Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

I really don't know why this treasure sat on my tbr pile for four years. I bought it after I read „Standing in the Rainbow“ which I absolutely adored, and then I put off reading it.
Usually I don't like reading family sagas too much, but every once in a while one comes along that grabs you, makes you laugh and cry and doesn't let you go until you've turned the last page. And beyond. This is one of those books. I fell in love with the story and the people in it after about ten pages.

Not only Idgie and Ruth grow on you, but also all the other people of Whistle Stop.
Ninny Threadgood, an 86-year-old woman living in a retirement home, tells Evelyn Couch, a depressed, overweight and middle-aged woman stories from her life in Whistle show more Stop.
Everybody and their stories are connected and the book takes place over several decades and generations. They all have their own struggles and fights. But in the end it's an optimistic book about friendship, love and the memories of a better time.
Through the stories Ninny tells about her past, Evelyn finds her strength to live again and learns how to be happy and content.

This has quickly become one of my favorite books, I knew after only a few chapters that I will remember Whistle Stop for quite a while. show less

Told in alternating narratives;by an elderly woman in a nursing home named Mrs. Threadgoode and Evelyn, a middle aged woman scared and resentful of everything. The two become accidental friends while Evelyn waits for her husband to finish up visiting his mother every Sunday. Mrs. Threadgoode is desperate to talk to anyone and Evelyn is a captive audience so it works out alright. She spins a wonderful tale about growing up in Whistle Stop, Alabama and paints it so vividly, that Evelyn begins to look forward to their weekly visits. She bceomes invested in Mrs. Threadgoodes past and more interested in her own future. Mrs. Threadgoode's stories are so outrageous that it's impossible to not get sucked into it, especially when she starts show more talking Ruth and Idgie, two lesbians (although they are never called that) in the deep south that are the heart and soul of the town. For a town in Alabama they were surprisingly open-minded (about some things). The deeper into the story you get, the more surprises unfold and both narratives will be forever changed. show less

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg is a nostalgic, entertaining and funny story set in the small town of Whistle Stop, Alabama during the Depression years of the 20th century. The book does not flow in chronological order but jumps back and forth over the years according to the story that is being told. The main storyteller is Ninny Threadgoode, an elderly resident of a nursing home who reminisces about her home town during the weekly visits of her friend Evelyn. Along with Ninny’s stories there are inserts from The Weems Weekly, the Whistle Stop weekly bulletin written by the local post-mistress. Most of the stories are centered on Idgie and Ruth who, together, run the Whistle Stop Café.

There is a certain show more style and cadence that authors from the American south excel at and Fannie Flagg is no exception. Her folksy writing style invites the reader to take a comfy chair and settle into her story. Although side-splittingly funny at times, this author does not shy away from the serious or difficult subjects. Racism, segregation, wife beating and murder are laid out in her warm and honeyed tones. All aspects of life are on display here but I believe her main message is woman‘s empowerment.

I loved this poignant heart-warming story that encourages one to learn to accept what life has to offer without judging or moralizing. As for the issue of empowerment we see Evelyn brought out of her own depression by Ninny’s stories and the portrayal of Idgie and Ruth’s relationship was both heart-touching and strong. In fact, one of the best things shown in this book is the simple acceptance that the town of Whistle Stop gave to Idgie and Ruth. Their love for each other is no secret, they are simply seen as soul mates who belong together.

I admire the way Fannie Flagg writes, and I now have a plan to eventually work my way through all of her books. show less

Although I had seen the movie in the 90s, I had never read the book. This was a deep dive into small town Southern life. Flagg immerses the reader into the community from the very start as she introduces character after character while jumping around in time and setting. This sounds scattered but it was not. She transported the reader to the Whistle Stop Cafe through a narrative of caring and camaraderie alongside the rough edges of a community facing economic depression and war. In her signature style Flagg interwove humor in the most delightful way. Most of the action takes place in the 30s and 40s, through a look back from the 80s. At the end, I felt that I knew everyone and many of their trials and joys over the years. It was sad show more and endearing at the same time, just like life. show less

Kept me turning pages for an entire transatlantic flight, so that's a huge win right there: funny yet rich prose, warm characters, a mystery whose resolution I didn't remember even though I've seen the movie. So intrigued by what the book has to say about feminism and race in its past (1920s-1930s, mostly) and present (1980s). Unsurprisingly, the feminism was on point (especially the bit about feeling stuck between 1st and 2nd wave feminism) and the anti-racism...could have been worse, but is pretty outdated with a "can't we all just get along?" state of mind.

The way the text treats Idgie and Ruth's relationship vs. how the marketing materials (back blurb, discussion questions) do is fascinating. The text never mentions sex between show more them, but it's pretty clear they're a romantic couple with Idgie in the "male" role: Momma calls Idgie's first feelings a "crush," Poppa tells Idgie she needs to step it up now that she's "responsible for Ruth and a child," the town newsletter always refers to "the son of Idgie and Ruth." The publisher materials are coy about their "friendship." I don't remember how the movie portrayed it, but I want to re-watch and see? show less

Yeah . . . maybe this book just isn't for me. With such a good overall rating and with actual lesbians in historical fiction, it feels like I should like this more, but . . . I guess I just couldn't connect.

