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Reviews
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe /Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! by Fannie Flagg
alisuncoldiron's review against another edition
5.0
This book was FANTASTIC. I’m in tears though. Shoutouts to Mrs. Kirk for giving me the book and to Beck for recommending it and providing emotional support throughout <3
breslinrh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
heyitscdubs's review against another edition
4.0
Quite the treat. My grandmother is southern but being raised by Midwest parents, I didn't live this way. But I see a lot of my grandmother in Ninny. The stories are quite lovely. It's a time capsule of how awful things were for poor people and Black folks. It's been ages since I saw the movie but I wanted to read the book for the gay ladies. It's sweet if not dated with some of the language (white people are notoriously awful in the south of course) but a good picture of the Depression era south and how progress may or may not have happened by 1986.
ireaditonthebus's review against another edition
1.0
Fried Green Tomatoes is whimsy as hell and a light, fun read -- if you're a middle-class white woman. It's inclusion of racism is neither a convincing social commentary nor in any way respectful to its Black characters, and there's a lot of "I'm not racist, these are my Black friends so I can say/do these things." Additionally, while at the time it may have been a groundbreaking feminist story, it's very much a white feminism vibe. I cringed/seethed through Evelyn's prejudicial, classist and eugenicist feminist awakening.
Credit for the real-world and non-revelatory inclusion of a stable (and mostly healthy) lesbian couple and their disabled son whose entire purpose in the story isn't to be disabled. There's strong themes of found family, self-discovery, and aging. But it doesn't make up for the rest.
Credit for the real-world and non-revelatory inclusion of a stable (and mostly healthy) lesbian couple and their disabled son whose entire purpose in the story isn't to be disabled. There's strong themes of found family, self-discovery, and aging. But it doesn't make up for the rest.
cassandracaffee's review against another edition
4.0
This was my second time reading Fried Green Tomatoes, and I found it just as warm, funny, and tender as the first time. I will admit, this time I noticed a lot of language and descriptions that bothered me much more than my first time reading it. Even though the book was very progressive for its time, there is still a lot of racism and prejudice that seems so much more jarring in 2019. On the one hand, I am so thankful we have grown as a society since the book was first published, but on the other hand, I'm afraid many readers will be so put off by its outdated language that they may dismiss all the good in this story, particularly the normalization of a same-gender romantic relationship. The love between Idgie and Ruth is what drew me to this story in the first place, and I hope other readers are just as charmed.
booksuzi54's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful southern read that had all the bells and whistles I want from a 'down home' novel. The book includes much more info on the characters, including background on the real-life places and people. Though it is different from the movie, it is no less enjoyable.
racheyohh's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
Finally got around to reading this book my mom gave me from her shelf at home! It took me awhile to get through and unclear if it was because I was so distracted this past month or the book itself, probably a mix of both.
I only realized after finishing that this is the source material for the Fried Green Tomatoes movie and am now curious to see that. The story might actually do better in that medium because sometimes in the book I was confused on who was who (my reading slowly didn’t help) so having the visual aids and watching in one sit down might be more cohesive.
Overall the story was cute but it took me a minute to get into it and attached to the characters with it jumping all over the place. Also some of the writing felt very dated. One thing that did not though was the LGBT storyline, which was sweet.
It’s got a little romance, a few little mysteries, and some touching mother figures. And I liked the short chapters and newspaper additions.
I only realized after finishing that this is the source material for the Fried Green Tomatoes movie and am now curious to see that. The story might actually do better in that medium because sometimes in the book I was confused on who was who (my reading slowly didn’t help) so having the visual aids and watching in one sit down might be more cohesive.
Overall the story was cute but it took me a minute to get into it and attached to the characters with it jumping all over the place. Also some of the writing felt very dated. One thing that did not though was the LGBT storyline, which was sweet.
It’s got a little romance, a few little mysteries, and some touching mother figures. And I liked the short chapters and newspaper additions.
lillysheridan's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book. I watched the movie a few months ago, and as soon as I found out it was a book I knew I had to read it. Although I loved the movie, it was really confusing with the implication that Idgie and Ninny were the same person, so I appreciated that the book acknowledged that they were two different people. I loved all of the characters and the author painted the atmosphere of Whistle Stop so well that I felt nostalgia for a place I have never been to in a time I never lived through. I also loved the commentary on growing old, and how Evelyn realized the world was moving on, and she wasn't ready for it. There are countless books about a teen's struggles and it was so refreshing to see a book about a woman about to hit 50, and her struggles with life. Even though I am still a teenager, I found Evelyn to be really relatable and such a good main character. On top of all of that, there were so many lines in this book that made me laugh out loud. I don't think I even realized how much I loved this book until I finished it, but I know I won't be forgetting this book for a long time!
allieeveryday's review against another edition
3.0
"Fried Green Tomatoes" was one of my favorite movies growing up. In fact, when I started listening to this book, I asked "my other half" if he'd ever seen it, and when he said no I immediately planned to force him to sit through it once I was done, even though he probably won't like it anywhere near as much as I do.
The book was cute, and I enjoyed it a lot, but it doesn't hold a candle to the movie. Nostalgia factor, I'm sure. The movie has a tighter narrative, while the book definitely has a more languid feel to it; there's a lot more about the cafe, the citizens of Whistle Stop, what was goin' on around town, and all that, in addition to being Idgie/Ruth's and Evelyn/Ninny's stories.
For the last eight days, all my thoughts have been in an Alabama-Southern accent.
The book was cute, and I enjoyed it a lot, but it doesn't hold a candle to the movie. Nostalgia factor, I'm sure. The movie has a tighter narrative, while the book definitely has a more languid feel to it; there's a lot more about the cafe, the citizens of Whistle Stop, what was goin' on around town, and all that, in addition to being Idgie/Ruth's and Evelyn/Ninny's stories.
For the last eight days, all my thoughts have been in an Alabama-Southern accent.
13fe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
I found this tricky to get into with all the different characters and way it’s written, but loved it.