The Flawless Skin of Ugly People

by Doug Crandell

Thanks to Ugly Betty, America is finally ready to read a love story about a couple who isn’t sleek, slick, tucked, pulled, or plastic.

Do we have to be beautiful to be loved? Hobbie—this novel’s darkly romantic hero—has been banished to homely man exile in the North Georgia Mountains, where his enemies are mirrors and bears. Things are not going well for Hobbie. His skin? Pizza Face, super-sized, with extra pepperoni and pitted olives. Job status? Former bank teller. Love life? His common-law wife Kari has gone AWOL at a weight-loss clinic in North Carolina.

But just as it seems Hobbie is doomed to go through life as a sweet, self-pitying “anonymous joke,” he jumps out of his skin and becomes downright heroic.

Can Hobbie rescue Kari from the weight-loss clinic? Can he pull his fractured family together? Plastic surgery—will he or won’t he? Will love endure if Hobbie’s skin clears up, Kari drops pounds, and ugly people become flawless? Readers won’t be able to put the book down until they find out.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Romance, Novels

211 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Gina Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

There aren’t many romances about ugly people, but this is one. Kari is very, very fat, and Hobbie suffers from acne vulgaris, which causes him to pick and squeeze ceaselessly at his sore, lumpy, irritated face. Abused as children, Kari and Hobbie love one another with passion and kindness, and they’ve built a nomadic life together that’s based on trying to escape their pasts—and maybe themselves.

Kari cloisters herself in a weight-loss facility, while Hobbie is left alone to deal with a bear attack, Kari’s father’s stroke, the reappearance of Kari’s estranged mother, and the discovery of something Kari’s been hiding for twenty years.

Crandell clearly cares for Hobbie, and the writing is tender and generous without portraying Hobbie as pitiful. The novel explores Hobbie’s relationships to other people, but more than anything, despite the fact that Hobbie and Kari are in their late 30s, this novel is about Hobbie and Kari finally growing up.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a quick read - as it was engaging and I quickly became invested in the outcome.

It's strange to read that some people thought it was about "ugly" people.

I thought it was about people trying to hide - even disappear. From their pasts - their secrets - their regrets - their shame.

And about people learning to forgive - themselves and others. Forgiving doesn't mean you have to reconcile with that person or justify what was done - you just have to get yourself to a place where you are prepared to move on...I think the characters in this book found that place - or are on their way.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I found it randomly at the library and read it in a day. I felt so sorry for the characters but loved them at the same time. I just wanted to give each of them a big hug and tell them that they were important and loved despite all the abuse and rejection they had faced throughout their lives. A good read for a plane ride or afternoon away from distractions.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of those books where you keep reading just because you sort of want to know the end and once you get there you kind of wish you hadn't bothered!

[süsi ecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love everything that I have read from Doug Crandell's entries in The Sun magazine, so I picked this book up. I have to say though, I barely made it through the first three chapters, because I felt so queasy from all of the disgusting habits of the main characters and the detailed descriptions of them carrying them out. But I still couldn't seem to put the book down and read through it very quickly. The series of events that take place are so crazy and unbelievable, but I found that I really cared about all the characters and grew fond of them despite all of their strange quirks and idiosyncrasies.
They form a very unusual family, but no more disfunctional than most, I guess.

[Katie Followell · Rating 1 out of 5]

BLAH!

I picked this book up purely because of the cover and title. My first instinct was that it might be an interesting book about plastic surgery or something.

Boy, was I wrong. Instead of plastic surgery, I got a cast of characters who are completely unable to communicate and are awkward and unrelatable. Every form of conflict felt forced, and like it was supposed to pull at my heart strings.

It's a quick read, but it's not easy. I spent the majority of the time trying to figure out who the audience was supposed to be, but I still am not sure. The fact that the 37 year old main character is so shallow and developmentally stunted at age 16 makes me think it was aimed towards young adults, but there is a lot of sexual content that is obvious for an older crowd. The unclear demographic left me feeling often confused and frustrated at the unrealistic interactions between characters.

I would not recommend this to anyone. I've read better fan fiction. Also--trigger warning--there are some pretty graphic but poorly written rape scenes in this book.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book due to a VenusZine.com suggestion. It started out pretty good. I really connected with the narrator. That's Hobbie, a man in his late thirties who's been dealing with adult acne his whole life. This is something we have in common, although thankfully mine has quieted down lately. Anyway, what I connect with him most on is how his acute awareness of his acne permeates his perception of every encounter he has with every human with whom he has any contact-- any stranger, any loved one, any coworker. His real life is lived inside his mind, through his experience of having a face covered in scabs, boils, and painful cysts.

