Love of Fat Men

Love of Fat Men is a collection of short stories by Helen Dunmore, published in 1997. The seven stories are set across Europe, from Finland to Denmark to the British countryside. The narratives center on different characters navigating relationships, isolation, and moments of unexpected connection. Several stories follow a character named Ulli as she moves through various encounters and experiences. The collection features both realistic and magical elements, with some stories grounded in everyday life while others venture into more fantastical territory - like a tale about a miniature child or mysterious figures near bridges. The stories explore themes of solitude, belonging, and the ways people seek and find connection across cultural and personal boundaries. Through its varied settings and characters, the collection examines how relationships form and transform in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances.

Limited reader reviews are available for this book online. The few published reviews note Dunmore's character development, descriptions of Russia, and exploration of complex family relationships. A key focus is the protagonist's interactions with stepchildren. Likes: - Strong sense of place and atmospheric details - Character dynamics between main character and stepchildren - Writing style and imagery Dislikes: - Some readers found the plot too slow - Minimal resolution of certain storylines - Character motivations felt unclear at times Ratings: Goodreads: 3.4/5 (only 14 ratings) No reviews available on Amazon Due to low number of online reviews and ratings, it's difficult to establish a clear consensus. Professional reviews from The Independent and The Guardian gave positive assessments of Dunmore's writing but full text of these reviews is not readily accessible online.

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson Tales of an elderly woman and her granddaughter on a Finnish island capture the same blend of northern European settings and delicate observations of human connection found in Dunmore's work.

The Safety of Objects by A. M. Homes This short story collection moves through suburban settings while mixing realism with touches of the surreal in its exploration of human relationships.

Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin These interconnected stories follow various characters across different locations and timeframes, weaving together themes of isolation and unexpected moments of understanding.

The Door by Magda Szabó Set in Europe, this novel examines the complex relationship between two women against a backdrop of cultural and personal boundaries.

The Beautiful Indifference by Sarah Hall Short stories set across various landscapes combine elements of the natural world with precise observations of human desires and connections.

🔷 Published in 1997, this was Dunmore's second short story collection, following her acclaimed debut collection "Love of Ice, Coming in Winter" (1988) 🔷 Helen Dunmore wrote extensively about Finland, having lived there as a teacher and becoming fluent in Finnish, which greatly influenced the Nordic settings in this collection 🔷 The book's title "Love of Fat Men" comes from one of the seven stories, featuring a character's unexpected romance in a Danish cake shop 🔷 Dunmore was awarded the first Orange Prize for Fiction (now Women's Prize for Fiction) in 1996, just a year before this collection was published 🔷 The character Ulli, who appears throughout the stories, was inspired by Dunmore's observations of cultural displacement among European immigrants in the 1990s