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Feb 2023
9:26pm, 26 Feb 2023
7,148 posts
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westmoors
Just finished this. Have to say I remembered far more than I thought I would from watching the film many years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the mix between the town newsletter, the relating of memory, and the narration.
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Mar 2023
10:29pm, 11 Mar 2023
28,058 posts
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Serendippily
I got about half way through and thought, ah a saga, they are probably going to start putting homemade recipes in for that touch of southern homespun authenticity soon. To be fair, they left them to the end but this did outstay its welcome with me somewhat. I thought the mix of newsletter, and past and present worked pretty well and some of the episodes i enjoyed, but the happy tart in the woods and the cast of black characters all seemed paper thin and if i were the actor/actress playing any of them I think id give a sigh. An easy read but there was something too contrived for me
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Mar 2023
10:33pm, 11 Mar 2023
28,059 posts
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Serendippily
Ha i enjoyed exactly the same bits as Columba. Its always a pleasure when book groupers really enjoy a chozz so im glad it worked for others
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Mar 2023
3:42pm, 18 Mar 2023
37,866 posts
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LazyDaisy
I finished this last night. I started by enjoying it, mid way through I was getting a bit bored and started skim-reading and ended by being glad to have finished and puzzled about its popularity. I haven't seen the film, so maybe they sharpened it up a bit for the cinema.
What I liked: the honesty of Evelyn not wanting to spend much time visiting her mother in law and preferring to spend time with a more interesting old lady.
What I didn't like: the sugar-coating of everything. I know much of it was conveyed via Ninny's rose-tinted specs, but even the saddest, most distressing snapshots of poverty and the effects of the Depression seemed to come with sprinkle of homespun 'charm' with eventually really jarred.
Still, an interesting choice, thank you Owlie. I'll now read back and see if I'm an outlying grump 
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May 2023
8:21pm, 7 May 2023
13,550 posts
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Little Nemo
I'd previously seen the film and I wondered if I'd read the book at the time. I don't think I did as the book is pretty different. It was readable for the most part although I thought it veered into sentimentally and folksiness too much at times.
My major problem with it was the language and attitudes to race. I know it was probably how things were in the 30-60s in America but I think if it was written today it would have a different outlook. It just felt way too condescending to black Americans and it didn't give them an authentic voice imo. Also way, way too much racist language, it was really uncomfortable to read.
From what I can remember of the film it was far more about Evelyn and that was what I wanted in this book. I found the Whistle Stop bits just too unbelievable and I didn't care about a lot of the characters. It was written OK but something about the very short chapters and all the different timelines meant that I never got fully immersed in this book.
I gave this book a 5.
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May 2023
8:26pm, 7 May 2023
13,551 posts
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Little Nemo
Interesting split in opinions, I can see I'm a bit of an outlier
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