Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: A Novel

I saw this movie back in the 90's, and after watching it 20 or more times over the years I finally decided to read the book. I always loved how Idgie's spirit revolutionized Evelyn's spirit, but I always thought the movie jumped around a lot. The book really jumps around all over the place and has four viewpoints as opposed to the movie’s two. It starts with The Weems Weekly and you get to hear Dot Weems' storytelling voice, another charming southern personality that wasn't in the movie. Then it goes to Evelyn’s current reality, Ninny’s storytelling, as well as scenes that were Whistle Stop history but not part of the stories that Ninny told Evelyn. With so many different viewpoints and a not entirely chronological timeline it would have been easy to steer the story off course into a mess of a train wreck, but the author kept that from happening by giving information in her flash forwards that made the story make more sense as it was told. For readers and movie watchers alike: be advised that the rest of this review might contain what you’d likely classify as spoilers. For readers of the book, it was interesting to see that Vesta Adcock, whose Whistle Stop history wasn’t mentioned in the movie, turned out to be Ed’s (Evelyn’s husband) aunt. There was a lot more of the history of the Otis’s, including how Sipsey came to be Big George’s mother, Big George’s children and their eventual history, as well as Smokey Robinson’s past and what became of him. Some of which was kind of gruesome and I can see why it was left out of the movie. You also get a glimpse of Ruth's son Buddy and his family in 1986 at the end of the book, which you also won’t get in the movie. Ninny's is much more of a non-stop rambling storyteller n the book, but just like the movie she's a delight to listen to. I just imagined Jessica Tandy's voice while I read. Idgie's brother Buddy is hit by the train while goofing around with his friends and chasing a hat on the railroad tracks, but Buddy and Ruth did not have a crush on each other, in fact they never met. Buddy was in love with a sexually free woman named Eva whose dad ran the Dill Pickle Club, which is where Idgie became a fixture after Buddy died. While no sexual scenes are written into the book, Idgie and Ruth were clearly in romantic love with each other and wind up living together, something that is alluded to but not made clear in the movie. “You love who you love” seems to be a lesson Idgie learned from Buddy and Eva. The movie alludes to their affair with several different scenes but backs off of outright putting it out there. Ruth has already died when Idgie goes on trial for the murder of Frank Bennett, and it’s Smokey Robinson who comes to her rescue and gets Reverend Scroggins and all the gypsy hobos to come to her aid in her murder trial. Frank Bennett was even more of a jerk in the book than in the movie and while the judge isn’t actually fooled by anybody he has reason to be glad Frank got what he had coming to him, dismiss the case and let Idgie go.. Ninny Threadgoode in the book is definitely not Idgie Threadgoode, as the movie suggests at the end. Ninny Threadgoode does make it home after Mrs. Otis dies, then you get a glimpse of 1986 Idgie and her brother Julian running a fresh foods stand at the end of the book but due to the circumstances you know Idgie is not Ninny. I read a review somewhere that made a case for the movie having Ninny and Idgie being the same person in the movie. Ninny could have wanted to keep her identity a secret while she told Evelyn about herself as the younger Idgie. In both book and movie, Ninny was “adopted” into the family, leaving her free to have a crush on Buddy and then eventually marry Cleo. Once the story was told and Evelyn was her friend, Ninny felt comfortable letting her in on her wild life as Idgie.. If you enjoyed the movie I think you can still make up your own mind which ending makes more sense and feels better to you. I really liked the movie ending much more than the book ending; it just felt warmer and more uplifting to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would not recommend skipping it. As for me, I went ahead and got the extended anniversary edition DVD Fried Green Tomatoes (Extended Anniversary Edition) of the movie that has scenes left out of the movie. I enjoy both

