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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault
I have to say that this book didn't really do anything for me. It's supposed to be light hearted and a story about friendship, which I guess it is. But it just wasn't interesting to me.
In the 1930's in Kansas, a group of women get together for a quilting and literature club every week. They call themselves the Persian Pickles (named after a paisley print) and in the depression its a good way to add some fun to their life. But then, the body of one of their member's husband is found. The newest member of the club, Rita, who's really not much of a sewer wants to be a newsreporter and so sets about trying to solve the mystery of who murdered the man. Queenie, the narrator, tags along with her for the ride.
Queenie was kind of a naive narrator. She was married and younger than I am now, but she still seemed as if she should be in her early teens with some of her actions and mannerisms. She was nice enough, just not a very strong character. The other women in the club all had distinct personalities but I couldn't really connect with any of them and they all seemed to have only one or two traits that made them different and that's what the author focused on, instead of making the character a whole person. Even Queenie's husband, who should have been enjoyable, I couldn't connect to. I do think that there were so many characters that it muddled everything and the book might have benefited from cutting a few out.
While its supposed to be about friendship, there is an element of mystery to this book. You want to know who killed the guy and actually wait for Rita to find out who did it. The rest of the story flits in and out and doesn't really follow a particular rhyme or reason. For being about a quilting club there's not a ton of quilting or quilt meetings in this book which did disappoint me a little bit. And for being a light read there is some violence and other strong themes within. Because of the 1930's setting there are also some expressions used to denote race that aren't as kind as well and allusions to illegal abortion. I did enjoy the predominant theme of loyalty and goodness in this book and the "character" behind some of the characters actions.
I just didn't get engrossed in this book and merely thought it ok. I was looking for something a little warmer and this book was just lukewarm and kind of stale to me.
The Persian Pickle Club
Copyright 1995
196 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
In the 1930's in Kansas, a group of women get together for a quilting and literature club every week. They call themselves the Persian Pickles (named after a paisley print) and in the depression its a good way to add some fun to their life. But then, the body of one of their member's husband is found. The newest member of the club, Rita, who's really not much of a sewer wants to be a newsreporter and so sets about trying to solve the mystery of who murdered the man. Queenie, the narrator, tags along with her for the ride.
Queenie was kind of a naive narrator. She was married and younger than I am now, but she still seemed as if she should be in her early teens with some of her actions and mannerisms. She was nice enough, just not a very strong character. The other women in the club all had distinct personalities but I couldn't really connect with any of them and they all seemed to have only one or two traits that made them different and that's what the author focused on, instead of making the character a whole person. Even Queenie's husband, who should have been enjoyable, I couldn't connect to. I do think that there were so many characters that it muddled everything and the book might have benefited from cutting a few out.
While its supposed to be about friendship, there is an element of mystery to this book. You want to know who killed the guy and actually wait for Rita to find out who did it. The rest of the story flits in and out and doesn't really follow a particular rhyme or reason. For being about a quilting club there's not a ton of quilting or quilt meetings in this book which did disappoint me a little bit. And for being a light read there is some violence and other strong themes within. Because of the 1930's setting there are also some expressions used to denote race that aren't as kind as well and allusions to illegal abortion. I did enjoy the predominant theme of loyalty and goodness in this book and the "character" behind some of the characters actions.
I just didn't get engrossed in this book and merely thought it ok. I was looking for something a little warmer and this book was just lukewarm and kind of stale to me.
The Persian Pickle Club
Copyright 1995
196 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
I highly enjoyed this book. I think it is a great little read. When I look at these women, I think about how "spoiled" we've become. Too think that one of the greatest ways a man could tell his wife that he loved her was to buy her an entire bolt of cloth instead of a fancy jewelry. Or that their children wore clothes made from old sugar sacks and not Janie and Jack. I often wonder how I would have fared in such difficult times. It also makes me long for us to return to the kind of strength and fortitude that early generations had to turn things around. I love historical fiction, especially when it's set in places that I have lived.
This was a re-read for me. I don't remember when I first read this or why I picked it up. I do remember that I liked it.
The second time around I still like it, but that is all. In many ways, it is a poor woman's version of [b:Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe|9375|Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe|Fannie Flagg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1165961740s/9375.jpg|2129359], which is a much better story.
The second time around I still like it, but that is all. In many ways, it is a poor woman's version of [b:Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe|9375|Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe|Fannie Flagg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1165961740s/9375.jpg|2129359], which is a much better story.