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Summary: Beautiful Story of Mother/Daughter Relationships
Review: This is a story of mother/daughter relationships. The ya-yas serve to give depth to Vivi--to explain important things about her character that ultimately impact her family, particularly Siddalee. Wells does a wonderful job of portraying Vivi and her generation. I love her descriptions, such as the way the ya-yas smelled of jergens lotion and sunned themselves with iodine and baby oil. As a 50s baby, I really empathized with Siddalee and her frustration with trying to understand her mother. Therefore, it was terrifically therapeutic to see how this story unfolded. The lessons Siddalee learned are now mine to embrace. I am very grateful to this wonderful author and her contribution.
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Summary: Please read whole book before critiquing!!
Review: The important parts of this book are revealed bit by bit. Sure it starts out "shallow" but by the end it is anything but. Anyone who completes this book could never call Vivie Abbott Walker shallow--someone who deals with mental illness, alcoholism, abuse, depression...She is as complex a character as I've read about in a long time.
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Summary: One of the top 5 books I have ever read
Review: Quite simply this is one of the best books I have ever read, ranking with the classics of Richard Wright and Kurt Vonnegut for poignancy and relevance to our culture and lives, although set in the past. I read both this book and "Little Altars Everywhere" before seeing the movie and only feel more committed to my love of the books. The movie does not do these characters justice and I highly recommend these books.
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Summary: so so chic
Review: Do you remember the Nancy Drew novels? Nancy was always hopping into her sporty roadster in her smart suit. This book is full of that breathless girly detail. Why do we need to know that Sidda ate brie and ground wheat crackers? What's wrong with crackers and cheese? What's the point of all the socio-cultural window dressing? There is a glimmer of real emotion in here but not worth the read! Reminded me of the "trash novels" of my girlhood. This book was recommended by a friend so I gave it a try- but there's just too little time in life for stuff like this. If you read the good books first, or at least the intelligent trashy entertainment, you'll never get through this book. Of course the author has had some kind of real emotional experience, but her attempt at revealing it is an insult to every abused child of a raging alcoholic. Dig deeper and drop the bestseller nonsense. I know- it's all been said in many reviews, and better. I gotta go read now.
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Summary: Much better than I expected
Review: I remember my aunt starting this book about 5 years ago and never finishing it (although a Southern lady herself, she couldn't get into it) - but my friend suggested it so I picked it up. I found myself pleasantly surprised; it took me only a few days to read this book which held my attention and stirred some deep emotions in me. However tired the issues of parenting may be in literature, I found the story of the four lifelong friends refreshing - it's the sort of friendship I envision myself having with my best friends in the years to come. It may not be the most likely story ever told, but it was sure fun to read.
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Summary: Greatest book, no joke
Review: Okay, I can't explain it. I walked into this book prepared to hate it, but the conditions were that I read the book before seeing the movie, per mom. Not that I wanted to see the movie, but we had to have our "mother-daughter" deal. *sigh* I picked up the book and glanced at it. Over and over. For about a week, until finally I tried to read it. I was, from the first page, hooked on that book like a snapper is hooked on a fishing line. Nothing could tear me free, not dinner, dessert, friends, the internet- nothing until I finished the dang book. And once I was done, ya know what? I read it all again! I've read it at least 6 times. The movie wasn't near as good as the book, so if you're basing your impressions of the Ya-Yas on Sandra Bullock *shudder* (not a bad actress- but not Siddalee, at all), you need to read this book. I promise you, I give you my personal guarentee, that you will fall in love (or at least enjoy) the stories of Siddalee, Vivi, and the whole Ya-Ya bunch down there in Louisiana.
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Summary: Smoke, Drink, Never Think
Review: Reading the book is not enough - I want to BE a Ya-Ya.
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Summary: Transplanted Yankee finally understands the South
Review: After spending five years in the south, I grew to admire southern women. They were warm and loving, with steel cores. Life may be going to hell around them, but they are dancing and cordinating the decorations.
Ya-Ya is the same. The women (both the Ya-Ya's and Sidda) are personable complex characters. These are the women you want in your life. I laughed with this book, I cried with this book (and then I did it all over again with Little Altars).
Wells is a great author who presents a well crafted story. You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: Read Little Alters Everywhere Instead
Review: I had just finished Little Alters Everywhere, which encompasses the same characters, earlier in their lives, and I picked up this book expecting a lot. Little Alters was a page-turner for me, but I had to drag myself through the first half of Ya-Ya Sisterhood before finally just giving up and putting it down. Maybe it gets really good in the last half, I don't know. I just got tired of the main character wallowing in unnecessary self-pity and neuroses over her 'traumatic' childhood. Blah blah. I put it down and started reading Wicked - the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, and was MUCH happier.
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Summary: The Book is Always Better Than the Movie
Review: This book was excellent!! Such a slice of American life in the South. I enjoyed the movie, and it made me seek out the novel, and I am glad I did, because it was a thousand times better than the movie. Whoever cast Sandra Bullock as Sidda, did not read the book.
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