Like a lot of people, the movie was my first exposure to this story. The book is just... more. More insight into the characters in the movie, more players (it follows the children and grandchildren of the main characters), more humor and tragedy. Unlike the movie that focuses almost entirely on two time periods in the 30s and 80s this story bounces back and forth through the intervening years and clears up a lot of vague points. It is a bit discomforting to read passages over and over of such casual racism even in the "enlightened" 80s part, but to pretend the otherwise in the American South setting would feel disingenuous. The unflinching acceptance of a lesbian couple is nice though. It would read as false if one half of the couple wasn't described as being both related to half the town and as almost a force of nature. Overall I'd say it feels like a decent look at small town life in the past. I found myself looking up references to old songs, foods I've never had, plants I wasn't familiar with, and even old railroad routes. Everything I looked up turned out to be real. Even "Railroad Bill" was based on fact. These are things I wouldn't even think to ask about and I loved the fact that I was learning something new every time I chased one of those references down. I have no idea how accurate the book really is, but I never caught the author taking liberties and still managed to be a compelling story. My one complaint is an admittedly stupid one. It's impossible to picture the main characters as anyone other than the actors from the movie. It works fine for everyone but Ninny. All the "big girl" mentions just don't fit, but no matter how much I try I just can't form any other picture of her older self and her younger self is a blank to me. So if you haven't seen the movie, maybe read the book first so you don't get "locked" into certain mental images of everyone. I've read this book a few times now and it never fails to enchant. I can't think of anyone I'd pause to recommend this book as long as you can read it while keeping in mind it was a different time. But if you want a lesson about that you can watch how most 90s comedies treat homosexuality. Fiction doesn't always age well, but the main themes of what it means to be a woman, aging, and the ties that forge a family are as applicable now as when the book was published.

The book is good. The movie is great. They're different, and in this case, I think that's good. The book had a lot of different subplots woven in, which would have made a movie overly long and complicated. One thing's for sure: the book answered a lot of movie-related questions for me.

Great book alittle different from the movie

This is a really fine novel written in modern American Southern traditional style. The storyline mixes shifting timelines and plots. The timeline shifts between the early and late parts of the twentieth century, primarily in Alabama. There is a great deal of humor, love, and family, and at the same time pathos. This really fine novel reminded me of various American Female Southern authors. Primarily the writing style reminded me of the short stories of. Eudora Welty, particularly her earlier short stories such as the collection "A Curtain of Green and Other Stories". Additionally this novel really called to mind Harper Lee and "To Kill A Mocking Bird". To some extent the novel also called to mind Flannery O'Connor. As a reader I have become enthralled with Southern Gothic writing. However I also greatly enjoy the Southern non gothic style. I would place this novel in the latter category. Discussions of race relations including racial terminology are seemingly inevitable in such works and are part of this work. This novel formed the basis for a well known movie that I have not seen. As I understand it, Miss Flagg helped with the movie. I am looking forward to now watching the movie. I have to say that this has become one of my favorite novels. I am sorry to say that I had never read any novel by Fannie Flagg. I have already purchased an additional novel, "The All Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion". I seldom read two novels by the same author without a break. I intend to read this novel in the near furture. Thank You...

I saw this movie many years ago, and watched a couple more times over the years, last month, the most recent. I always figured the book would just be a slightly longer version of the movie, especially as Ms Flagg wrote the screenplay. Wrong! My neighbor told me the book was so much better, and it is. Think of it as the movie is part one, and part 2 never got made. There is so much more to the story the book tells, that is left out of the movie. Some did not like the way the story jumped back and forth to different times. Not sure why that is a issue, as long as you took a sec to look at the chapter title to see the date. As for the language, and the way the segregated south was depicted, that is how it was, as shameful as that fact is. The folks who did not care for it, are the type who like to just put their heads in the sand, when confronted with something disagreeable. The neighbor who recommended I read the book a elderly Black woman, who still recalls what it was like in the south in the 40's, 50's, all the years before the civil rights movement really gained traction. And she will tell you, compared to what her Momma told her about earlier times, the book is fairly tame. The review who stated that the author must hate the south, is most likely one of those does not want to acknowledge what the south was really like (and the north, to a lesser extent, as well). The author was born and raised in the south, Birmingham to be exact. She still lives in Alabama for about half of each year. If for no other reason, read the book for a good insight as to what life was like for many, in the 20's and 30's.

I love the movie, I also have…such a tear jerker. The book is even better!!!

I remember watching the movie so many times that I eventually got the book. I was so impressed by the care and thoughtfulness of every character Fannie Flagg portrayed in this story, including Ninnie. This is really Ninnie recalling her sister-in-law's life as if she were right beside her. And of course let's not forget Evelyn who is beautifully trapped and fearful and finds her voice to shine from Ninnie's stories. This book is really about the women who find their voice, either from loving each other, growing up together, surrounded by support and love of food. It's as if Fannie Flagg welcomes the reader into a world of hope during a hopeless time where southern food and its comforts made living a little better. While the book has more detail than the movie I felt comforted by Ninnie's enthusiasm, Evelyn's courage, Ruth's love, Idgie's encouragement, and Sipsey's loyalty. These women have the resilience and strength to carry the weight of their world on their shoulders while trying to find comfort, love, and support from women who understand their plight. I enjoyed this book. I hope others do too as they get to know the women of Whistlestop.

