Wednesday 29 May 2013

Devouring Books: My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl

"In other words, he is a bastard shag-about who wants to sleep around. I told her this, but she doesn't want to hear it. He, according to her, is a bad boy- which, according to me, means he is a twat."

I wouldn't have heard of My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary if it hadn't been for the Channel 4 series of nearly the same name (My Mad Fat Diary) which was really and truly excellent. Honestly- the cast, the situations, the way it could take me from tears to laughter and back again in about 5 minutes... I just loved it so much. Before I read the book, though, I knew it was going to be quite different- it's set in the late eighties rather than the mid-nineties (so, you know, the music is different), and, you know, real life just isn't ever going to be as neat, or crossing storylines-y, or just as good as the TV show was.

Because I just want to get that out of the way really quickly- the book isn't as good as the TV show. I know, I know, SACRILEGE, but the thing is, it is literally a teenage girl's diary, which I say not as an insult, but more as a compliment to the programme, which was able to go to much greater depths than this book because it's outside looking into a character rather than being someone looking out on, and reporting on what she sees in the world. Then again, maybe I'm just not so much a fan of reading diaries, because they have a fairly limited scope and stuff. Who knows.

Now. I really did want to get that comparison out of the way (for the maybe 3 people who have seen My Mad Fat Diary!) because I genuinely really did like this book. There were times when I could have seriously been reading my own diary, because SO many of the feelings and thoughts are ones that I've had myself because I have been a teenager too! It's terrible! The hormones and the self-hatred and the feeling totally alone and me-against-the-world-ish- I've been there, and with bells on! As, you know, have we all. But this book wouldn't be at all fun if it was just doom and gloom and depression, and it really isn't- you can tell when Rae's had a bad day because she starts reflecting on all the things that are wrong with her life, but mostly (and I think this is something we all try to do) she looks on the bright side of things and ends up being hilarious.

Sample bit about her mum:
"SHE still comes in when I'm in the bath and asks me if I have washed properly. Especially (and she always whispers this) 'my credentials'. She means my bits. JUST SAY IT WOMAN!! She can't even call sanitary towels sanitary towels. She calls them BUNNIES!! It's like the 1950s in this house."
I found this especially hilarious for some reason, and a lot of the book is like this- it's just that I'm pretty sure that Rae doesn't know how funny she is, and so it makes it heartbreaking when she focuses on her 'faults' (too fat, a bit mad etc etc) kind of all the time, and doesn't realise that she has all these excellent qualities that make the other things not really matter at all. Fortunately, there is a foreword to the book that kind of makes everything better- Rae is all grown up, and has perspective, and she's ok. Which is really really pleasing, and kind of makes you feel ok for sharing in some of her worst moments- because she's over them, so you don't need to worry about them either.
"I'm sharing it because these days it makes me laugh- and because I still see fat girls everywhere labelled as 'bubbly with a nice personality'. And I suppose I want to tell them (and everyone else) that in the end it's all OK. You can be fat and nuts and a virgin when you are 17- and things can still turn out OK."
 So yeah, this book has all the things- it's funny, it's sad, it's real AND true, and most of all, Rae just seems like the best kind of person, with the added benefit of being someone real. I feel like it's absolutely perfect for teenage girls to read, but maybe it's just funnier when you're past that stage of life and you can look back on it and go 'yeah, that really was shit.' Solidarity, guys. That's what it's all about.

10 comments:

  1. I'm not sure I want to mentally revisit being a teenager....

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    1. This is a fair point! I'm not sure if you do THAT so much as that you're able to sympathise better with her because WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE, you know?

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  2. "You can be fat and nuts and a virgin when you are 17- and things can still turn out OK."

    Ah, truth. ALSO that series is amazeballs even though I haven't finished it yet. But IT IS ON YOUTUBE (or was) so people can totes watch it.

    I miiiiiight read this. Because unlike SOME people (ahem), I totes like the diary format. :D

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    1. ISN'T IT SO GOOD!! Ah, I might have know you'd have watched a British TV show that's the awesomest. :) :) :) (That sentence made more sense in my head...)

      GOOD LORD, we have a differing book opinion?! Well, that's just nuts. I feel like I don't mind fictional diaries so much, but when it's someone's ACTUAL diary it can be a bit repetitive and things at times because real life is sort of like that. But yeah, read this! It's still good and all!

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  3. You make me sorta want to read this book. You SUPER make me want to watch this show.

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    1. WATCH IT!! Alice says it's on Youtube! GO!

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  4. .... bunnies? I feel bad for rabbits everywhere. And have horribly non-RSPCA-friendly images in my head.

    I didn't see the TV show, although I did see the adverts for it (CLEARLY the same thing). I wasn't sure about it at the time because I CANNOT DEAL with self-pitying teenagers, but I might give it a go if it's as funny as you say. I bow to your judgment, oh superior Laura.

    Unrelatedly, did you know it's taken me 24 years (six of them in legal training) to spell 'judgment' correctly? Money well spent, I tell you.

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    1. Yeah, I'm just like WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WOMAN?! Hahahaha

      I'm trying to think about how self-pitying this is, and the more I think about it, the more I can think of instances where it is, but at the same time I didn't really notice that when I was reading it because she's generally really funny at the same time? The TV show is SO SO good though, for reals.

      Hehehehe, that's surely a big legal word, no? It IS difficult though- WHY ISN'T THERE AN EXTRA E?!

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  5. I was going to write an awesome comment, but I... lost my train of thought. YES HANNA, you should watch My Mad Fat Diary if you possibly can, it was funny and moving and lovely and angry and everything a TV programme should be when it's about deep stuff AND has a sense of humour. Also, I tweeted about how awesome it was and Sharon Rooney, who plays Rae, tweeted back to say thanks, which was very cool of her. :)

    I have this book on my shelves and this is pretty much exactly what I'm expecting - earlier setting, more teen-diary angsty, probably not as completely brilliant, but awesome because it's real and you know Rae's okay in the end. Thanks for the reassurance Laura... x

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  6. I watched the TV show when it was on, and it was so hilarious and often quite relatable :) I'm not sure about reading Rae's diary in the form of a book, but if it's as good as the TV show then I'll be happy to give it a go!

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