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Life-Size
Josie is a woman striving for perfection. She is starving herself in a quest to find her true essence. Weighing a mere sixty-seven pounds, she finds herself in a hospital, where she stubbornly rages against all forms of treatment for her anorexia. Instead Josie is determined to set her captive spirit gloriously free—even if she must destroy herself to do so.
Darkly comic and crackling with energy, Life-Size is a deeply affecting story for anyone whose life is diminished by the tyranny of thinness.
Darkly comic and crackling with energy, Life-Size is a deeply affecting story for anyone whose life is diminished by the tyranny of thinness.
308 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 13, 2007
a pretty intense, heartrending novel from the p.o.v. of an anorexic woman in an eating disorder treatment center. a lot of flashbacks. some unfortunate, but, i suppose earned, melodrama. came recommended by marylou, who is awesome.
True Story: bought this at Powell's in Portland directly before eating a bad lunch and throwing up all over PSU's student center. Then I couldn't eat for several days, read this book about anorexia on the plane ride home, and alienated my seat neighbor by making embarrassing heaving noises while trying not to cry.
True Story: bought this at Powell's in Portland directly before eating a bad lunch and throwing up all over PSU's student center. Then I couldn't eat for several days, read this book about anorexia on the plane ride home, and alienated my seat neighbor by making embarrassing heaving noises while trying not to cry.
July 28, 2008
A great book on the torture of eating disorders. I think this was beautifully written, staying mainly within the character's head and nowhere else. You can feel the creeping madness and altered perceptions.
November 15, 2015
Grade: F
LIFE-SIZE is one of the worst books I've read this year.
Josie, the narrator is utterly unlikable, treats her family and hospital personnel terribly and talks about nothing but food. Yes, she's anorexic, but I don't really care to hear about food and how she feels about it page after page after page.
The writing, while at times sarcastically witty, sounded for the most part like an adult writing (and failing) to sound like a teen. No matter how smart or mature Josie might have been, her sentences felt inauthentic. Additionally, the chapters jumped from past to present without notice, which was confusing.
I'm so glad I borrowed this from the lending library. I wouldn't recommend LIFE-SIZE to anyone.
LIFE-SIZE is one of the worst books I've read this year.
Josie, the narrator is utterly unlikable, treats her family and hospital personnel terribly and talks about nothing but food. Yes, she's anorexic, but I don't really care to hear about food and how she feels about it page after page after page.
The writing, while at times sarcastically witty, sounded for the most part like an adult writing (and failing) to sound like a teen. No matter how smart or mature Josie might have been, her sentences felt inauthentic. Additionally, the chapters jumped from past to present without notice, which was confusing.
I'm so glad I borrowed this from the lending library. I wouldn't recommend LIFE-SIZE to anyone.
January 2, 2016
Whilst I liked this book a lot, I didn't love it. I have very limited knowledge of anorexia and this book has opened my eyes and mind to the struggles faced by Josie. Her mind is so focused on her body. She has a distorted perception of what she looks like and although she accepts that she looks frail, she aspires to be even thinner. It leads her to out-of-control eating habits and eventually a hospital.
Josie isn't the most likeable person. You have to work hard to like her but you can understand the way she is. You want her to eat, to stop counting every calorie, to look at food in a different way, to get the help she needs. You want her to have friends who can support her through this part of her life, to have a more supportive family. You want her to get better.
I read this over a couple of days. I did find it hard to put down as I was so intrigued by Josie's life and how it was going to progress. The descriptions of food were very interesting and her knowledge of calories for everything. Her habits around food, how it all began. I'm not sure how accurately this work of fiction portrays a young woman with anorexia but it has made me think.
Josie isn't the most likeable person. You have to work hard to like her but you can understand the way she is. You want her to eat, to stop counting every calorie, to look at food in a different way, to get the help she needs. You want her to have friends who can support her through this part of her life, to have a more supportive family. You want her to get better.
I read this over a couple of days. I did find it hard to put down as I was so intrigued by Josie's life and how it was going to progress. The descriptions of food were very interesting and her knowledge of calories for everything. Her habits around food, how it all began. I'm not sure how accurately this work of fiction portrays a young woman with anorexia but it has made me think.
June 21, 2016
Ehhh....
It began well, then it sank too far to be saved. I do not like the fact that the author never got to the root of the problem. It hinted at past abuse, yet I needed more insight and depth on the issues at hand. I felt like it was a little all over the place at times. So... 50/50, I guess.