The plot of the story wore thin on me, and probably did the author too-- you can tell by the way the sudden light-speed jump in the last eighth of the book paired with the happy, hopeful ending. Also, his religion theme was kind of weak. I would recommend this book to people who love a strong narrator voice.

[David Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me of "little woman" and "two girls fat and thin." I like a story about someone who is not typically the hero/heroine. And in this book, the hero is a man in his 30s with severe acne couple with a compulsive skin picking disorder. His common law wife is obese and the book begins with her at a weight loss clinic and communicating soley by letters.

The book is interesting and well written and odd, like the other two books I mentioned. I've never read a book where a character was a compulsive skin picker and it was a fascinating and disturbing peek into that world. This is one of those books where you're meant to reexamine the meaning of family and what it is to need others. A quick read.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but I bought this book simply because I loved the title.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good read. The story is told from an unusual point of view. At least, I don't think I have read this particular voice before. The narrator is a 38 year old man who has suffered from acne vulgaris for most of his life. He and his wife were abused by a deacon at their church when they were young. They both have serious issues relating to this abuse, but the book deals with the issues and the healing process rather than the abuse. What stood out to me is the idea implied by the title - that the condition of the skin you live in is not necessarily indicative of the inner person. Also, the incredible love that this man has for his wife, who is absent for most of the story. I finished with a sense of hope. A sense that no matter what our struggles are, with enough patience and love, we can heal. Some language, but manageable. A quick read.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a marvelous book. I've had it on my "to-read" list for years, but my former public library didn't have it. I don't even know if I knew what it was about -- an estranged common-law couple each dealing with the fallout of a shared horrific experience -- but I'm so glad I left it on my list. Doug Crandell tells a wonderful story about flawed people just trying to get by. I'll read anything by him.

(Also, the Goodreads summary does not do this book justice. It's not as campy/predictable/gleefully positive as that makes it out to be.)

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I started this book, I didn't look forward to finishing it. The narrator of the story, Hobbie, has really bad acne. His common-law wife is away at a weight-loss clinic. Their life together consists of moving from one suburb to another, working as bank tellers and shopping at large chain stores so they can remain as anonymous as possible. When Hobbie and his dog are attacked by a bear, things start to change.

[Lori Bievenour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I was entertained. The story reminds me a bit of the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" with its wonderfully eclectic cast of characters - some believeable and others wild charicatures of people we all have in lives. The story has a few twists and a lot of moments when you catch yourself wondering if you're at all like these people. Then you realize that you are... at least a little.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting novel about the long lasting effects of molestation on two friends - Kari and her best friend/boyfriend Hobbie. Hobbie has terrible acne, and Kari has a weight problem - the book is a compassionate story of Hobbie's restorative journey after 20 years of hiding behind his damaged face, while Kari comes to terms with the past during a stay at a Durham weight loss clinic.

[Sophia Efthymiades · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t remember how this book came into my possession, but I’m glad it did.

This is a story about a morbidly obese woman and a man that still suffers from pizza face.

High school sweethearts in the 80s, now common law husband and wife Hobbie and Kari have been living apart for several months. It's not because of relationship problems. Kari has checked herself into fat camp to reset her mind and body and shed the 100+ pounds she's packed on.

She writes Hobbie letters almost every day, but he's not allowed to write back or call her. Months go by...and then something happens to Hobbie (who, by the way, suffers from SEVERE acne vulgaris and is a compulsive pimple-picker). That sets off a chain of other things happening, and long story short---he's got to get through to Kari. Except she won't return his calls.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was not joyful. it was about a pockmarked struggling young man, whose relationship with his 20 year common law wife was based on them both having been molested by the same deacon. he and their dog get attacked by a bear while his wife is at a weight loss facility for 6 months, not allowing him to contact her.
his father in law takes him in and a slow progression of events bring better changes. the book brought me in and didn't let me go.

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a great message and the writing itself is really good. However, the book can be really slow at times.

