 | |
| Author | Rita Mae Brown |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Runnymede |
| Genre | Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Comedy, Women's literature |
| Published | 1999 (Random House Publishing) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Preceded by | Bingo |
| Followed by | The Sand Castle |
Loose Lips is a 1999 novel by Rita Mae Brown. It is the third book in her Runnymede series.
Brown returns to an earlier time in the annals of the fictional small town of Runnymede and the Hunsenmeir sisters. The year is 1941, the bickering sisters, Wheezie and Juts, are approaching middle age, and dealing with life issues of marriage, motherhood, family relationships and aging. Juts is desperate to have a child, but her husband, Chessy, may be infertile. Among the personal issues faced by the sisters and those surrounding them: Chessy's affair, the return of their long-lost father, Juts' relationship with Josephine, her unforgiving mother-in-law, and the adoption of Nicole by Juts and Chessy.
In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the residents of Runnymede face new challenges: civil defense, racism against the only Japanese resident of Runnymede, and other events, both comic and dramatic, such as mistaking migrating Canada geese for German bombers, and how the sisters open the Curl n' Twirl salon to pay off a debt due to damage caused by one of their fiercest fights.
The narrative spans a decade in the life of the sisters and the zany inhabitants of Runnymede, ending in 1950, with Wheezie and Juts feeling older and wiser, and just as dedicated as ever to their fractious relationship.
Chicago Tribune critic, Michael Bolden, celebrates the return to the "fascinating" town of Runnymede. Though he finds the novel to fall flat at times, is forgiving due to the entertainment Loose Lips provides: "Brown's comedy is like a visit with relatives whose behavior both amuses and horrifies you. At times, you can't help but laugh aloud, and when the spectacle ends, you understand the people a little more, even if you think they're crazy." [1] Similarly, the Kirkus review enjoyed the return to the familiar and beloved Runnymede and its "wacky" denizens and found that Loose Lips is filled with "vivid characters and strong women. The frequent one-liners often seem more sitcom than novel material, going nowhere and telling less, but there are still good laughs along the way." [2]
The Denver Post positively describes the Hunsenmeir sisters as women who "insist on grabbing life by the throat. ('Life can't pass us by,' says Juts. 'We ARE life.')," [3] yet finds the characters to be "self-indulgent - more sitcom characters than people you want to like," in spite of Brown's "sharp dialogue." [3] Critic Sybil Downing concludes that "although Loose Lips is light and generally forgettable, Brown's keen observations on life and its comedic side so often edged by tragedy make it worth the read." [3]
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Meet the Browns is an American sitcom created and produced by Tyler Perry. The Initial story of the show revolves around Mr. Brown running a senior citizen's home in Decatur, Georgia, with his daughter Cora Simmons. However, as the show progresses, this idea is gradually phased out and it becomes a typical family sitcom about a multigenerational clan living under one roof. The show premiered on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, and finished its run on November 18, 2011 on TBS.
Loose Lips may refer to:
Mama Day is the third novel by Gloria Naylor. The story focuses upon the tragic love affair of "star-crossed" lovers Ophelia "Cocoa" Day and George Andrews. The setting of the novel is split between New York City, where George was born and raised and Ophelia has recently moved, and Willow Springs, a fictional community situated on a coastal island on the border of Georgia and South Carolina where Ophelia's family has lived for several generations. The novel takes place within the same fictional universe as some of Naylor's other novels, indicated through its passing references to events and characters from both Linden Hills and Bailey's Cafe.
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Bingo is a 1988 novel by Rita Mae Brown. It is the second installation of the Runnymede series of books, following Six of One, which came out in 1978.
Venus Envy is a 1993 novel by Rita Mae Brown.
Southern Discomfort is a 1982 novel by Rita Mae Brown. Through comedy and farce, it explores the theme of hypocrisy, especially that based on social status.