It began well, then it sank too far to be saved. I do not like the fact that the author never got to the root of the problem. It hinted at past abuse, yet I needed more insight and depth on the issues at hand. I felt like it was a little all over the place at times. So... 50/50, I guess.
July 10, 2007
Terrific novel about a young women suffering with anorexia. Doesn’t glamorize the disorder and most of what she goes through rings true. Terrific at showing the crux of developing anorexia: the need to control and the muted life it can lead to.
March 29, 2008
Scary, angry, unapologetic tale of an anorexic near to death. Not what you expect, not what you think. Brilliant book.
September 25, 2009
I read this book as a free galley when I worked at the bookstore. It scared me to death.
April 29, 2008
For whatever the reason may be, I've always enjoyed reading personal accounts and/or stories of women struggling with eating disorders. This was one of the least interesting ones that I've come across. Very drawn out. I kept waiting to hit the peak of excitement, but it never came.
Blah.
Blah.
April 27, 2010
This is a very well written book that tells in excruciating detail the agony of a person with body dysmorphic disorder/anorexia. Ms. Shute's very descriptive writing really caught the self-loathing and anger a person suffers with this disorder.
August 22, 2013
Disturbing and blatant, but a very real account of the anorexic mind. Couldn't put it down. Written as if the author had first hand, real life experience with this disease. A very interesting read, not to mention, you will never look at food the same after her descriptions!
July 25, 2020
i'm sorry this is probably the worst book about eating disorders i have ever read. just. so. boring. and slow.
March 2, 2025
This book is about anorexia, it is a fictionalized account of a young woman who starves herself down to a life threatening weight, 67 lbs I think it was. She loses control and goes through binge periods as well. She has trauma around sex and makes some poor life choices around this as well.
What struck me about this book is how much this condition is not just a singular person illness but a society illness. I have read many of the statements about food dieting and exercise that our character reminds herself of because I have read the books and magazines that tell women how to eat, what we should look like, what exercises we should do, what foods are bad for us and how a slim healthy body is achievable for all of us. Fat shaming is real and everywhere.
Our character is in a hospital for her condition. She is forced to eat, in a humane way, but the author leaves it unknown whether she will survive outside the hospital setting. It doesn't seem like much has changed in her mental health. Whole subject is very sad.
What struck me about this book is how much this condition is not just a singular person illness but a society illness. I have read many of the statements about food dieting and exercise that our character reminds herself of because I have read the books and magazines that tell women how to eat, what we should look like, what exercises we should do, what foods are bad for us and how a slim healthy body is achievable for all of us. Fat shaming is real and everywhere.
Our character is in a hospital for her condition. She is forced to eat, in a humane way, but the author leaves it unknown whether she will survive outside the hospital setting. It doesn't seem like much has changed in her mental health. Whole subject is very sad.
January 12, 2025
A depressingly accurate portrayal of what women’s minds can look like. While this novel is accurate and hard hitting, I find myself being bored senseless of how limited the inner lives of women are.
As a comment on the state of the world that produces these inner monologues of women protagonists, it more than served its purpose but PLEASE, could we move past this and have something a little more inspiring?
One of the main issues I have with novels that have women protagonists is that there’s always a distinct lack of agency and autonomy: this novel is no different, except Josie displays her independence by being yet more cliched states of Being A Woman: she’s bratty, petulant and miserable. Please: no more. Give us something to aspire to, not more of what we already know all too well?
As a comment on the state of the world that produces these inner monologues of women protagonists, it more than served its purpose but PLEASE, could we move past this and have something a little more inspiring?
One of the main issues I have with novels that have women protagonists is that there’s always a distinct lack of agency and autonomy: this novel is no different, except Josie displays her independence by being yet more cliched states of Being A Woman: she’s bratty, petulant and miserable. Please: no more. Give us something to aspire to, not more of what we already know all too well?
December 6, 2017
Wow. Josie's story was scary, real and not at all glamoured up. Very interesting to hear her thoughts and catch glimpses of exactly why she is struggling with her emotions and ED. I felt very sorry for her. Some parts are difficult to read (emotionally) and can be triggering but it is an honest approach to the subject. Great read!
November 2, 2018
Ο ελληνικός τίτλος του βιβλίου είναι: "Όταν η Τζόζεφιν ήταν είκοσι χρόνων και ζύγιζε 32 κιλά ...."
