Saturday, January 8, 2011

I Still Still Dream About You; Fannie Flagg




Title: I Still Dream About You
Author: Fannie Flagg
Publication Year: 2010
Publisher: Random House
Edition: ARC
Source: Amazon Vine
Date Completed: 1/6/2011
Setting: Alabama
Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend: Yes

Given all that has been going on here over the past week, I felt that I really needed a book that might make me laugh, so I decided who better than Fannie Flagg to put a smile on my face.  Well imagine my surprise when I discovered early on that the leading lady in this novel is planning her early death by suicide. (Don't worry, it is not a depressing book).

Margaret (Maggie) Fortenberry, imagined a wonderful life. She was crowned Miss Alabama in her younger days, but now forty years later, life has seemed to pass her by. She sees her life as having been one disappointment after another. She missed the chance of being Miss America, as a result of how Birmingham, Alabama was positioned on segregation issues at the time. She never married, and can't make a decision, always concerned that she will hurt someone's feelings. She is working in real estate, in a terribly depressed market, where she is still missing her former boss Hazel who got her into the field at Red Mountain Realty.  So what's a woman to do at sixty years of age, after so much disappointment......well, for Maggie, she has thought it through, by making a list of pros and cons and has drafted her suicide note.

Before she has a chance to put her plan into action, a telephone call causes Maggie to put her plans on hold.  Suddenly one hilarious thing after another occurs that helps Maggie to realize that although life is full of disappointments, it is still worth living.

The story is has an array of quirky characters that are sure to make you chuckle. From Hazel Whisenknott, Maggie's former mentor at Red Mountain Realty, who we learn about through flashbacks.  Just over three feet tall, the lady was super woman, full of energy and spirit.  Then there is Brenda, the self-absorbed sneak eater who obsesses about her weigh. Brenda is also with Maggie when the two discover a skeleton at an old mansion that is for sale. Other characters include the elderly Ethel Clipp from the realty office, and a cut throat competitor realtor named Babs Binington.

Although the story is at times far-fetched and quirky, the author has the knack of making it work. In the end, I found, I Still Dream About You, to be just what I needed. It's one of those books that you'll be glad you read if you need to laugh at all the curve balls life sometimes throws at us.

14 comments:

  1. I think I might have picked this book for Kathy's Okra Pick Challenge, but I'm not sure. Thanks for the review!

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  2. I have this one on my Kindle to read this year. It sounds like it was just the perfect book for this time of your life. :-)

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  3. I am going to read this for the Okra Challenge. Was kind of worried about the subject matter too but after reading your review my mind is at ease. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it made you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine!

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  4. I love it when the right book comes at the right time. Glad this story was able to bring some comfort reading to you! I missed the opportunity of seeing Fannie Flagg at a book signing yesterday. I've been sick with a cold and just didn't want to go but I'm so bummed out. Ah well. I'll add this one to my list.

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  5. I've been curious about this book, so thanks for the review.

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  6. This one sounds great and I so love quirky with Fannie Flagg is known for and I'm so glad that it helped you out with being just what you needed at the time!

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  7. I love Fanny Flagg and am glad that I have this one on my stack for the new year. I got the chance to hear her speak at SIBA, and she is just so charming and funny that you wouldn't believe it! I am glad to hear that this book is just what you needed to lift your spirits. I know it will be a great read for me as well.

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  8. I'm glad you found something to give you a laugh this week. This one wasn't my cup of tea, butI agree that it had some fun and quirky moments. Sometimes books are best just read and enjoyed without too much analyzing.

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  9. Isn't Fannie Flagg a great storyteller? Her books aren't great literary works but I always enjoy the stories.

    -Amy
    Life by Candlelight

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  10. I agree on the far-fetched part, but it was an easy, fun book. And,I loved reading about my hometown.

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  11. It's funny how books seem to find us at the right moment, isn't it? Glad you found your comfort read. I've never read any Fannie Flagg but I'm sure I will someday!

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  12. One of my favorite writers. I love quirky. There's always room for laughter. It's going in the hat. Thanks!

    Being a crowned beauty must be a big thing for those southern gals -- just read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and her mother was the Onion Queen :)

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  13. Flagg is one of my top comfort authors, although I was a bit disappointed with the last one I've read by her: Daisy May and the Miracle Man. I still have Standing by the Rainbow on my TBR. I've added this one to my wishlist. Thanks for let us know about it!

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  14. I just got this one, can't wait to get to it!

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