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Summary and Reviews of Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Good In Bed

by Jennifer Weiner
  • Critics' Consensus:
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  • First Published:
  • May 1, 2001, 384 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Apr 2002, 400 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Weiner's witty, original, fast-moving debut features a lovable heroine, a solid cast, snappy dialogue and a poignant take on life's priorities.

For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She's even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body.

But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become.

Chapter One

"Have you seen it?" asked Samantha.

I leaned close to my computer so my editor wouldn't hear me on a personal call.

"Seen what?"

"Oh, nothing. Never mind. We'll talk when you get home."

"Seen what?" I asked again.

"Nothing," Samantha repeated.

"Samantha, you have never once called me in the middle of the day about nothing. Now come on. Spill."

Samantha sighed. "Okay, but remember: Don't shoot the messenger."

Now I was getting worried.

"Moxie. The new issue. Cannie, you have to go get one right now."

"Why? What's up? Am I one of the Fashion Faux Pas?"

"Just go to the lobby and get it. I'll hold."

This was important. Samantha was, in addition to being my best friend, also an associate at Lewis, Dommel, and Fenick. Samantha put people on hold, or had her assistant tell them she was in a meeting. Samantha herself did not hold. "It's a sign of weakness," she'd told me. I felt a small twinge of anxiety work its way down my spine...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
Reading Group Questions and Topics for Discussion


  1. With Good in Bed, Jennifer Weiner has garnered a lot of early praise for her alternately hilarious and poignant dialogue, and also for her pitch-perfect ear in rendering the conversational rhythms of Cannie's first-person narrative voice. Looking back through the novel, what is it about the dialogue that works so well? In what ways does it serve to subtly develop each character's motivations and idiosyncrasies?

  2. Discuss, in connection with the previous question, the specific tone and quality of Cannie Shapiro's voice. What techniques does Weiner employ to make Cannie's musings and descriptions come across so intimately? What sets the author's style ...
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Reviews

Media Reviews

Entertainment Weekly
A crackling debut...Cannie emerges as one of the most engaging, realistic female characters in years...Grade A.

The New York Times - Janet Maslin
This season's beach-book Queen for a Day.

Booklist - Kristine Huntley
.. a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, wild success and bitter lows, during which Cannie finds success, peace, and even love. A warm, refreshing story.

Kirkus Reviews
Weiner's voice rings true as she flouts conventional wisdom about what women want. An unpredictable and impressive debut.

Library Journal
Weiner's first novel should satisfy readers from older teens and above.

Publishers Weekly
Weiner's witty, original, fast-moving debut features a lovable heroine, a solid cast, snappy dialogue and a poignant take on life's priorities. This is a must-read for any woman who struggles with body image, or for anyone who cares about someone who does.

Author Blurb Susan Isaacs,
Good in Bed is a delight, a contemporary Cinderella tale told with intelligence, wit, and style.

Reader Reviews

sheila

Good in Bed
Wow!! This was an outstanding book. It made me laugh and cry. I saw myself in the main character and loved the ending. There was not one boring moment in this book. Even though I kind of wished she would have let Bruce seen their daughter.
Trish

realistic and very funny
I loved this book! I was hoping to stumble upon a new author (well new to me) while browsing in the bookstore, someone that could capture my attention and force me to read more chapters at night rather than going to bed at a reasonable hour for work....   Read More
Erinleigh

This book hooked me on Jennifer Weiner. I am an avid fan of her books now and have also read TextIn Her Shoes, the follow up to Good in Bed. I will definitely be looking forward to future titles by this author!
Lindsay

I loved it!!! It's the most enjoyable book I've read this year!

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Read-Alikes

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