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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
TOWANDA! I adore this book and find myself rereading it often.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2021 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge-a book that takes place in a restaurant.
I had a like/dislike relationship with this book. I can't even say love/hate because I didn't feel that strongly about it at all.
What I liked:
The relationship between Evelyn and Mrs. Threadgoode. As someone who spent a lot of time visiting my grandmother in a nursing home, I couldn't help but love that someone just found joy visiting a random person there and forged a real relationship.
I liked the small townness of Whistle Stop. The pure Americana and simpler times of the 20s to 40s.
What I didn't like.
Idgie. OK, Idgie did a lot of good things, and if she were a real person I would totally respect her for that. But, I just didn't like her personality. She was bossy, crude and stalkerish.
Much of the story centered around Ruth, yet she never had a voice. She never had any thoughts. She was just there. And everyone in the town treated her like she was some delicate goddess or something. Ugh.
I had a like/dislike relationship with this book. I can't even say love/hate because I didn't feel that strongly about it at all.
What I liked:
The relationship between Evelyn and Mrs. Threadgoode. As someone who spent a lot of time visiting my grandmother in a nursing home, I couldn't help but love that someone just found joy visiting a random person there and forged a real relationship.
I liked the small townness of Whistle Stop. The pure Americana and simpler times of the 20s to 40s.
What I didn't like.
Idgie. OK, Idgie did a lot of good things, and if she were a real person I would totally respect her for that. But, I just didn't like her personality. She was bossy, crude and stalkerish.
Much of the story centered around Ruth, yet she never had a voice. She never had any thoughts. She was just there. And everyone in the town treated her like she was some delicate goddess or something. Ugh.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I grew up watching this movie, and finally got around to reading the original story. It's nothing short of great. Fannie Flagg weaves a heartwarming story of a rag-tag bunch of characters creating community in the south, and tells the story with humor, and ease, as if a friend was telling the story. Chronologically the book is all over the place, with varying styles of narration, but it makes for a read that one never tires or gets bored of. The characters are memorable, especially Idgie Threadgoode--She's basically a literary hero of mine. The relationship between Idgie and Ruth is accepted and not fussed over, which is all the more touching. Fried Green Tomatoes captures the spirit of the South during the Great Depression and WWII era, as well as injects some great social commentary.
One of the few instances where the movie is better than the book. It has a charming story at its heart, and I LOVE Ruth/Idgie, but so much of it gets bogged down in the back and forth in the timeline. It doesn't just flash between the Idgie/Ruth storyline and the Ninny/Evelyn storyline...but it jumps to different parts (different days or years) within each storyline, sometimes without reason. The arrangement of chapters is sometimes nonsensical. Sandwiched between each chapter are various news bulletins which really don't add much to the story, and are quite tedious, especially with Dot Weems' "my other half this," "my other half that" that permeates her bulletins.
There's also a very uncomfortable racist undercurrent throughout the book. Plenty of use of the n-word, yet we're supposed to just accept it as a sign of the times because most of the white characters are super nice to the black characters. Since the book was written by a white woman, that implication made me pretty uncomfortable. There are a few interactions and lines about black people that were cringeworthy as well. Reading it in 2017, it came off as very tone-deaf.
Overall, I'm glad I read it because I grew up loving the movie. However, I have to reiterate that the movie did a great job of streamlining the story and emphasizing the best parts. If it had emphasized the Idgie/Ruth relationship as more than just a friendship, it would be about as good an adaptation as you could get.
There's also a very uncomfortable racist undercurrent throughout the book. Plenty of use of the n-word, yet we're supposed to just accept it as a sign of the times because most of the white characters are super nice to the black characters. Since the book was written by a white woman, that implication made me pretty uncomfortable. There are a few interactions and lines about black people that were cringeworthy as well. Reading it in 2017, it came off as very tone-deaf.
Overall, I'm glad I read it because I grew up loving the movie. However, I have to reiterate that the movie did a great job of streamlining the story and emphasizing the best parts. If it had emphasized the Idgie/Ruth relationship as more than just a friendship, it would be about as good an adaptation as you could get.
Os deuses sabem que eu estava precisado de um livro bom, mas isso foi mais do que eu jamais poderia querer. Eu já amava o filme, que vi sei lá quando em um Corujão da vida, que não vejo há eras, mas ainda me dá uma sensação muito boa. Os personagens são incríveis, daquele tipo que vivem com a gente e dão saudade depois que vão embora; a história é bem contada — parabéns à tradutora, aliás, Vera Caputo, que fez um excelente trabalho nessa edição; tudo flui bem, bem, bem, bonito e triste, mas não aquela tristeza ruim, que acaba com a gente... é aquela tristeza quase reconfortante, não sei explicar...
É algo.
É algo.
I used to read a lot as a child, as i got older, my rate of reading had decreased drastically. This book reminds me of why i loved to read in my youth. The novel is not a comedy, but there are points of nonchalant hilarities. The novel had snippets of history, trendy experimentalism, and love affairs/interests. There is something for everyone in this book, whether your interested in the sense of adventure, nostalgia, or tidbits about love; the book fits you perfectly. I loved how they incorporated the newspaper articles into the book, as well as the selection of recipes in the back of the novel as well. It was a nice touch, and i think it added a sense of character and charisma to the book that not all authors hint at. The characters were spunky and gave me a full feeling as i progressed in the reading. A few times, i had to reread excerpts to fully grasp at a hidden meaning or to process what was happening if i got lost, but all around, the book was really good and i enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend this book to someone.