Some have said this book is undemanding. I agree in the sense that it is easy to read, since it is well written, with likeable, believable characters and has an intriguing plot which holds your interest. However shallow it is not. The narrative is told from three main viewpoints which gradually reveal the full story. Some elements are withheld until the end, making it more and more of a page-turner as you proceed. The underlying theme of the story is human relations - the bonds between family members, friends, household members - including the servants, members of a community. It is also about humanity, accepting people as they are - regardless of race, sexual preference etc - and recognising the intrinsic goodness in people. Although there is some despair, violence and sadness, it is ultimately an uplifting book.

Já havia visto o filme. Me senti em cena

Lovely book.. had to buy a copy for my permanent collection. Also great price on Amazon and this isn't there in any bookshop.

本が新品、綺麗でよかったです。 有難うございました。 本が届くのがとても楽しみでしたし、届いてからは毎日読んでいます。

This story begins in the 1980s with two women who meet in the waiting room at the Rose Terrace Nursing Home in Birmingham, Alabama. Mrs. Ninny(Virginia) Threadgoode is a wise and charming lady who resides in the nursing home. Evelyn Couch is a middle-aged woman, who comes weekly with her husband to visit her mother-in- law, Big Momma. She doesn't have very much patience with her mother-in-law and so she leaves and goes to the waiting room. It is there that she meets Mrs. Threadgoode. Mrs. Threadgoode begins by going back in time and telling Evelyn about her life in the 1930s in Whistle Stop, Alabama, where they have one cafe named The Whistle Stop Cafe, one convenience store and one Bulletin called The Weems Weekly written by Dot Weems. Evelyn, at first, is not interested in listening to Mrs. Threadgoode's life history, as she has her own problems. She is in her mid forties, overweight and generally unhappy with her life. She is very naive and not able to adapt to the changes in life. One would say that she is stuck in time and old-fashioned. She is also bored and can't seem to fit in. Because she is so miserable, she uses food as a way of coping. She fills up on chocolate bars, ice cream and of course, gains more weight. Every week, Mrs. Threadgoode continues with her story back in Whistle stop and Evelyn is beginning to show interest. She tells her about The Whistle Stop Cafe where all the folks meet and talk about the goings-on in the town. The Cafe is owned and run by two women, Idgie and her best friend Ruth. The cooking is done by two black women and Big George makes the barbecue. This is rare with racism going on in the South. Some of the Southern foods served are simply "to die for" like fried catfish, fried green tomatoes, dumplings, black-eyed peas, cobbler and grits, just to name a few. There are recipes in the back of the book which gives the book a nice touch. It adds to the book's southern flavor and gives it a homey feeling. Idgie is a tomboy who likes to dress masculine and play practical jokes. One day at the Baptist Church, she put poker chips in the collection box. Both she and Ruth are in their thirties. They are very close friends and some may say they have an intimate relationship. The door at The Whistle Stop Cafe is opened to everyone from black people, hobos and the poor. Only one thing, black folks have to enter through the kitchen door in the back or the Cafe would be burned to the ground by the KKK. There are excerpts from The Weems Weekly Bulletin over each chapter that has to do with Whistle Stop. This paper gives the town folks all the latest news. With Evelyn's weekly visits and listening to Mrs. Threadgoode continue with her uplifting stories about her life, Evelyn's spirits improve. She starts to make changes in her life beginning with losing weight. She is now filled with hope for the future. This novel has a lot to do with race relations in the South, homosexuality, domestic abuse, an unsolved murder and aging. On the other hand, it is filled with strong friendships, fun times and acceptance of people. Fannie Flagg is a Southern born gifted storyteller whose books will lift your spirits with her quirky and lovable characters. You will laugh a little, cry a little, but her book will keep you entertained from beginning to end. This book is a WINNER! P.S. If you enjoyed this book, you will also like Can't Wait To Get To Heaven.