και μιλάει ακριβώς για αυτό που φανταστήκατε, για τη νευρική ανορεξία.
Ευτυχώς δεν έχω τέτοιο πρόβλημα στο περιβάλλον μου, παρόλα αυτά μου έκανε καλό που το διάβασα το βιβλίο, αφού είχε συγκεντρωμένα όλα όσα είχα ακούσει σε διάφορες τηλεοπτικές εκπομπές για το θέμα.
και μιλάει ακριβώς για αυτό που φανταστήκατε, για τη νευρική ανορεξία.
Ευτυχώς δεν έχω τέτοιο πρόβλημα στο περιβάλλον μου, παρόλα αυτά μου έκανε καλό που το διάβασα το βιβλίο, αφού είχε συγκεντρωμένα όλα όσα είχα ακούσει σε διάφορες τηλεοπτικές εκπομπές για το θέμα.
April 12, 2024
A difficult read due to the subject matter, but un-put-downable. I wish the timeline were clearer and that some of the flashbacks were a bit less amorphous, but I understand why those choices were made. The ending also felt arbitrary. But the imagery was visceral and disturbing in a way that perfectly conveyed the horrors of this disease.
November 1, 2026
It’s one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read, as it aims to make the reader uncomfortable. I think Shute does a fantastic job of showing that anorexia isn’t simply about being thin, it’s a disease that infects every part of your life, often without you realising it. I can’t recommend reading this enough.
April 13, 2023
It is a novel but a very intriguing and horrifying story of the anorexic struggle. It gives me pause to the mindset, sadness and angst not only for the patient but for the family and loved ones in their circle. Inciteful!
February 24, 2025
A harsh and translucent portrayal of anorexia. There is a good questioning on the self and the human all around the mentally non-stable. What it means to be a human, what is identity and which place does the body occupy within the self.
December 21, 2025
This book normalizes sexual abuse, denies the existence of misogyny, and claims that there's 350 calories in a milk shake. Not an ounce of research was done and I genuinely believe this book is more harmful than Wintergirls or Lolita and not even as good. I would give zero stars if I could.
November 5, 2019
Absolutely fantastic book, a must-read for anyone who is interested in learning about the emotional experience of eating disorders.
August 22, 2021
Eh, it was okay.
November 22, 2021
I liked the book. It was hard to understand Josephine’s self-destructive tendencies at first, but you start to learn more about her back story and put the pieces together.
February 6, 2024
Not pleasant, not fun, not amusing, five stars
April 8, 2024
This was a really weird book.
June 22, 2024
Excellent writing, will be tough to read in places for people who have dealt with disordered eating. The ending is a little abrupt, but I found it compelling otherwise.
January 28, 2019
Totally caustic, biting, sardonic voice that doesn't sugarcoat anything. Somewhat subliminal writing style in which you have to do quite a bit of reading in between the lines just to follow along with some of the thought processes & get onto the necessary wavelength of understanding.
Really quite a compelling read overall, though, especially as far as books on eating disorders are concerned. Josie's voice, deluded mania, & bitter attitude can be heard loud & clear throughout every chapter, & her disdainfully graphic, borderline sacrilegious descriptions and rants considerably elevate the book, bringing in so much substance & verisimilitude.
Although she's sort of aggravating as a patient & as an individual at times, I could definitely get where she's coming from & could relate to her on several different levels. A lot of her actions, thoughts, & words made sense to me, although some did leave me somewhat stupefied as to who & how & why.
Also really enjoyed how her ruminations, descriptions, & rationale for striving towards attaining her particular, painstaking kind of perfection -- nothing but her bare bones without any disfiguring flesh -- quickly transcend beyond the standard "I wanna look super thin & pretty so that all the boys will like me & I'll become just as desirable & popular like all the cool, pretty girls."
Instead, it becomes so much more for her -- she is the "hunger artist," testing her willpower, character, mental fortitude, discipline... This is no longer about anyone else -- it's all about her & how she's able to (try to) modify, improve upon, & etch out her own sharp, well-defined version of herself, which is such a stark contrast to the "average" majority & the dull outside world, driven by nothing more than incessant hunger, lust, desire... She wants no part in that, instead focusing diligently on becoming a perfect machine. Pure. Minimalistic. Free of the chains that bind the human body to its flesh.
It's like it transcends the conventional & centers far more on the metaphysical & psychological & philosophical.
