I am intensely and constantly preoccupied with my body in the world because I know what people think and what they see when they look at me… I am hyperconscious of how I take up space… I am not supposed to take up space… I live in a contradictory space where I should try to take up space but not too much of it, and not in the wrong way, where the wrong way is any way where my body is concerned. …I was ashamed by how I deny myself so much and it is still not enough. I wish, so very much, that I could write a book about triumphant weight loss… about being at peace and loving myself wholly… There were several moments that stood out to me, but here are a few of the quotes that resonated with me most: I cannot relate to many of Gay’s experiences, or the desire to make herself larger as a form of protection, but I can relate to navigating the world as an fat/overweight/plus size/larger/whateveryouwannacallit woman. Some parts of it were heartbreaking, some parts made me chuckle, and others hit me square in the gut.
Hunger is an intimate look into Roxane Gay’s mind, feelings, and the relationship she has with her body. First, I’ll say Hunger was a much faster read than I Almost Forgot About You, probably because it was a more interesting read.