to be in the end. I have also read reviews that it is strange that the narrator does Ellen's makeup and dresses her, but I think people need to keep in mind that this is a retelling of Pygmallion, where a sculptor that hates women creates a perfect statue from clay and falls in love with her. If you keep in mind that the author is trying to do a modern retelling of that tale, the story is a lot more feasible.
—Amanda
To keep his high grade point average, Jeff Lyons needs to ditch his current Chemistry class and take something easier. The only class fitting that description is Ceramics. Jeff assures his high school advisor that he's always wanted to take Ceramics and this is his last chance before graduation.The ceramics class turns out even better than Jeff expected. He meets a fantastic girl who wins his heart. Norma Jenkins is a ceramic geek and loves to share her knowledge with other interested students. Jeff is happy to have any reason to spend time with her.The class also includes Ellen de Luca. Another ceramics novice, Ellen is clumsy and overweight. When she crashes Jeff's just finished tea pot, he is furious. He hates her cringing, apologetic attitude and he resents the time Norma spends patiently tutoring her.In spite of his distaste, Jeff feels bad when Ellen overhears him tell others how hopeless her pots are and that he hopes she won't take Ceramics next semester. He does a complete turn-around to make up for his cruel comments and before he knows it she becomes a project for him.When he realizes that Ellen hangs on his every word he begins to give her advice on her diet, clothes, hair, and even choosing a college. As Ellen changes into an independent, cheerful young teenager, Jeff isn't ready to let her go. Marilyn Sachs tells a deliciously dark story of the differences between love and control.
—Lyn
