Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous Book, Way2Go Rita Mae!
Review: I read this book for an English class book report. I thought it was so good! I enjoyed all of the characters. Rita Mae will get you laughing or crying as you read this book. I LOVE IT!!!! I read it about three times by now. Buy this book and fast Chop chop. If you don't read it you'll be missing out.
Rating: 
Summary: eye opening
Review: I first read this book in the mid '80s at UMCP in an American Studies class. I remember that I commented in class that the book was unbelievable because the main character seemed to meet lesbians every place that she went. Surely there weren't that many gay women in the world! The real lesson turned out to be that we all have our own "coming of age" story. In a way "Ruby Fruit Jungle" pushed me to understand that my own evolution into adulthood was, at the same time, very similar to and different from the one that Brown describes. Growing up is filled with joy and pain despite your orientation - or any of the other descriptive details of your life. Brown makes this point beautifully in this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: A window into another kind of life
Review: I picked up this one on the recommendation of my wife and after reading Rita Mae Brown's writer's manual. I wanted to see how she had put into practice what she was preaching. Jill had said that it read like a first novel, and it does, but that's not to take away anything from it. Like most first novels, there is a certain exuberance here that is sometimes muted or even lost in the works of more mature authors. There's also a refreshing sense of difference here--this is a novel written by someone whom you've never met before (that is, at the time of publication), and who is baring herself for the first time. And bare all, Brown does. Like some first novels, it feels highly autobiographical, as if Brown was saying my life is something like this, only not quite as exciting, so I'll liven it up in prose. Along the way is a fun time. What makes this unique among other first novels in that autobiographical sense si that Rubyfruit Jungle is about a lesbian. But to describe it that way is to stereotype it. Perhaps more applicable is that Rubyfruit Jungle is a novel about the life of a woman who turns out to be a filmmaker, except that wouldn't be accurate enough either. The lesbian connection has to be mentioned because that's where the conflict arises in the book (along with the examination of a certain amount of sexism). While I found it hard to agree with a basic tenet expressed in the book--that sex between two woemn is inherently more intense than that between the opposite sexes--I nevertheless enjoyed the view of life from an entirely different angle. Brown went on to write both mysteries and "mainstream" stories that have been more popular, but this first book stays in print for a reason: sometimes the things you slip when you're unsure of yourself (or unselfconscious) are more powerful than the heavily edited work.
Rating: 
Summary: A Criminal Waste Of Oxygen and Paper
Review: There is not enough napalm on the entire planet to rid humanity of the mindless prattling going on in this book. This is the extent of your whole life? If you accidentally brew a batch of bad beer, throw it out and start on another. Rita Mae Brown appears intent on convincing the reader that the festering liquid stench known as Molly Bolt is really a perfect batch of excellent brew that is just "different". News flash, Rita! Sanitize the carboy! That's not fruit, it's mold!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: I read this book for a local book group here in Chicago, this book is true classic of lesbian fiction. Molly Bolt lives her life her own way and to her own expectations. So nice to see a character that is sure of herself and is not some depressive, self-(man) hating woman. In this book Molly experiences first and post love, family, education and career choice along the way. Highly recommended. Still packs a punch in the new century. Bravo Ms. Brown, Bravo.
Rating:
Summary: Shallow and outdated
Review: I'm amazed that this book is still in print. Other than the fact that RUBYFRUIT JUNGLE was a topically-groundbreaking book, the novel deserves little literary attention. I read this book really wanting and expecting to like it, but the storyline is simplistic and the writing is amateurish at best. Skip this one and try DESERT OF THE HEART by Jane Rule.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favourites!
Review: Though this book is highly regarded in the feminist and lesbian communities, it is a great read for anyone. A wonderful account of growing up, going out into the world, and relishing the journey of self-discovery ...
Rating:
Summary: All I can say is 'wow'
Review: Rubyfruit Jungle isn't shocking in 2002, but when it first hit the shelves in 1963 it must have been revolutionary, eyebrow-raising, and a inspirational for a whole generation of women--not just lesbians. The main character, Molly Bolt, defies all gender roles and traditional expectations of women. She announced as a child that she would never marry any man, but she later considered marrying her 6th grade girlfriend. Rita Mae Brown mastered the art of compare/contrast; her inclusion of several "good girl" characters made Molly's determination all the more delightful and refreshing. Molly's strengths go beyond the simple fact that she was gay and proud. You go, girl!!
Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading for every woman
Review: My Female Hero professor assigned Rubyfruit Jungle this semester, and I'm glad she did. Molly Bolt grows up in poverty, surrounded by people who just don't seem to know how to deal with her. She is strong,smart, honest, and she doesn't care what people think about her. She realizes that she is a lesbian early in her life, and she makes no apologies for it. We follow Molly from her childhood through her 20s, and she hardly shows a sign of weakness throughout the whole novel, despite not being treated well by her mother, and facing difficulties dealing with men at film school. Which is admirable, but...well, perhaps quite realistic. I walked away feeling that Molly just wasn't developed enough as a character. She seemed very two-dimensional to me, perhaps because she didn't show any weakness. Or maybe I'm just jealous that she could be so strong.....
Rating:
Summary: Lovely, Just Lovely
Review: Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle is a very sweet book. The only reason why I didn't give it five stars is that it's too simple, so predictable. But besides that, I would reccommend this book to a young lesbian just coming out...someone like me. Enjoy!
| 
