REVIEWS+

Bed

by David Whitehouse
Scribner. Aug. 2011. 224p. ISBN 9781451614220. $27.99.
COPY ISBN
The first winner of a new contest for unpublished manuscripts, launched at the London Book Fair and called, cheekily, To Hell with Prizes, this debut by journalist Whitehouse features a disgruntled 25-year-old who decides to go to bed—forever. The consequences for his family over three decades are chronicled by his younger brother. A glimpse suggests that the whole is darkly funny yet philosophical in perhaps a Martin Amis-ish sort of way. Watch for your engaged readers.
Weighing in at more than half a ton, the fattest man on the planet, Mal Ede, has not left his bed for 20 years. The bed has actually grown proportionately larger as he has—now two king-sized beds and a single strapped together to contain him. The bedroom, too, has been enlarged along the way, sending his parents out into a trailer in the driveway. His overindulgent mother keeps him fed and functioning with the help of an elaborate network of medical equipment, while his bewildered father and dutiful brother keep the press and the curious public at bay. Forsaking his devoted girlfriend, Lou, Mal lives only to eat and sleep.
VERDICT From a mildly eccentric youth in which he preferred nudity to clothing to his existential crisis at 25, how and why Mal got into bed and stayed there for 20 years is the mystery at the heart of this strange but beguiling tale. Its short, punchy chapters propel the story along to a satisfying conclusion. For most public libraries.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Kingston, Ont.
Reviewed by Barbara Love , Mar 15, 2011
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?