Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

20 reviews

eiramaniger's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

This is my favourite book; I’ve read it at least a couple dozen times and I cry every. single. time. Strong women and sisterhood are major themes in this book, but it also touches on civil rights, and there is a lesbian romance although it is never explicitly stated as such. Evelyn, Ruth, Idgie, & Ninny feel like old friends at this point. Always find myself coming back to read it yet again whenever I come upon life’s many difficulties. Reading it just feels like no matter what happens, everything is going to be ok. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Rape, Alcoholism, Cancer, Racism, Death, Sexual violence, Sexism, Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

edwardinsane's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m really enjoyed this book! Some things to age well in regard to race. But overall I still really enjoyed the book.

I liked the end of the movie way more than in the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Sexism, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Body shaming

Minor: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, and Animal death

zadam812's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Violence, and Physical abuse

celery's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Dementia, Sexual violence, Gore, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual harassment, Classism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Medical content, Addiction, Cannibalism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Murder, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Vomit, War, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Terminal illness, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Child death, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Rape

Minor: Cannibalism

beccalove's review against another edition

dark lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

3.0

 **Spoilers ahead, but the book is from 50 years ago, so no apologies.** Woohoo, BOOK REVIEW!

First off, I want to open with the fact that this book is drowning in racism that is both relevant and not relevant to the historical context of part of the story and its location. There's a number of chapters that could be removed entirely and honestly seem to exist solely because Flagg wanted to say them herself (including WAYY too much comfort using the N word). It was written and published in the 1980's focused on small-town Alabama and the story bounces between there and several other time periods, mainly the 1930's. So for that reason alone, I don't recommend it. 

Secondly, while there are some beautiful sections with an explicit sapphic love story - those characters don't experience a happy ending and Fannie Flagg fell prey to the #buryyourgays trope despite being a lesbian herself. Idgie isn't there when Ruth dies and her death is treated with no emotion at all really. There's no mourning, no sharing of Idgie's partner of almost 2 decades (and love of her life), and that alone pissed me off enough to stop reading for 24 hours. After Ruth dies, their story is absent from the book for almost all of the final hundred pages and the final graveside mention just leaves so much to be desired. 

At the end of the day, there are some beautiful scenes and I'm thankful to have read a book from that period which has a queer love story so well accepted and respected by all the other characters in the book. However, the racism is inescapable and the lack of a good ending for our queer characters leaves me disappointed in the novel overall. 

⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Alcohol, and Body shaming

artstitute's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Cancer, Racism, Rape, Body shaming, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Bullying, and Vomit

violetturtledove's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This really is a sweet book. I found it a bit confusing at first, it skips back and forth and it's a bit hard to keep track of the characters. It's a slow, lazy read, and at times a bit rose-tinted considering some of the darker subject matter (but it is using a framing device of someone reminiscing, so that tends to have that effect). There are some quite funny bits and engaging characters, and i felt the ending tied it all up nicely.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, and Rape

Minor: Alcoholism, Murder, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

mbahruth's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

I love this movie so decided to read the book, and I did enjoy the book but was very uncomfortable with the racism and racial slurs used. The friendship between Evelyn and ninny is wholesome and of course I will always love the love between Idgie and Ruth but it’s very hard to get past the racist depictions of other characters. Overall I actually enjoyed the movie more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

Moderate: Racial slurs, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Racism

laurataylor's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Addiction, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racism, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault