Review: Fried Green Tomatoes

Title: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Author: Fannie Flagg
Pages: 432
Rating: 4.5/5

An American classic resplendent with the charm, grace, and grit of all good southern literature, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is Fannie Flagg’s enduring tale of the beloved folks who live in a small Alabama town. At its center are some truly remarkable women, connected by a place and a generosity of spirit grounded in family, good friends, and good food.

The story begins in 1985 with the friendship between shy, middle-aged Evelyn Couch, sadly aware she’s gotten “lost along the way,” and Ninny Threadgoode, an eighty-seven-year-old resident of the Rose Terrace Nursing Home in Birmingham. Evelyn soaks up the older woman’s stories of Whistle Stop, Alabama, where Ninny’s irrepressible sister-in-law Idgie and Idgie’s friend Ruth ran a cafe–the center of life in this small town. Indeed, it is the story of wild, wonderful Idgie, and her big sense of humor and bigger heart, that give Evelyn the courage to find her own happiness (www.bn.com).

Fried Green Tomatoes is my absolute, all time, favorite movie. I don't know why I've waited so many years to read the book. It was amazing.

I've never read any novels by Fannie Flagg, but I have definitely found a new favorite author. Her writing style totally captures that down home southern feel that brings her characters and stories to life. I was blown away by the writing in this book. One thing I learned while reading this book, is that the movie is actually a much milder version of the book, and like most things, I enjoyed the book even more than the movie.

Like the movie, my favorite character in the book is Ruth. She's such a complex character who touches the lives of so many. She always touched my heart in the movie and she's done the same in the book. Ruth's life because quite complicated when she chooses to marry a man who doesn't respect her and treats her like a piece of garbage. He's arrogant and abusive and the best thing she ever does is to leave him. In doing so, she makes a wonderful life with Idgie, and we get to see how she influences all of Whistle Stop.

Fried Green Tomatoes is a wonderful feel good read, and I would recommend it to anyone who just wants to take an afternoon and get away!!

Here's a preview for the movie, which I also recommend to everyone!