[Littlegreengoblin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Unlikeable narrator.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be, but still amusing and a little perplexing. Given the title and what synopses I'd read, I expected this to be a quirky romance about ugly people (with flawless skin, naturally). But it wasn't really any of those things. It was a pretty sweet story, and kind of realistic for the amount of goodness and true love that it had. But the narrator-protagonist has the opposite of flawless skin (and is in fact *not* ugly) and is *already* in a relationship...So there's not really any romancing going on. The book starts out with him alone, yes, but he's alone because the woman he's been with for thirty years is away at fat-camp (and she's not ugly either, just kind of obese).

The thing that was *most* misleading about this title, though, and what went most against my preconceptions, was that these people in their idyllic little romance world are NOT representative of Real Life or Romance For The Rest Of Us or whatever else its title/reviews seem to purport. Most annoyingly (SPOILER), by the end of the book neither the protagonist-narrator nor his love interest (commonlaw wife, who is pretty much absent and pined-for throughout the novel) are ugly or even unhappy. They move on from their sexual abuse, reconcile with their pasts, come out of their isolation (to meet wonderful and well-meaning people who help fix their lives, of course), and (in what I guess is supposed to be the most symbolic/meaningful bit but just felt kind of cheap) lose the physical unattractiveness that had been so fundamental in how they defined themselves and their relationship.

Like, okay I get that they can improve their lives and stop being so cowardly or whatever but isn't it wrong for this to be accompanied by their no longer having anything to hide? He's getting rid of his zit-face, she's just come back from fat camp returned to her beautiful slenderness...This isn't a revolutionary take on anything. This is more of the same disappointing superficiality that you'd expect from the "romance literature" genre.

I was going to give this more stars because it has its sweet moments and there's a bear attack and it's clearly an effort to write about moving on from abuse with its symbolism and simple everyday heroes. But too many aspects of this novel left me feeling like I'd been tricked into reading something preachy** and facile*, which was exactly what I'd been led to believe that I was avoiding.

Neat cover art, though.








*Pretentious word alert. I mean it as in this book kept to the conventions of uplifting-story and aint-love-grand triteness. The fundamental goodness of these characters, their willingness to love and the way that this love is effortless and unquestioned, makes this book ridiculously simplistic.

**Preachy as in inundated with religion and love and a woman who wants nothing more than to be reunited with her rape-baby.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I wanted it to be the "quirky love story" promised on the back cover and suggested in the title. It's not badly written and it's a quick read, one you could run through in a few hours, but I didn't even want to give it that after reaching more than halfway. You can tell this book wants to be literary--it's told present tense first person by Hobbie. A thirty-something "pizza face" who bonded with Kari, his very overweight common-law wife of twenty years, over their molestation by the deacon of their church. They've underachieved for decades, moving from job to job as bank tellers. At the start of the book Kari has been in a weight loss clinic for months, and only communicating with Hobbie through daily, often cryptic letters. I liked the idea of a love story about two people you're not likely to see on romance covers. The problem for me though, is that rather than overcoming or letting us see the beauty under the surface, so much of this story focuses on the repulsive. I got tired of so much of this book consisting of graphic descriptions of Hobbie popping, scratching, scrapping and digging into his zits. There's just enough of the quirkiness and warmth promised to save this from a one-star rating, but a first-person story depends on voice and the character of the narrator fascinating you, making you laugh or making you care--and this doesn't do it for me.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

*Spoilers*

I enjoyed reading about the rather deep and varied masks behind which people hide. To a point. However, the characters didn't actually resolve anything or grow any stronger/better throughout the book. Hobbie only ends up heading towards mending his broken past and move on with his life when he opts for new facial procedures for his acne; Kari (who we never actually really "see" in this book aside from the letters and memories shown to us by Hobbie) is ensconced in a weight-loss clinic and refusing all contact, only returning at the very VERY end. If she was Hobbie's Road-Trip-Quest-Goal, he definitely failed as he literally gave up on her and we only potentially see resolution because SHE finds them. But then the story ends. It was rather degrading over all because the message seemed to be that improvement is only possible if you lose weight, clear your skin, find a former love to take you back after you have a stroke...it was all more than a little over-worked and left me feeling as listless as the characters after reading it.

[Jade Amolat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! It healed me in some way, maybe because I could relate to Kari and Hobbie, who had terrible scars from their pasts, and are struggling to live in the present because of their history.

At first, I thought it was slow-paced and boring, but it was just the build-up of the plot. When I reached almost half of the story, that's when things got more interesting. Plot twists are being revealed, the characters get into more complicated situations and for me, it's just perfect.

