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Bear Like Me
Fired from his job at Phag magazine, Peter Mallory has to find a way to make a living - and get revenge! When his best friend suggests writing a book about the bear community - and using his new "bear" look to go undercover at Phag - Peter is soon letting his body hair grow and practising the fine art of flannel couture. When Peter's sabotage campaign works only too well, he starts to run the risk of discovery. With an envious fellow bear set to unmask Peter as a fraud, and a relationship with an intriguing bear on the line, things are about to get very hairy!
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 2, 2011
Bear Like Me is a satirical look at the gay bear community. It’s a little dated as a contemporary piece but the humor translates for the most part if you’re looking for something very light and heavy on the obvious puns. The ending is ridiculous and completely over the top but that’s mostly the point. It’s meant to be outrageous and unbelievable with one gag after the next. The characters are decent and likable to a point but none stand out very much. In the end this is a fun, easy book to read but not one I’ll especially remember.
The premise of the story starts with hero Peter Mallory being fired from his journalism job for wanting to write more intellectual pieces than the glossy magazine wanted. From that moment, Peter is obsessed with getting revenge on the magazine and director. Yet since Peter needs an income, he decides to write a book about the bear niche within the gay community and that necessitates becoming a bear. Armed with these two goals Peter starts a humorous and outrageous journey of self discovery and obsession.
The story itself is pretty easy to follow if you can suspend a good deal of disbelief. It’s immediately obvious this is a satire and the story never misses a chance to point out a pun or bad joke. Peter’s actions are flat out ridiculous. Each circumstance, and his resulting actions, is more outrageous than the last culminating in perhaps the most laughable (in a bad way) ending. While I could go with the humor of the story and the obvious camp style, the ending simply is too much and lost me with the super easy, convenient solution to all problems.
Up to that point though the writing and characters are amusing. Peter’s evolution into the bear lifestyle shows a lot of intimate knowledge. The author is obviously well versed in that atmosphere and shows both the good and bad sides to the minority within a minority. The community is shown with both heroes and villains and lends a comic air to the actions while also shining an intimate light into likely very real scenarios. This duality is nicely depicted and lets the readers in on the jokes – perhaps too much.
While the humor is enjoyable and makes the pages fly by incredibly quick, it also lacks any subtly. The characters are exaggerations and the situations tend to be extreme. Peter’s actions are largely devoid of any rational, logical decision making, which makes him unlikable. Yet his earnest desire to find love may have some readers rooting for him regardless. I wish the writing had included more nuance and didn’t go for the obvious joke all the time. However that said, the story is fun to read for the most part and an easy popcorn read on a hot summer day.
The premise of the story starts with hero Peter Mallory being fired from his journalism job for wanting to write more intellectual pieces than the glossy magazine wanted. From that moment, Peter is obsessed with getting revenge on the magazine and director. Yet since Peter needs an income, he decides to write a book about the bear niche within the gay community and that necessitates becoming a bear. Armed with these two goals Peter starts a humorous and outrageous journey of self discovery and obsession.
The story itself is pretty easy to follow if you can suspend a good deal of disbelief. It’s immediately obvious this is a satire and the story never misses a chance to point out a pun or bad joke. Peter’s actions are flat out ridiculous. Each circumstance, and his resulting actions, is more outrageous than the last culminating in perhaps the most laughable (in a bad way) ending. While I could go with the humor of the story and the obvious camp style, the ending simply is too much and lost me with the super easy, convenient solution to all problems.
Up to that point though the writing and characters are amusing. Peter’s evolution into the bear lifestyle shows a lot of intimate knowledge. The author is obviously well versed in that atmosphere and shows both the good and bad sides to the minority within a minority. The community is shown with both heroes and villains and lends a comic air to the actions while also shining an intimate light into likely very real scenarios. This duality is nicely depicted and lets the readers in on the jokes – perhaps too much.
While the humor is enjoyable and makes the pages fly by incredibly quick, it also lacks any subtly. The characters are exaggerations and the situations tend to be extreme. Peter’s actions are largely devoid of any rational, logical decision making, which makes him unlikable. Yet his earnest desire to find love may have some readers rooting for him regardless. I wish the writing had included more nuance and didn’t go for the obvious joke all the time. However that said, the story is fun to read for the most part and an easy popcorn read on a hot summer day.
January 12, 2014
I'm a fan of audiobooks and finding more and more titles from Lethe/Bear Bones and Bold Strokes has been a real joy to add some quality audiobooks to my two-plus hours of commute every day.
