Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

Dec 23, 2016cknightkc rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I liken Fannie Flagg’s books to comfort food - enjoyable, sweet, but not too filling. Once again we return to Flagg’s idealized Elmwood Springs, Missouri in THE WHOLE TOWN’S TALKING with many of the same characters from her earlier novels, but this time the focus is on the town as the author traces its history and people from the 1880’s to 2021. As usual Flagg populates her tale with some quirky, mostly likable individuals (family trees would’ve been helpful to keep track of them all), sprinkles it with little intrigues and dashes of humor while conveying the importance of personal relationships in all phases of life. Surprisingly, there is little depth to the characters and story, most likely because of the long time span covered and Flagg’s choice to write largely in a 3rd person expository manner with little interaction between characters. In fact after the first third of the book, most of the dialogue is between and among the “residents” of Still Meadows Cemetery as they bring the reader and others up to speed with their comments about what’s been happening in the town - an interesting technique, but one I grew a little weary of with repeated use. My biggest issue is with the epilogue, but won’t say more to avoid spoilers. In spite of these criticisms, I found THE WHOLE TOWN’S TALKING to be an easy, pleasant read - perfect for a weekend or snow day - just prepare yourself to suspend reality for a time as you enjoy the “comforts” this book has to offer, including Elner Shimfissle’s buttermilk bisquits and fig preserves.