I loved those lines of thinking that she had; it's actually sort of remarkable how some of the things she said/thought almost perfectly mirror and go in line with some of my own thoughts & conceptions.
She brought up a lot of very valid, quote-worthy points -- which is why almost every page in this old little book is now blemished in some way with all sorts of marks, stars, lines, underlines, comments, & half-scribbled words.
I just went along slowly & methodically, savoring the writing for all that it's worth.
Really quite a compelling read overall, though, especially as far as books on eating disorders are concerned. Josie's voice, deluded mania, & bitter attitude can be heard loud & clear throughout every chapter, & her disdainfully graphic, borderline sacrilegious descriptions and rants considerably elevate the book, bringing in so much substance & verisimilitude.
Although she's sort of aggravating as a patient & as an individual at times, I could definitely get where she's coming from & could relate to her on several different levels. A lot of her actions, thoughts, & words made sense to me, although some did leave me somewhat stupefied as to who & how & why.
Also really enjoyed how her ruminations, descriptions, & rationale for striving towards attaining her particular, painstaking kind of perfection -- nothing but her bare bones without any disfiguring flesh -- quickly transcend beyond the standard "I wanna look super thin & pretty so that all the boys will like me & I'll become just as desirable & popular like all the cool, pretty girls."
Instead, it becomes so much more for her -- she is the "hunger artist," testing her willpower, character, mental fortitude, discipline... This is no longer about anyone else -- it's all about her & how she's able to (try to) modify, improve upon, & etch out her own sharp, well-defined version of herself, which is such a stark contrast to the "average" majority & the dull outside world, driven by nothing more than incessant hunger, lust, desire... She wants no part in that, instead focusing diligently on becoming a perfect machine. Pure. Minimalistic. Free of the chains that bind the human body to its flesh.
It's like it transcends the conventional & centers far more on the metaphysical & psychological & philosophical.
I loved those lines of thinking that she had; it's actually sort of remarkable how some of the things she said/thought almost perfectly mirror and go in line with some of my own thoughts & conceptions.
She brought up a lot of very valid, quote-worthy points -- which is why almost every page in this old little book is now blemished in some way with all sorts of marks, stars, lines, underlines, comments, & half-scribbled words.
I just went along slowly & methodically, savoring the writing for all that it's worth.
June 26, 2020
Underrated. This book was very uniquely written and the way the character reacted to her environment gave her a solid personality.
May 21, 2014
Lest you be concerned with my current reading choices these days —Sylvia Plath, Victor Frankl, that Ned Vizzini thing and now this—rest easy: in preparation for a grad-school prerequisite course, I've been slowly working through the Goodreads list titled: "Books Every Psychology and/or Counseling Doctoral Student Should Read". I promise I haven't lost my mind.
"Life Size" paints a vivid picture of a woman who's been hospitalized for acute anorexia nervosa: the mental illness that forces sufferers on the dangerous cycle of anxiety, starvation, and momentary triumph. It's tough to read a book about eating disorders—even evocative, well-written books like this—from the comforts of my own healthy body image. I keep picturing people I've known in the past—college friends, coworkers, family members—who suffered, and are probably still suffering, from this terrible disease.
The first-person protagonist is an unlikable person by any standards, but I found that my only feelings were a mixture of pity and empathy. i kept thinking about how lucky I am to have never suffered those thoughts, or let my superego wield food like a weapon over my id. I got goosebumps reading about her horrible parents and the callus, burned-out medical staff. But mostly I felt a call to arms to Do Something: this is an epidemic, and it demands to be taken seriously.
"Life Size" paints a vivid picture of a woman who's been hospitalized for acute anorexia nervosa: the mental illness that forces sufferers on the dangerous cycle of anxiety, starvation, and momentary triumph. It's tough to read a book about eating disorders—even evocative, well-written books like this—from the comforts of my own healthy body image. I keep picturing people I've known in the past—college friends, coworkers, family members—who suffered, and are probably still suffering, from this terrible disease.
The first-person protagonist is an unlikable person by any standards, but I found that my only feelings were a mixture of pity and empathy. i kept thinking about how lucky I am to have never suffered those thoughts, or let my superego wield food like a weapon over my id. I got goosebumps reading about her horrible parents and the callus, burned-out medical staff. But mostly I felt a call to arms to Do Something: this is an epidemic, and it demands to be taken seriously.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews