Love of Fat Men

by Helen. Dunmore

In this collection of short stories, the author takes the reader into a sensuous world of endless winters and midnight sun. As far apart as Finland, the Austrian Tyrol, and upstate New York, these stories come alive to the touch of estrangement, misunderstanding, sexuality and loss.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Short Story Collection, Literary Fiction

ebook

First published January 12, 1997

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

What drew me to this book was the title, and what an extraordinary one it is. This particular collection of short stories written by Dunmore are set in Scandinavian countries, and, her characters appear to pop up now and again in different stories further on in the book. I could never quite tell if it was the same person she was initially speaking of, though, and I suppose that gave me a sense of intrigue.

One of her characters, Ulli, is probably my favourite, and I warmed towards her the most. Ulli has a love of fat men, and the loneliness she feels disappears when she is beside a man that snores through the night. I suppose it's a bit of white noise, if you like. If it were me though, and I listened to it night after night, I'd probably recommend going to the doctors.

At times a couple of these stories felt a little weak, but I did like the oddity of them, and how they flowed chaotically.

[Ellie Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book, each story was so captivating in its own way and i loved how they were all linked either by characters or themes.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an early work by Dunmore, who was so prolific in her two-decade career that I still come across titles of hers that I’ve never heard of before. I don’t think a book by this title would get published nowadays, but I won’t hold it against her. It is literal in that Ulli, a recurring character in 10 of these 19 stories, finds comfort in sleeping with larger men. I wondered what so captured Dunmore’s imagination about Scandinavia: you can work out that Ulli is from Finland and most of the stories are set there or in nearby countries.

Every other story returns to Ulli, but the fragments of her life miss out the connective tissue: we suspect she’s pregnant as a teen, but don’t learn what she chose to do about it; we witness some dysfunctional scenes and realize she’s estranged from her family later on, but don’t find out if there was some big bust-up that prompted it. She comes across as a loner and a nomad, apt to be effaced by stronger personalities. In “The Ice Bear,” she’s on a ferry from Sweden back to Finland and can’t escape the prattle of a male missionary. In “A Question of Latitude” she’s out for a restaurant meal with friends, one of whom diagnoses her thus: “Nothing really affects you, does it? You just smile and put it out of your mind. And you cut people out of your life the same way, when you’ve finished with them.”

Here my preference was for the other stories that were unconnected. “The Bridge Painter” is about a man who leaves a peculiar calling card at each bridge he visits. “Annina” paints a woman with a questionable grasp on reality after the loss of a child. Best of all is probably “North Sea Crossing,” which contrasts two father-and-son pairs. If you only know Dunmore from novels, I can recommend her poetry and short stories, too.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I usually prefer stories that are not quite so open-ended, I did enjoy these pieces, which were thoughtfully written with precise, poetic language. The volume was skinny, so I thought I would whip right through the book -- but found instead that each story required thoughtful consideration and careful reading. Some of the characters in the book are in more than one story, and one character in particular appears in many. I liked this feature even though I don't feel like this oft-repeated character becomes better-known to the reader through the many stories she's in. It seems the repetition merely saves the author the trouble of filling in background on her each time. But over all, reading this book was a pleasant enough way to pass the time.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My two favourite stories in this collection were "Annina" and "The Thief," both in different ways about pregnancy/childbirth/motherhood. The first uses fairy tales motifs (miniature children like Thumbelina, etc) to emotionally powerful effect, and the second concerns a pregnant woman who seems pathetically, horrifyingly oblivious to the realities of her life and the certain removal of this baby after it's born. Many of the stories are about a woman named Ulli, who may or may not be the same person in all of the stories (I think it probably is, but the connection is rarely explicit), as she moves through different stages of her life.

[Nadia Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

these types of nearly-fictions are some of my very favorite things to read. small swell after small swell.
a sprinkling of odd, clipped little stories with hard edges all over. it’s like opening your eyes to find yourself staring out of someone else’s but only for a beat…
this collection is something i’d like to fold up into a little square and tuck into my pocket.

[Mew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indulgently this is the second Helen Dunmore book I have read this year and we're only 12 days in... I knew I loved her novels but now I am delighted to find she writes stunning, beautiful short stories too... Brilliant.

[Lisa Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate the immense craft and skill that goes into writing short stories, this is not my preferred genre. Having said that, Helen Dunmore's stories are compelling and beautifully written - she is an extraordinary writer - a poet, I would imagine. I loved her character Ulli, who appears in many of the stories and her love of fat men; how their snoring throughout the night provides her with a sense of companionship and a way to avert her intense loneliness that she often feels; how their elastic skin folds around her, making her feel warmth and safety. They are all set in Scandinavian countries - Norway, Sweden, Finland etc.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a slow start, I really really got into this slim collection of icy short stories. The blisteringly cold, muffled Scandinavian settings lent a simultaneous harshness and fragility to the stories and the characters that I enjoyed. I liked the way character names kept recurring throughout, so sometimes it seems you are following the same characters in different episodes of their lives, but you are never quite sure. Ambiguity and open-ends abound. Her prose is as beautiful as ever - with so many sentences to linger over and repeat back to yourself.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much to say but I just got bored of this. I read most of it but there are so many little stories crammed in that it just got a bit much. Some of the stories near the start are good but they get less interesting as the book continues. Just a little dull.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect winter reading. Dunmore's descriptions of the sea, snow and wind give the stories an almost magical, mythical feeling.

A number of the stories involve a girl called Ulli which were my favourites. I wish I could have read an entire book about her life and where the world took her. She seems to try to lose herself in men. We learn from one of her friends that she gives the impression that nothing bad has ever happened to her, and that she is unaffected by life. However, we know that her inner world is complex and her past is painful; that she's estranged from her family, her mother seemingly had anorexia and depression, and her parents could be dismissive of her.

Dunmore explores themes such as motherhood and fatherhood, body image and weight, friendship, and selfhood.

[Annie Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I love Helen Dunmore’s writing and this seemed a good way of enjoying her storytelling. It’s an unusual collection in that around half of the stories revolve around a young woman called Ulli, and I thought that these were the best ones, though the sequencing of them is not chronological. The other stories were enjoyable but often stuck to the same format (narrative A, narrative B) so there wasn’t as much variety as I had expected. I thought the best stories were North Sea Crossing, The Bridge Painter, Family Meetings and Batteries.

[Dieuwke · Rating 2 out of 5]

A gift from a Bristol based friend - we bond over short stories.
All of these Scandinavian set stories begin so promising, and the setting, and characters are so well painted it’s a pleasure to read. But then… then -for me- the stories fall flat. I don’t get they, they just end. No clue, no punch, no lingering emotion (unless a faint flabbergasted counts).
Shame, I was a very willing reader waiting to be in awe, but that didn’t happen once -or at least not after finishing reading a story.

[Nathalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I can't complain about short story collections, but these are more like vignettes about mediocre things, just descriptions of everyday activities. One of them is a description of someone having a bath, and another is a description of someone having a shower. Another is about someone going shopping. The only one I can remember that wasn't about something ordinary was about a woman who had an (imaginary?) daughter who was too small for anyone else to see.

[Benjamin Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawn to this one entirely by the title. Initially I fell in love with Helen Dunmore's style and direction but then I felt it became a bit bland.

At times I felt engaged and almost voyeuristic reading the work, there were moments of laughter. I tired of Ulli's story and felt more engaged by the observational stuff.

[Brian Lavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this very much, simple snapshots of peoples lives. Each story nice and short, but full of detail. I enjoy how the narrater of the story goes off on a tangent and starts chatting about another time or place.

Also enjoyed how the character Ullil kept appearing in different times of her life. I wonder what made the author choose to place the character in Finland?

[Marsha Dermott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories. Although well written, as always, I found the subject of family life too repetitive and mundane, hence I was disappointed with this collection.

[Madelyn Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5* Short stories, many set in The Nordic countries, many involving a female character named Ulli. Well-written, just not my jam.

[Alan Thornhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting form for short stories. Spoiler alert: nothing really happens but nothing happens beautifully. We focussed on this author for emulation exercises. Her prose is poetic.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, tight prose that makes me want to move to Finland.

[Robert Paynter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting mix of stories with the same characters mixed with separate ones with linking issues. The careful mix of fragments makes it possible they could all be blended to create depth or other novels could be split apart.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Impossible to read. Too open-ended. No end of the stories, they just stop abruptly. Not my cup of tea.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories. I've never read this author before, but I'll definitely be digging out some other books. I loved the style of writing and, although I prefer plenty of action, each story just dragged me along - in a good way! My favourites were 'The Bridge Painter', which was a bit uncomfortable, but just up my street, and 'Cliffs', although I really couldn't tell you why. I also enjoyed revisiting Ulli in every other story, which made the book feel like a novel even when it wasn't.

[Menno Beek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up from the local thrift store, for half a euro: I liked the feel of the book, and I was not disappointed. These are nineteen strange, sometimes very smart stories, about relations, emotions and the way the world might or might not work. Dunmore is a poet, the jacket says, and it shows in these stories: she is very good with stretching the language to show what is really going on in peoples heads.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, it seems I like Dunmore in short form too.

Loved the fact that all the stories were cold.

Loved the way characters with the same name appeared over and over without you ever quite knowing if they were the same person.

Liked the way some stories appeared quite conventional but had something odd going on underneath, whereas strange ones turned out to be quite everyday.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small, sad stories of such intensity, makes you really feel for the characters.
Helen Dunmore has created intimate, concealed worlds for her characters to inhabit. Not a singe detail is unnecessary. These are so much better the wordy and over-blown novellas that certain writers try to pass off as short stories.

[Ray Smart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible stories written with poetic literacy and that raw pain of human relationships that makes the heart ache. Always drawing on emotions, Dunmore delivers snapshots of life and transformative moments using sharp, crisp prose. Delightful writing. The only drawback is that it is a short collection - leaves you wanting more.

[Seren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of subtle stories about mundane everyday life and families. I didn't understand the purpose of most of them and it left me quite confused. Well-written though and it was good to see the recurring character of Ulli at various points throughout her life - as she grows and what made her personality .

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite short story collection. Dunmore evokes entire characters in a few pages.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent stuff