Bailey's Cafe

A pit stop or the last stop

This was my second read of Bailey's Cafe. The life stories of the characters can move you to tears. If nothing more it makes you remember that everyone has a story. Bailey's is a place we hope that we don't have to find but if we do we can only hope its a way station and not the last stop. 'Cos like Bailey said, 'there's a Bailey's Cafe in every city'. Ms. Naylor is a master at weaving the mythical and the magical with the real. If you like books that leave you thinking, even after you've finished them, try this one.

Half Way...

I'm half way through the book. I love her characters. Gloria's depth of style is awesome...hauntingly weird. I think she must have read Paradise by Toni Morrisen.... reminds me of a greater depth of characters who may have inahbited, (or should have) 'The Convent'

This is Great for folks trying to deal with childhood issues.

I so enjoyed 'The Women of Brewster Place', that I just picked this up just because I thought it would be light & interesting. I was moved to tears as I recognized the connections to childhood tramas and how they show up in the adult. This is outstanding - for anyone - gives such incite and understanding. If you are close to any of these experiences, you will cry for what was lost. If this is not your experience, you may finally 'get it' and not be so quick to criticize what you don't understand.

Tragic but humorous

What a host of characters! This book is more like a collection of short stories all brought together in Bailey's Cafe. The themes involve racism, judgement, and religion which are heavy. However, the author puts enough humor in this book to make it a wonderful and sometimes disturbing read. If you don't read it for any other reason, the character of Miss Maple is a roll on the floor laugher!

My Favorite

I have long been a fan of Gloria Naylor, but this is the best one she has ever written. While most of us have not experienced the exact pain of the characters in this novel, we all need a 'Bailey's Cafe'' in our lives at some point

Contains the funniest scene I've ever encountered in a novel

The lives of all the characters are startling. unique, interesting but Miss Maples' is my favorite. The scene where he & his father kicked butt in the back room of a country store wearing tutu's is 'rolling on the floor' hilarious! A very creative way to resolve the gut-wrenching tension of a horrible situation.

BAILEY'S CAFE needs to be renovated.

BAILEY'S CAFE would have been better if the characters and situations had not been described to death! The people that frequently this establishment were interesting enough, but when they are described to the last atom, then it takes away from the book and it becomes lackluster. This was almost like reading a Stephen King novel, except the monster was not in the book, but in READING the book. Not my cup of tea.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.