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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
This is a good continuation to Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I am always afraid of coming back into a work of fiction that I love, specially if it is a continuation of such a beloved (by me) novel and film. I have found my self dissapointed in the past with other continuations of novels, specially when said continuations come many many ears after the original ones.
This book was cute. I was happy reading about what happened to those characters I knew, as well as intrigue and involved in the new ones presented in this book.
Was it a perfect book? No. The first one already had some racial relationships that were borderline (if not completely) problematic. The fact that in this continuation the black characters all but disappear, is definitley not a good sign, specially when we are talking about the Alabama/Georgia area.
Also it seems that all the references to poverty, the challenges that some of the characters faced in the first book, are all resolved, as every single person in this book has MONEY, properties and it seems not a worry in the world.
This doesn't retract from my first comment of enjoying the novel, but I feel my self more drawn towards stories that have more to say about society at large. Even the first book, while focusing on a very small group of people, seemed to take diversity into consideration. This sequel is a feel good novel, and I enjoyed it, but I cannot give it a better rating because of it taking away all those elements that seemed to round up the much better first book.
This book was cute. I was happy reading about what happened to those characters I knew, as well as intrigue and involved in the new ones presented in this book.
Was it a perfect book? No. The first one already had some racial relationships that were borderline (if not completely) problematic. The fact that in this continuation the black characters all but disappear, is definitley not a good sign, specially when we are talking about the Alabama/Georgia area.
Also it seems that all the references to poverty, the challenges that some of the characters faced in the first book, are all resolved, as every single person in this book has MONEY, properties and it seems not a worry in the world.
This doesn't retract from my first comment of enjoying the novel, but I feel my self more drawn towards stories that have more to say about society at large. Even the first book, while focusing on a very small group of people, seemed to take diversity into consideration. This sequel is a feel good novel, and I enjoyed it, but I cannot give it a better rating because of it taking away all those elements that seemed to round up the much better first book.
it's just like my girl leslie feist once said, "while surreal it's true, the gods laid down the whole of earth in silence, symmetry became the moving lines we call a circle
the world's a ring, the stars are rings
the moon's a ring, the light got in"...basically everything is connected, everything is circular, and the universe is surrendering the answers to us always amen
the world's a ring, the stars are rings
the moon's a ring, the light got in"...basically everything is connected, everything is circular, and the universe is surrendering the answers to us always amen
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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Fried Green Tomatoes has to be one of my favorite movies of the 1990’s. I watched and re-watched the movie dozens of times when I worked at a store that sold videos. The themes of female empowerment and strong bonds of friendship appeal to me in such a visceral way. I finally got around to reading the book a few years ago and recently re-read it in anticipation of the sequel.
“Bud Threadgoode grew up in the bustling little railroad town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, with his mother Ruth, church-going and proper, and his Aunt Idgie, the fun-loving hell-raiser. Together they ran the town’s popular Whistle Stop Cafe, known far and wide for its friendly, fun, and famous “Fried Green Tomatoes.” And as Bud often said to his daughter Ruthie, of his childhood, “How lucky can you get?”
But sadly, as the railroad yards shut down and the town became a ghost town, nothing was left but boarded-up buildings and memories of a happier time.
Then one day, Bud decides to take one last trip, just to see where his beloved Whistle Stop used to be. In so doing, he discovers new friends, new surprises about Idgie’s life, and about Ninny Threadgoode, Evelyn Couch, other beloved Flagg characters, and also about the town itself. He also sets off a series of events, both touching and inspiring, which change his life and the lives of his daughter and many others. Could these events all be just coincidences? Or something else? And can you go home again?”
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop defied my expectations that the sequel would not be as good as the original. In some ways, the book is superior, as it focuses more on Ruth and Idgie and Idgie and Buddy’s life after Ruth dies. The non-linear narrative is repeated for this book, going back to the 1930’s, up to current times, showing how Buddy turned out, and even how his daughter Ruth fared.
