I am a Strawberry Shortcake Power Raider, here to taste your fare for "WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group" !
Dear fat_hiker I am delighted to offer a review of your work for the June 2020 Power Reviewer Raiders weekend review raid. I enjoyed "Gigantia, Part One" and I am glad to offer a few thoughts I had while reading your story.
FIRST IMPRESSION
Somewhere between parody, satire and out-right fantasy debunking an archaic notion that food is only fuel, the story of Gigantia is almost like a cross between an article for National Geographic and a satirical expose' by Mad Magazine. The premise of the story is so preposterous that I laughed immediately at the concept of such an outlandish historical piece of fiction. Then suddenly it hit me...my own history. Married at the age of 29 I was a sleek 5' 5” 119 pound otterish sort of fellow. Within five years of marriage, and truck loads of lasagna, cookies, cakes, pies, tamales, chips, beer and pasta I weighed in at 145 pounds. By the time I was sixty I had eclipsed 175 pounds and now many years later I'm close to 200. My wife has never adored me more. Hmmmm? I began to read the story again and suddenly the weighty world of Gigantia seemed to take on an ethereal reality. And way to plausible! All hail to the Fat Boys!
THEME
Food plus a good appetite and a low impact work regime equals: beauty, sexiness, maximum attraction, subservience, and Kingly, studly positions of reverence and one might say, “the ultimate ideal male.” The theme of the piece proclaims the wonders of a nation literally built on having a good appetite and a pride in fat male bodies. I'm sorry. I just looked down at my belly and I can't stop laughing. I'm going to take a muffin break!
STRUCTURE
The story is written in a narrative, historical style, presenting in article form a fictional world replete with some nice personal accounts.
MY FAVORITE MOMENT
As the history of Gigantia unfolds the absurdity of a matriarchal society obsessed with the largeness of its male population suddenly becomes incredibly believable and my favorite moment was:
This trend to having a really fat man in a family as a sign of status and wealth slowly spread to other well-off city dwellers - professional artisans, administrators, religious officials - and gradually out into the richer areas of the countryside. Richer farmers, eager to prove their wealth by city standards, also started to spare a favoured son or husband from heavier physical labour, and feed them more, encouraging them to fatten up as a status symbol. Having a very fat husband or son - one too fat for general farm labour - became a proof of the wealth and success of the farm. The fatter this special man, the more successful the farm would be seen to be. Whenever the farmer would travel into the city, she would take her ‘fattened man' along, as tangible proof of her farm's wealth and stability.
This is a stunning moment in the narrative that explains the metamorphosis of an agricultural society with a medium amount of wealth into a rich, consumer and status driven multi dimensional economy where food is as central to the plan of material development as mineral and oil.
SUGGESTIONS
I enjoyed the premise, narrative and creative thought that went into this story. It mimics well the historical studies provided in text books and geographical periodicals. Well done.
IN SUMMARY
"Gigantia, Part One" is a serious work of tongue-in-cheek historical fantasy fiction that pokes a good dose of re-thinking into the America “be-skinny-is-best” model of body beauty. Nicely done and well written. Thank you for sharing your gift.
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
Kind Regards,
♫~ Kenword~♫
(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(100x6@031820)_____
(YCM_@122313)(06.13.20)
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