Set in Whistle Stop, Alabama, 'Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe' by Fannie Flagg is a heartwarming tale that spans different time periods, exploring themes of friendship, love, and acceptance. The story follows the lives of Ruth and Idgie, two strong women who run a cafe in the 1930s, as narrated to Evelyn by Ninny Threadgoode in the 1980s. The book seamlessly weaves together multiple narratives, exploring relationships, social issues, and the charm of small-town life with a mix of humor and poignancy.
The narrative style of the book is a blend of humor, nostalgia, and deep emotions, as it delves into the lives of the characters and the complexities of their relationships. Through flashbacks, the author explores themes of love, friendship, and societal norms, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories that resonate with readers and highlight the enduring power of human connections across generations.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains content warnings for themes related to racism, domestic violence, murder, and mental health issues.
Has Romance?
The book contains a moderate amount of romance, particularly in the representation of Idgie and Ruth's relationship.
From The Publisher:
Folksy and fresh, endearing and affecting, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is the now-classic novel of two women in the 1980s; of gray-headed Mrs. Threadgoode telling her life story to Evelyn, who is in the sad slump of middle age. The tale she tells is also of two women-of the irrepressibly daredevilish tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth-who back in the thirties ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama, a Southern kind of Cafe Wobegon offering good barbecue and good coffee and all kinds of love and laughter, even an occasional murder. And as the past unfolds, the present-for Evelyn and for us-will never be quite the same again…
"Airplanes and television have removed the Threadgoodes from the Southern scene. Happily for us, Fannie Flagg has preserved a whole community of them in a richly comic, poignant narrative that records the exuberance of their lives, the sadness of their departure. Idgie Threadgoode is a true original: Huckleberry Finn would have tried to marry her!"
-Harper Lee, Author of To Kill a Mockingbird
"A real novel and a good one… [from] the busy brain of a born storyteller."
-The New York Times
"It's very good, in fact, just wonderful."
-Los Angeles Times
"Funny and macabre."
-The Washington Post
"Courageous and wise."
-Houston Chronicle
Ratings (61)
Incredible (20) | |
Loved It (29) | |
Liked It (8) | |
It Was OK (3) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (109):
Read It (63) | |
Want To Read (27) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (18) |
4 comment(s)
I saw the movie in my teens, once but it had stayed with me ever since. I've wanted to read the book since I've learned there was one that the movie was based on and I was so happy when I'm found it browsing my library. I was having a really bad day and it felt like a true bliss to find it after been thinking about it for a while. Fannie Flagg's writing truly made the plot and characters come a life and it was an emersive and very entertaining and somewhat charming read even with the serious bit mixed in. Might want to read more by her later but doubt I would be so emersed in the book. I think it added a lot that I got so much memories from the movie and haven't been able to stop thinking of it even if it was about 10 years since I saw it
I really liked the way in which life is presented in small town Alabama a and the amount of courage shown by Idgie, Ruth and their relationship. This novel shows that show women can exist in any decade and the actions of the past can still inspire change in people today.
Book 10 of 2015 reading challenge -book with a color in the title
I liked this story but never understood the attachment between Ruth and Idgie. I loved the town 'Whistle stop' and i loved the people. It was a wonderful story where i would like to belong.
My favourite story of all time.
What can you read after
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe?
About the Author:
Fannie Flagg's career started in the fifth grade when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play, titled The Whoopee Girls, and she has not stopped since. At age nineteen she began writing and producing television specials, and later…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