Dot Weems is back, writer of newsletters about Whistle Stop’s inhabitants, who scatter far and wide after the closure of the railyard. Bud, who lost his arm in Fried Green Tomatoes as a child, is not held back by his disability. He becomes a veterinarian, marries Peggy and has a very happy marriage, and names his daughter Ruth. Ruth grows up and marries, giving birth to two children and living in the same neighborhood as her mother-in-law, who never really accepts her. Her children are grown, and her husband dies, leaving her feeling empty inside.
We also get to revisit Evelyn Couch, who became so successful at selling Mary Kay it’s not funny. She eventually pours her earnings into a car dealership, and has continued success, expanding the business many times over, appearing in the car commercials on television and becoming a household name. She sells the dealership and plans to retire, but those plans change when through a series of events, she meets Bud Threadgoode’s daughter, Ruthie. The biggest surprise is when Whistle Stop rises from the ashes like a phoenix, thanks in large part to Evelyn Couch and her dreams of a tourist destination.
It was so nice to go back and visit with the folks in Whistle Stop after all these years, and meet new friends. While it is helpful to have read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’, it is not necessary to appreciate the warmth of this book. Listening to the audiobook narrated by Flagg herself was a treat.
Fried Green Tomatoes has to be one of my favorite movies of the 1990’s. I watched and re-watched the movie dozens of times when I worked at a store that sold videos. The themes of female empowerment and strong bonds of friendship appeal to me in such a visceral way. I finally got around to reading the book a few years ago and recently re-read it in anticipation of the sequel.
“Bud Threadgoode grew up in the bustling little railroad town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, with his mother Ruth, church-going and proper, and his Aunt Idgie, the fun-loving hell-raiser. Together they ran the town’s popular Whistle Stop Cafe, known far and wide for its friendly, fun, and famous “Fried Green Tomatoes.” And as Bud often said to his daughter Ruthie, of his childhood, “How lucky can you get?”
But sadly, as the railroad yards shut down and the town became a ghost town, nothing was left but boarded-up buildings and memories of a happier time.
Then one day, Bud decides to take one last trip, just to see where his beloved Whistle Stop used to be. In so doing, he discovers new friends, new surprises about Idgie’s life, and about Ninny Threadgoode, Evelyn Couch, other beloved Flagg characters, and also about the town itself. He also sets off a series of events, both touching and inspiring, which change his life and the lives of his daughter and many others. Could these events all be just coincidences? Or something else? And can you go home again?”
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop defied my expectations that the sequel would not be as good as the original. In some ways, the book is superior, as it focuses more on Ruth and Idgie and Idgie and Buddy’s life after Ruth dies. The non-linear narrative is repeated for this book, going back to the 1930’s, up to current times, showing how Buddy turned out, and even how his daughter Ruth fared.
Dot Weems is back, writer of newsletters about Whistle Stop’s inhabitants, who scatter far and wide after the closure of the railyard. Bud, who lost his arm in Fried Green Tomatoes as a child, is not held back by his disability. He becomes a veterinarian, marries Peggy and has a very happy marriage, and names his daughter Ruth. Ruth grows up and marries, giving birth to two children and living in the same neighborhood as her mother-in-law, who never really accepts her. Her children are grown, and her husband dies, leaving her feeling empty inside.
We also get to revisit Evelyn Couch, who became so successful at selling Mary Kay it’s not funny. She eventually pours her earnings into a car dealership, and has continued success, expanding the business many times over, appearing in the car commercials on television and becoming a household name. She sells the dealership and plans to retire, but those plans change when through a series of events, she meets Bud Threadgoode’s daughter, Ruthie. The biggest surprise is when Whistle Stop rises from the ashes like a phoenix, thanks in large part to Evelyn Couch and her dreams of a tourist destination.
It was so nice to go back and visit with the folks in Whistle Stop after all these years, and meet new friends. While it is helpful to have read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’, it is not necessary to appreciate the warmth of this book. Listening to the audiobook narrated by Flagg herself was a treat.
It was a quick easy read and it felt so good to be back in Whistle Stop. However I would be lying if I didn’t say it made me wanting for more. It was so good to hear about Buddy and Idgie and everyone. I just felt like it glossed over everything that had happened like a yearly updated Christmas letter. It will remain on my shelf next to the first book and I will definitely reread both of them again.
