Every Inch of Her (Peter Sheridan)

In my last post, I described Aimee Bender's work as a delicious cheesecake that I rationed out in order to make the pleasure of the reading last. Since I am all keen on the food analogies, then, I feel that Every Inch of Her would be more like a bag of potato chips or of movie popcorn. Also tasty, quick and easy to consumer but also high in fat and leaving you with a feeling you need something a bit more substantial in your gullet for supper.

This book is the tale of a large, loud Irish woman named Philo (short for Philomena instead of the pastry dough, though I am sure the author thought of the latter too). Everything is a mess in the beginning of the novel and it is the main character's mission to set all to rights in a bumbling, almost accidental and humorous way. Plus, I am sure you can guess, you get to meet all the colorful characters that populate Philo's Dublin neighborhood--in a third-person omniscient style that floats back and forth between characters, a weak device if you ask me to show what is happening without any effort or skill.

On the plus side, the ending had a few surprises and the main character was likeable and unique. I suppose I would classify the book as Chick Lit, worth reading on an airplane or at the gym, where the skipping of a line or two of text in the bouncing of the eliptical machine wouldn't be by any means tragic. Plus, the constant references to obesity may keep you motivate to exercise just a few minutes more.