On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Comments on this board should be written with the assumption that not all readers have finished the book. Please take care not to reveal information that might lessen other readers’ enjoyment.

I'm hoping to read this later in March. I just tried fried green tomatoes for the first time a few years ago in a restaurant. It's not a dish you usually find in the Northeast.

I'll be reading this too, but it's on my shelf so I'll read it last as the other 2 are library books. I love fried green tomatoes, but then anything fried is pretty good.

I am definitely reading this one. I was surprised it wasn’t on our shelf and so glad that it won after nominating it. I looooved the movie so will have to revisit Jessica Tandy’s performance once again.

I have the audio from Libby. I'm listening. It's a little different from watching the movie of course which is so ingrained in my head. Good narration.

I just started listening to it as well. I'm enjoying it but it occurred to me that it has been so long since I've seen the movie that it bears rewatching.

I'm started on this and loving it. I don't remember the film really other than remembering that I liked it. I'll be looking for a place to stream it when I finish.

I am listening to the Audible version and enjoying each story told and each bit of news and gossip in the Weekly by Dot Weems.

This sounds like a great audio, I put my name on waitlist at library.

I’m fairly certain, but not 100% certain, that I read the book. As for the movie, the only thing I’m uncertain of is how many times I’ve watched it. And I know for certain that no matter how many times I’ve watched it, I’ve loved every second of it each and every time. I just borrowed the audiobook from my Libby account.

You and me both Sherril. We own the DVD and every couple of years my husband will say Let's watch the green tomato movie.
I had never heard of fried green tomatoes and thought they sounded gross. A BBQ place opened up in town featuring them on the menu so we went in and tried some. Quite delicious of course. I just heard they went out of business. They had a good run because that was 30 years ago.

In TN….there’s a whole food truck serving fried green tomatoes.

I just had fried green tomatoes in SC yesterday! Every restaurant I’ve ever ordered them from makes them differently. Some are battered in cornmeal, some in flour, some in panko. Some are almost too hard to cut and some are too “ripe” but all come with the perfect remoulade. I’m almost positive I read this book years ago, but I’m joining in to find out. Fannie Flagg is a southern treasure.

Before I retired we had a conference at the company headquarters in Hartford and there was a restaurant specializing in southern cooking next door to our hotel. I ate there a couple times and did get a chance to try fried green tomatoes. They were pretty good.

FYI: The audio book is very good.

The Weems Weekly little snippets about Wilbur (Dot’s other half) and feeding Opal’s cat had me breaking up with laughter. Also, there are mentions throughout of products that have disappeared from our culture that give this story authenticity. Flagg is a deft writer!

I'm 33% in. All these years, having only seen the movie, I did not realize the depth of Idgie & Ruth's relationship.
I found this article which is a bit spoilerish if you haven't gotten at least as far in the book as I have. I'll definitely be watching it again with new eyes when I'm finished.

https://www.spectrumsouth.com/queer-f...

Off topic: A freak of nature has occurred at my house. It snowed last night. I'm looking at snow in my yard. It also snowed at Hearst Castle on the coast. Gives new meaning to my morning cup of tea.

I was wondering about you Cathrine when I saw the national weather report. If it's anything like here, it won't last long.

Cathrine ☯️ wrote: "Off topic: A freak of nature has occurred at my house. It snowed last night. I'm looking at snow in my yard. It also snowed at Hearst Castle on the coast. Gives new meaning to my morning cup of tea..."

The hills surrounding us are also white with snow. It's beautiful to look at and I'm grateful that I don't need to shovel any as I did growing up in Colorado.

California seems to go from one extreme to the other lately.

I am breaking up listening to Towanda AKA Evelyn Couch!

This book does evoke some memories, even if I'm not southern.
The new Buster Brown shoes at Easter; always white patent leather because You never wore black shoes once spring arrived, and the Easter hats (we didn't call them bonnets).

Do hens really get mad when wet?

"I was green, she chuckled. I'm not gonna tell you how green I was. I'd didn't know a thing about sex...and I'd never seen a man before. And honey, that'll scare you to death if you're not prepared for it."

Oh, and the religious sewing machines. That's a new one.

Terry wrote: "I am breaking up listening to Towanda AKA Evelyn Couch!"

I love that part too, Terry. Evelyn is a great character. We all have our breaking point!

Cathrine ☯️ wrote: "I'm 33% in. All these years, having only seen the movie, I did not realize the depth of Idgie & Ruth's relationship.
I found this article which is a bit spoilerish if you haven't gotten at least a..."