Yikes, this was not for me! Just one long filling in on characters lives, and no real plot. Story is a big, whopping door for me, and this was just a little too folksy, too nostalgic for me.
Such a cute, fun, wholesome read. I absolutely loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, so it’s no surprise that I fell in love with this one too. The characters are so likeable and quirky in their own way, and I thoroughly enjoyed how each chapter documented different years of their lives.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did the author re-read FGT before she wrote this one?
I ask because I did, this past week. I simply opened up my eyes, swept them from left to right, sounding out words based on the phonics that I learned back in grade school. I retained information, the little synapses in my brain wiggling around and forming memories.
I eagerly opened this book this morning. I’m a third of the way through the book and here is what we learned:
The character of Julian died around Easter 1988 but even though he was alive and well in May 1988 in Fried Green Tomatoes.
Evelyn had a cold, distant mother but in FGT she and her mom were super close and she was devastated by her death, endlessly angry at and fearful of doctors because of her experiences.
Evelyn was a wallflower in high school who never said a word, barely raised her head, no one remembered her at reunions but in FGT, she was a cheerleader, a member of the golden circle
Dot actually stopped her newsletter and moved away in 1964 instead of 1969 as was reported in FGT
Grady was the sheriff until 1958 but is in his 70s in 1991. Even if he was 79, that would put him born in 1912, which would make him sheriff in his 20s. I guess that's possible back then but still odd.
Albert actually died in 1964, not 1978 as his tombstone read
Bud's daughter was named Ruthie, not Norma (okay yes, I know, Norma Ruth but still).
Norma/Ruthie was married to a guy named Brooks, not Macky. She was born in 1964, which is weird because in FGT she had a teenaged daughter in 1986.
----
I can't wait to see what else we learn! Maybe Smokey the hobo was actually a millionaire, Ruth never died, and Sipsey owned the town (okay that last one would be awesome).
I had the same issues with the "follow up" to Ya Ya Sisterhood--simple facts like names and dates were just wrong. I get that you are millionaires, set for life and have to literally do nothing for the rest of your life so...maybe, while rolling around in your money, you could...read your first book? Edit? Pay someone to edit? Write stuff down if your memory isn't that good?
Just not impressed so far :(
I ask because I did, this past week. I simply opened up my eyes, swept them from left to right, sounding out words based on the phonics that I learned back in grade school. I retained information, the little synapses in my brain wiggling around and forming memories.
I eagerly opened this book this morning. I’m a third of the way through the book and here is what we learned:
The character of Julian died around Easter 1988 but even though he was alive and well in May 1988 in Fried Green Tomatoes.
Evelyn had a cold, distant mother but in FGT she and her mom were super close and she was devastated by her death, endlessly angry at and fearful of doctors because of her experiences.
Evelyn was a wallflower in high school who never said a word, barely raised her head, no one remembered her at reunions but in FGT, she was a cheerleader, a member of the golden circle
Dot actually stopped her newsletter and moved away in 1964 instead of 1969 as was reported in FGT
Grady was the sheriff until 1958 but is in his 70s in 1991. Even if he was 79, that would put him born in 1912, which would make him sheriff in his 20s. I guess that's possible back then but still odd.
Albert actually died in 1964, not 1978 as his tombstone read
Bud's daughter was named Ruthie, not Norma (okay yes, I know, Norma Ruth but still).
Norma/Ruthie was married to a guy named Brooks, not Macky. She was born in 1964, which is weird because in FGT she had a teenaged daughter in 1986.
----
I can't wait to see what else we learn! Maybe Smokey the hobo was actually a millionaire, Ruth never died, and Sipsey owned the town (okay that last one would be awesome).
I had the same issues with the "follow up" to Ya Ya Sisterhood--simple facts like names and dates were just wrong. I get that you are millionaires, set for life and have to literally do nothing for the rest of your life so...maybe, while rolling around in your money, you could...read your first book? Edit? Pay someone to edit? Write stuff down if your memory isn't that good?
Just not impressed so far :(