"Bear Like Me" works on many levels - on the surface, this is a fun and light story of a guy in way over his head: a gay clone twink type who is unjustly fired from his job at a magazine is left twisting in the wind, and his friend convinces him to go undercover into the bear community and write a book about the experience. Hijinks begin from the first confusion over "husbear" and then a second plot wrinkle enters: he has the opportunity to maybe do some sabotage to the magazine that let him go. Juggling identities, lies, sabotage and a romance that is starting with a burly bear makes life complicated, but the biggest struggle might just be realizing that the only thing better than pretending to be a bear might be actually being one.
On that fun mad-cap level alone, the story works. It's actually mildly a period piece as well, and keeping in mind the tale takes place as the internet age is dawning will also make some of the chuckles all the more amusing - I didn't get his absolute confusion about computers for a moment or two, until I realized that.
On a deeper level, though, there's more here. On his quest to investigate the bear identity, the hero also bumps into the same struggles I remember all too well from my brief foray into the bear world when I first came out: the community can be the most supportive and wonderful culture, but just like anywhere else, there are some who take the rules as permission to be exclusive and cruel. Being new (and fake), the hero of the tale gets a double-dose of that double-edged reality, and there were more than a few moments that made me want to reach in and strangle a character or two for my younger self, even as I shook my head in amusement at the antics of all involved.
"Bear Like Me" ultimately left me smiling, and I can happily recommend it - especially to anyone who didn't fit any of the molds when they first came out.
"Bear Like Me" works on many levels - on the surface, this is a fun and light story of a guy in way over his head: a gay clone twink type who is unjustly fired from his job at a magazine is left twisting in the wind, and his friend convinces him to go undercover into the bear community and write a book about the experience. Hijinks begin from the first confusion over "husbear" and then a second plot wrinkle enters: he has the opportunity to maybe do some sabotage to the magazine that let him go. Juggling identities, lies, sabotage and a romance that is starting with a burly bear makes life complicated, but the biggest struggle might just be realizing that the only thing better than pretending to be a bear might be actually being one.
On that fun mad-cap level alone, the story works. It's actually mildly a period piece as well, and keeping in mind the tale takes place as the internet age is dawning will also make some of the chuckles all the more amusing - I didn't get his absolute confusion about computers for a moment or two, until I realized that.
On a deeper level, though, there's more here. On his quest to investigate the bear identity, the hero also bumps into the same struggles I remember all too well from my brief foray into the bear world when I first came out: the community can be the most supportive and wonderful culture, but just like anywhere else, there are some who take the rules as permission to be exclusive and cruel. Being new (and fake), the hero of the tale gets a double-dose of that double-edged reality, and there were more than a few moments that made me want to reach in and strangle a character or two for my younger self, even as I shook my head in amusement at the antics of all involved.
"Bear Like Me" ultimately left me smiling, and I can happily recommend it - especially to anyone who didn't fit any of the molds when they first came out.
June 30, 2011
Pretty good humorous gay fiction about a writer, fired from a trendy gay magazine, who decides to go undercover into the gay bear culture in order to gather material for a book. While the humor of this book just didn't quite work for me, I believe it will for other readers - particularly those more familiar with real-life bear culture.
March 13, 2013
While I enjoyed the obvious affection the author has for the bear community, I did not care for a lot of the back-biting, conniving characters that populated the novel. While I don't doubt that many such men exist, I really don't want to read about them.
The ending seemed a little rushed and contrived as well, going from the protagonist's living hell to top of the world in scant minutes.
Still, it's good to see more hirsute gay men showing up in fiction.
The ending seemed a little rushed and contrived as well, going from the protagonist's living hell to top of the world in scant minutes.
Still, it's good to see more hirsute gay men showing up in fiction.
November 5, 2011
A very light, silly, dated journey into the "Bear" culture. Enough said.
July 9, 2020
Got to meet this author on an old chat room. I really enjoyed getting to know him and wish we would have stayed in contact. I loved this book, although I am not gay. It was a joy to read and I laughed several time. Such an amazing wordsmith.
February 20, 2018
This was a fun book to read. Being a bear I can understand the world this book inhibits. I was glad to come across this book at a gay bookstore a few years ago.
May 14, 2012
I'm a fan of bear erotica and bearish romances when I find them, so Bear Like Me by Jonathan Cohen, an amusing, light tale about a man who becomes part of the bear community, through let's say the back door, is right up my alley.
Cohen weaves this bearish story around Peter Mallory, a journalist and self-proclaimed twink who becomes obsessed with getting revenge after he's fired from his job at Phag magazine. In the meantime he needs to make a living and at his friend Mac's suggestion Peter decides to write a novel about the bear community. Unfortunately, he is clueless. Problem? He's part of the mainstream gay community and lives in what he refers to as the "gay ghetto," but Peter doesn't even know what a bear is!