I love their complicated relationship. This book in general has a lot more depth than I expected. It covers so many life situations with the seriousness they deserve, but also with humor and wisdom to lighten the load. The result is a book high on the heartwarming scale.

Just ordered this and the Crone book – excited to get started! I’ve seen the film and enjoyed it, but heard that the book offers a different perspective on Ruth and Idgie’s relationship. Usually, I try and read the source material before watching the screen adaptation, so it’ll be interesting to see what it’s like to go in the opposite direction.

As for the actual recipe… I’ve only had Southern style fried green tomatoes once, but curiously enough, my family (which is from the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India) makes our own version. That is what initially drew me to watching the movie: before that I had no idea that any other culture ate green tomatoes. It’s always funny to see parallels between unrelated cultures, especially in food! Our version is pretty delicious, although of course, it tastes wildly different from the American recipe.

Priya, when we were dining at an Indian restaurant my husband got into a conversation with our server wanting to know what breakfast foods (in India) were popular. It wasn't busy that day (lunchtime) and the chef ended up making us some special items not on the menu to give us an idea. I remember eating something with mango, chutney maybe, on some sort of pancake. It was really good.

Catherine, you can thank me for the snow! My sisters & I went on a cruise leaving from LA & upon return to port heard of the lovely snow, although we only saw rain. We seem to bring the WV weather wherever we travel, thankful it’s been warmer this winter.

FGT has always been my fav movie & one that I love over the book, which has only happened with this one. Will have to read again to see if my mind has changed.

I’ve read this quite a few times so I probably will not read it again, but everyone here has me totally convinced to rewatch the movie !!

I just started yesterday. I read it many years ago, and saw the movie too, but time to read and watch again, just for the joy of it.

Having finished the book and rewatched movie for the first time in over twenty years, I have to say that while the movie was excellent and very well casted, I think is the book was better. It had more nuance. For example, the movie barely touched on the many reasons why Idgie had to fear Rev. Scroggins' testimony at the trial and it left out entirely (view spoiler)[ his recruitment of all the local hobos for the defense. (hide spoiler)]

I'm loving these people. I wish I could join one of the "polker" games.

Hoping to start this today/tomorrow. I am excited.

You'll love it Lori.

As Southerner by birth, I had never heard of fried green tomatoes until th book and movie came out. I did attempt to make fried green tomatoes from the recipe in the book. I served them to my family that consisted of a "Yankee" husband and two northern-born children it was determined by them I should never make that dish again. LOL!! They did, however, find my Fried Green Tomatoes bundt cake, providing there was ample icing on it. This book was the beginning of my love of Fannie Flagg's literary endeavors! Always favourites of mine.

P. S. - I thought everybody would love anything that was fried. Not. so at my house.

Sorry for the typos above, not enough coffee this a.m. That's my story and I'm stick'in to it. Love ya'll!

I finished this today and had a lot of fun reading it. I'm going to try the biscuit recipe in the back.
T. Rose, the first time I went through Boston many years ago, we stopped at Fanueil Hall to sightsee a bit and for lunch. Fried lobster bites were on the menu so that's what I got, thinking fried anything has to be good. Many years later, I had a whole lobster with drawn butter, and found out there was a better way!

I am loving the description of riding the train in such style! I can’t imagine that. Even flying used to be dressed up but nowadays we’re lucky to have people clothed! Ha! The pajamas on planes makes me cringe.
But to travel like they did when trains were the fancy way, I think that would have been fun!

I'm sure travel was more of an event back then. I always wanted to take a train journey with a dining car too. And the sleeping berths sounded neat.

Starting audio….I was thinking I couldn’t fit it in March but still have time and my library loan came through.

I'm glad Laura. It's a fun book. I hope the audio narrator has a southern accent.

This book makes me want to eat buttermilk biscuits dripping with butter.

Janice, I made biscuits using the recipe in the back of the book, and it's my new go-to. I'm pretty sure the cafe would have used lard instead of Crisco, like my mother and grandmother did, but my husband would have a heart attack just thinking about that. Good biscuits are an art form.

Back when my parents were still alive and I was making frequent trips to Texas to help them out ... my brother and I were driving back from one such trip and we stopped in Hope Arkansas for lunch. Went to a small diner where we had the BEST fried green tomatoes! I was tempted to order a second helping for dessert. Instead we opted for ordering one of their home-made pies ... to go. Yes, an entire pie ... that was our supper (and reward) when we got back to brother's house that night.