Book content warnings:
rape
racism
fatphobia
racial slurs

Evelyn visits her mother-in-law in a nursing home, basically feeling depressed and numb in middle age, and somehow becomes friends with another lady there, Mrs. Ninny Threadgoode. Soon, Evelyn eagerly anticipates her visits. Mrs. Threadgoode talks about her memories in Whistle Stop, Alabama, and Evelyn listens.

This is definitely one of those "atmospheric" books. You're here for the painting of Whistle Stop and its plethora of characters, not for any plot. Especially because the show more book doesn't stick to one coherent timeline (besides Evelyn and Mrs. Threadgoode's, that is). The retelling of the goings on in Whistle Stop can jump anywhere from back in the 30s to the 60s.

I'm not sure when the book started making me uncomfortable, but it crept up on me and gradually gained momentum, until by the end I just wanted to finish it to finish it.

I first rented this for the wlw rep and diverse characters, but I am really disappointed with how those characters are represented here. Ruth and Idgie, the lesbian/bi women, aren't well developed outside of their youth, and have a relationship borderline unhealthy (plus, it's not even "defined" whether or not they're actually in a relationship--goodread's official description for them is "friends" . . . incredible). I understand it's Ruth and "Aunt Idgie" to avoid the lesbophobia that was a lot more prevalent during that time, but nobody--not even from Idgie's family--found Idgie being a lesbian the slightest bit strange? When the book didn't shirk from the any of the racism of the 1930s-60s, I didn't like how it softened the homophobia. That may seem strange, especially coming from a wlw, but you can't "get rid" of one form of oppression magically and say you're being progressive when you're still depicting the lack of rights in another form. I don't know . . .

Moving on, Idgie is pretty damn manipulative. It's apparent she cheats on Ruth (telling Stump "don't tell your mother"--therefore she knows it's wrong, too), but her view on it is never challenged. Ruth and Idgie never even have a conversation about it; Ruth just seems a bit passive aggressive. Plus, she's stalked Ruth when Ruth was married to a man. It's not romantic . . . it's creepy.

There's also some things that made me uncomfortable in regards to race . . . now, I'm a white reviewer so take what I say with a grain of salt. There are two twins, Jasper and Artis. One is light-skinned (Jasper), and one is dark-skinned (Artis). So who is the "good" twin, and who is the "evil" twin? Yeah, just guess. Artis ends up in jail often, and he stabs Jasper one time and ends up "liking it" and etc., etc., etc. There was a chapter or two that talked about this difference in skin color among black people, but it kind of feels beside the point when she made Artis violent and Jasper do no wrong.

There's also a point where Evelyn (the main PoV character) wishes she were black--and has some pretty fetishist views of black people. She and Mrs. Threadgoode talk about how black people are just "so different", especially when it comes to feeling things. (However, she's also afraid of black men, a view which doesn't shift. Because eeeeeeveryone knows black men are scary, violent people. /sarcasm) There's also an inner monologue where Evelyn is angry and thinks how all these marginalized groups have already had their protests and protections granted (HA! as if), but when will that time come for women?! (basically affirming the White Feminist thought of even today that Woman = White Woman [only])

. . . This is the moment I knew without a doubt the book was written by a white woman. I verified it on the back of the book and shook my head.

At least I'll stop wondering about what this was about when I see it on all the lgbt/lesbian goodreads lists. show less

I enjoyed the book; it's well written, easy to read, and portrays women's relationships with each other in a simultaneously very positive and very real way. Not many novels do such a good job with women's friendships. The female characters aren't perfect but they are all striving to be good people, written to be so likable. I wanted to see what happened to them as the years stretched on.

But I feel a little conflicted about the book's portrayal of issues like homophobia and racism. This book is pretty sunny about these serious topics. They aren't ignored; they get noted, and they have consequences, and the women fighting against oppression of women understand that oppression stretches to lesbians and people of color (which is not common show more in books set in these years, so I appreciate that). But they are whitewashed in a strange way that sometimes made me uncomfortable. Here's an example: the ladies have a conversation with the sheriff (I think? some law enforcement officer) about how he wants them to stop serving black people out of the back of the restaurant. They are shrewd and throw everything back at him, noting they know who is participating in KKK rallies (by the shoes -- so clever) and intellectually outpacing him until he essentially leaves with his tail between his legs. It's a great, satisfying scene. But there's no mention of the fact that there's no real threat to them as white people, and they haven't actually done anything meaningful. Meanwhile the KKK is regularly murdering black people throughout this time period.

I try not to measure books against the 2015 stick when they were written earlier, but it did fall flat to me as a modern reader.

I'm sorry to hear that in the film version, Ruth and Idgie were just friends and Ruth was in love with Buddy. What a shame. show less