Mac suggests Peter go undercover to research his novel. To blend in he grows a beard, stops waxing his body hair, and gains heft by eating like food is going out of style. And in some of the most amusing moments in the story, his wardrobe undergoes a dramatic change as Peter sheds his trendy suits and ties for flannel. Of course there's more to the experience than growing fur, changing wardrobe or gaining weight.
"Becoming a bear, just like coming out of the closet, requires a certain shift in perception. What you find attractive, what you find acceptable, what you deem important, all changes. In a way you become an outsider, but in a way you become part of a small, select private group. Usually this is a long process that accompanies repeated exposure to the bear community. I didn't, however, have the luxury of time."
Peter's partner Danny is not necessarily over the moon about the lack of income, but all the physical and psychological changes that slowly turn Peter into his other self, Dan the bear, take a real toll on the relationship.
Peter/Dan is driven by his obsession to get that revenge against Phag, meanwhile that "shift in perception" slowly takes place within Peter. This takes time, however even as he clings to the belief that inside he is still a twink and that his foray into to bear community is temporary Peter falls for Ben, a big teddy bear of man who sees the bear and other qualities in him that Peter doesn't see in himself. Unfortunately Peter doesn't know when to stop lying and scheming, so that by the time he comes to his senses it might be too late to keep the friends who welcomed him with opened arms, or his man.
There are over-the-top moments (Peter loves and attracts drama like a magnet), and since this book was first published in 2003, a rather dated back story. But I like that through all the mayhem Cohen sneaks in slight critical views of both the mainstream gay and bear communities from an insider and an outsider's point of view. Additionally, the pace of the novel is quick as lightning and it makes this story not only entertaining, but a super fast read.
In Bear Like Me, Cohen presents an overview of the bear community with all its rules and bearish family atmosphere. Peter's second coming out story as a bear is entertaining with an intentionally campy style, outrageous moments, and a surprisingly sweet romance.
Cohen weaves this bearish story around Peter Mallory, a journalist and self-proclaimed twink who becomes obsessed with getting revenge after he's fired from his job at Phag magazine. In the meantime he needs to make a living and at his friend Mac's suggestion Peter decides to write a novel about the bear community. Unfortunately, he is clueless. Problem? He's part of the mainstream gay community and lives in what he refers to as the "gay ghetto," but Peter doesn't even know what a bear is!
Mac suggests Peter go undercover to research his novel. To blend in he grows a beard, stops waxing his body hair, and gains heft by eating like food is going out of style. And in some of the most amusing moments in the story, his wardrobe undergoes a dramatic change as Peter sheds his trendy suits and ties for flannel. Of course there's more to the experience than growing fur, changing wardrobe or gaining weight.
"Becoming a bear, just like coming out of the closet, requires a certain shift in perception. What you find attractive, what you find acceptable, what you deem important, all changes. In a way you become an outsider, but in a way you become part of a small, select private group. Usually this is a long process that accompanies repeated exposure to the bear community. I didn't, however, have the luxury of time."
Peter's partner Danny is not necessarily over the moon about the lack of income, but all the physical and psychological changes that slowly turn Peter into his other self, Dan the bear, take a real toll on the relationship.
Peter/Dan is driven by his obsession to get that revenge against Phag, meanwhile that "shift in perception" slowly takes place within Peter. This takes time, however even as he clings to the belief that inside he is still a twink and that his foray into to bear community is temporary Peter falls for Ben, a big teddy bear of man who sees the bear and other qualities in him that Peter doesn't see in himself. Unfortunately Peter doesn't know when to stop lying and scheming, so that by the time he comes to his senses it might be too late to keep the friends who welcomed him with opened arms, or his man.
There are over-the-top moments (Peter loves and attracts drama like a magnet), and since this book was first published in 2003, a rather dated back story. But I like that through all the mayhem Cohen sneaks in slight critical views of both the mainstream gay and bear communities from an insider and an outsider's point of view. Additionally, the pace of the novel is quick as lightning and it makes this story not only entertaining, but a super fast read.
In Bear Like Me, Cohen presents an overview of the bear community with all its rules and bearish family atmosphere. Peter's second coming out story as a bear is entertaining with an intentionally campy style, outrageous moments, and a surprisingly sweet romance.
August 13, 2007
The book is a quick and mostly a delightful read, if you enjoy reading about gay bears. The humor is campy (if one is allowed to be campy in a bear world) and fun. In a world where many books are overly wordy and in need of editing, this book needs to bulk up a bit, like its hero. I found myself wanting a little more in-depth character writing given the identity crisis the hero was going through. The overall feel was a made-for-TV script that had been fleshed out a bit. But I hope that Jonathan Cohen continues to try his hand at writing about the bear community.
November 25, 2012
I enjoyed the silly romp with the bears. While the book feels a bit dated, I enjoyed it enough to hope there is a sequel someday.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews