Can't Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel by Fannie Flaggrating: 2 of 5 stars
I often get asked when I find the time to read. I read a lot late at night, and if the book is good, I'll stay up and keep reading. This book was a snooze-inducer every time I picked it up. So, I've had more sleep in the last three days than I usually get.
There was nothing about this book that really captured me. I thought on more than one occasion, "What is the point of this book?" It was just a nice, easy, gentle look at a southern Missouri town and all the cliched old ladies who live in it.
The storyline is centered around Elner Shimfissle (the names alone in this book were enough to drive me batty), a 90-something woman who falls off a ladder picking figs. She dies in the hospital, takes a quick trip to heaven, and comes back to life a few hours later. The town goes into a frenzy when they learn she dies, and goes into an equal uproar when she comes back to life.
Maybe I just don't get Fannie Flagg's sense of humor, because I never laughed once. Maybe my background and life experiences didn't give me a very good frame of reference. Maybe I would enjoy this more if I were 30 years older.
I don't know. It was just kind of OK for me.
They also reviewed it (and felt very differently I should add):
5 comments:
Oh I liked this one! It wasn't as good as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe but I did like it.
Ladytink: I liked Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man MUCH better, but that is the only other one of hers I have read. I actually do have two others of Flagg's sitting on my shelf. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood?
This is one that I listened to instead of read, and I think that helped. The audio recording had several giggle inducing moments. Maybe it's a timing issue...I think I listened to Daisy Fay that way as well. It helped.
I've only ever read Fried Green Tomatoes. That wasn't memorable for me. I don't know what my problem is.
I'm pretty sure mood does matter with Flagg's books. There has been one or two I couldn't get into and then months are years later re-tried and loved.
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