It's really hard to love someone like how Hobbie loved Kari, regardless of the uncertainty of Kari's return to their home after spending 6 months in a center that she likes to call 'fat camp' and regardless of her scars from her past and other imperfections. In today's age, this kind of love is so rare you'll start to believe it only exists in books.Very healing, and very enchanting.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky story I really enjoyed. Hobbie (he goes by his last name) has really bad acne and picks at it to relieve stress. His girlfriend is very fat and eats to relieve stress. Both of them were sexually abused by the deacon of their church when they were teenagers and never got over it. They have lived together for 20 years when Keri leaves to go to a weight-loss clinic and instructs Hobbie not to contact her while she is there. While he is alone he befriends her father, meets her mother and another quirky character Donny who is a man-child. There is much more to the story and I really enjoyed it. The prose was a little too metaphorical as if the author was trying a bit too hard but doesn't really detract from the story.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a couple who started dating in high school, bonded over mutually experiencing abuse by a deacon at their church. I liked this unique novel- finally a story about a "normal" person with insecurities, an average job, and a desire to do and be better rather than just wallow in their problems. It was a little short- I felt like the whole book was building up to a climax that ended on the last page. But it wasn't too bad- I guess the point was to get to know- Robbie- but I was just really curious about Kara (Kyra, Kira?....)- who was only represented in letters and Robbie's memories throughout the book.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is fairly flawed, it is also moving and sweet. It's about two people who love each other, but who use their issues with their bodies as an excuse to hide away from the world. It is a good first-hand look into obsession (the narrator Hobbie, has acne vulgaris and messes with his face to relieve his anxiety), but the author takes the "flawed on the outside, beautiful on the inside" theme a little overboard. If you must have sophisticated writing in your novels, I don't think "Flawed Skin" is for you. But if you are looking for an engaging, quick read, this one's worth picking up.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of both Catcher in the Rye (particularly in its narration) and Little Miss Sunshine. The characters were quirky and interesting and flawed, and I liked that. I also liked how the themes were nicely woven throughout the plot. What bothered me a bit, though, was that it seemed pedantic and somewhat superficial at times (which is ironic, given the main theme of the novel). Still, the characters and plot were engaging enough for me to overlook these "flaws" and thoroughly enjoy the book as a whole.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leonard Hobbie is estranged from his common-law wife, Kari; his dog, Terry, is ill; he's just been mauled by a bear, and his belligerent father-in-law (of sorts), Roth, is no help whatsoever. Lest we forget, he was molested by a clergyman as a youngster. All this, and he has a complexion that earned him the boyhood nickname, Pizzaface.

I'm not entirely sure what the author was trying to accomplish with this novel. Granted, how we define beauty and ugliness is always a worthwhile discussion topic, but I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this narrator's seemingly pathetic life.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little shocked by this book at first, as the first 20 pages or so seemed to be about gore and self-mutilation and brutal honesty. However, the further in I got the more I realized that all the "bad" things happened for a purpose, and that the book was really about redemption and family and tender kindnesses. In a way, it's sort of like early Douglas Coupland . . . beautifully written and graceful and filled with tender details and moments that go right to your heart. I liked this book quite a lot.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Ann gave me this book awhile back and just got around to reading it. I give this book 4 and a 1/2 stars. I really liked Doug Crandell's style of writing. Easy to get into the characters and it makes you sad to think what happened to this couple. So much torment and hiding from the real world. But they have each other to get through the hard times. I recommend this book to everyone. Makes you look at your own life and faults along the way. It is never too late to change yourself and become a better person.

[Christy Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of those books where you are suppose to follow someone on their journey and learn something about yourself along the way. If you ignore that, it's a great book.

I have this odd fetish for books about ugly people so I was all for this book, even planning on giving it a 5 star rating just on principal but it was actually GOOD. The characters are so realistic (for me, at least) that even someone as heartless as myself felt emotion. Real emotion. Almost Oprah-esque You-Just-Won-A-Car emotion.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The descriptions of the bodies and habits of the characters in this book had me nauseated. I had a gag reflex more than once reading about the protagonist picking his own acne with a sewing needle, or the dog having a seizure, or the old man drooling after a stroke. I think there are better ways to get readers to sympathize with characters than making them sick to their stomachs.

Beyond that, the storyline is not very compelling, the ending is unsatisfactory, the writing is mediocre, and the main character is pathetic without being lovable. Skip this book.