Helpful Score: 2
Loved the great stories of life in a small town.
Helpful Score: 1
Garrison Keillor's book that topped the bestseller lists across the country!
Filled with warmth and humor sadness, and tenderness, songs, and poems. Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small town American life of why "we are what we are" and why "smart doesn't count for much".
Filled with warmth and humor sadness, and tenderness, songs, and poems. Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small town American life of why "we are what we are" and why "smart doesn't count for much".
Helpful Score: 1
I love storytellers & Garrison Keillor is one of the best!
Helpful Score: 1
I don't know of a more totally humorous book. If you have ever enjoyed one of Garrison Keillor's monologs on the Prairie Home Companion show, you will enjoy reading this book even more. His gentle caricatures of the small town people of Lake Wobegon is so funny, I just want everyone to enjoy this book. Have yourself a good time and read it!
Helpful Score: 1
Brings back memories of my youth.
Helpful Score: 1
"Garrison Keillor tells the story of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota. With almost utter honesty, he chronicles the town's history, explains its traditions (including the Living Flag and the Sons of Knute Ice Melt contest), and gives the complete scoop on all the local celebrities, from Ralph of Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery to Dorothy of the Chatterbox Cafe."
Helpful Score: 1
A brilliant book that celebrates the quirks of "small town America." The author has a wonderful story-telling ability and a great sense of humor!
Helpful Score: 1
"Filled with warmth and humor, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems, Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small-town American life, of why 'we are what we are' and why 'smart doesn't count for much.'"
Helpful Score: 1
In a book that is destined to become an American classic, Garrison Keillor tells the story of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota (pop. 942). With almost utter honesty, he chronicles the town's history, explains its traditions (including the Living Flag and the Sons of Knute Ice Melt contest), and gives the complete scoop on all the local celebrities, from Ralph of Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery to Dorothy of the Chatterbox Cafe.
Filled with warmth and humor, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems, Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small-town American life, of why "we are what we are" and why "smart doesn't count for much."
Filled with warmth and humor, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems, Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small-town American life, of why "we are what we are" and why "smart doesn't count for much."
Helpful Score: 1
If you like the radio program, "A Prairie Home Companion," you'll enjoy this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Dang. Prairie Home Companion is one of my favorite radio shows and News from Lake Wobegon my favorite segment. Plus, this book was a #1 bestseller -- so it's gotta be a great book, right? Well, not so much. I'm an avid reader who finishes a new book ever couple of days, but this took me more than two weeks to read! Not because it was too long at 420 pages, but because it was ... boring!
There is no plot, no characterization, and no continuity. This is nothing more than a series of Keillor's rambling Wobegon anecdotes strung together back to back for interminable pages. After a page or two discussing one Wobegon resident, Keillor skips to someone else entirely unrelated -- over and over again.
As a child of the 1950s I was expecting this book to paint a picture of a time gone by. And it does, in a way, but the paint brush is so small that reading the book is like death by a thousand strokes. I am so glad I have finally finished it so I can move on to something else! Not recommended.
There is no plot, no characterization, and no continuity. This is nothing more than a series of Keillor's rambling Wobegon anecdotes strung together back to back for interminable pages. After a page or two discussing one Wobegon resident, Keillor skips to someone else entirely unrelated -- over and over again.
As a child of the 1950s I was expecting this book to paint a picture of a time gone by. And it does, in a way, but the paint brush is so small that reading the book is like death by a thousand strokes. I am so glad I have finally finished it so I can move on to something else! Not recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
If you like to read about old times, this is the one for you.
Charming. A good read.
Back cover--filled with warmth and humor, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems...unforgettable portriat of small-town American life...
Excellent! I absolutely loved this book.
In 1985, Keillor had been doing _Prairie Home Companion_ for nearly a decade and this volume was a semi-novelization of the stories he was telling about his mythical home town on the show's "News From Lake Wobegon" segment, frequently the best part of the show -- not because it was funny but because it was (and is) funny-sad, funny-sentimental, funny-bizarre, and funny-ludicrous. Another twenty years have now passed and we've come to know the characters of Lake Wobegon intimately: the locally wealthy Krebsbach family, Pastor Ingqvist and Father Emil, Herman Hochstetter and the annual Living Flag, the Sons of Knute, and the rules for visiting on front porches. But this book is where you'll found the multiethnic history of the town, how tiny Mist County was formed, and why neither of them appear on any map. Did you know the local paper, the _Herald-Star,_ got its name because it was bought by Harold Starr? Or why a Lutheran upbringing is likely to cause emigrants from Minnesota to compose their own Theses and look for a door to nail them to? (You'll find a hilarious and largely true list of ninety-five of them here.) Keillor has the gift of taking the small and ordinary, approaching them in a profoundly sympathetic yet skeptical way, and making them universal in their strength.
Popular Prarie Home Companion's first book about the goings on in Lake Wobegon, "where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."
Like listening to you grandpa's stories.
This book is like reading someone's else's diary, but it is a novel.
Funny book. Keillor is great.
a classic taking place in Minn. easy reading
If you're a Garrison Keillor fan- this is a must-read!
I really liked this book. A good read
From the back cover: "In a book that is destined to become an American classic, Garrison Keillor tells the story of Lake Wobegon, Mn (pop. 942). With almost utter honesty, he chronicles the town's history, explains its traditions, and gives the complete scoop on all the local celebrities..." I love Garrison Keillor's writings. You will enjoy this one.
Yes, I've finally read Garrison Keillor's stories of Lake Wobegon. What's crazier is that it took me over six months to finish it. Mostly because I had to start reading something else, and didn't get back to this book. Worse still, I only had about 20 pages left.
If you enjoy Keillor's stories on his NPR radio program, "A Prairie Home Companion," you will enjoy reading the stories of the people living in Lake Wobegon.
If you enjoy Keillor's stories on his NPR radio program, "A Prairie Home Companion," you will enjoy reading the stories of the people living in Lake Wobegon.
Full of fun, laughs, and various emotions! Try it, you'll like it!
Pure Garrison Keillor
This is a long version of the news from Lake Wobegon.
A collection of stories adapted from A Prarie Home Companion.
A funny and engaging book about growing up in a small town in Wisconsin.
the book that topped the bestseller lists across the country! an American classic.
Great book
From the book back:
In a book that is destined to become an American classic, Garrison Keillor tells the story to Lake Wobegon, Minnesota (pop. 942). With almost utter honesty, he chronicles the town's history, explains its traditioons (including the Living Flag and the Sons of Knute Ice Melt contest), and gives the complete scoop on all the local celebrities, from Ralph,of Ralph's Pretty Goodgrocery to Dorothy of the Chapper Box Cafe.
Filled with warmth and humor, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems,Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small-town American life, of why "we are what we are" and why "smart doesn't count for much."
In a book that is destined to become an American classic, Garrison Keillor tells the story to Lake Wobegon, Minnesota (pop. 942). With almost utter honesty, he chronicles the town's history, explains its traditioons (including the Living Flag and the Sons of Knute Ice Melt contest), and gives the complete scoop on all the local celebrities, from Ralph,of Ralph's Pretty Goodgrocery to Dorothy of the Chapper Box Cafe.
Filled with warmth and humor, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems,Lake Wobegon Days is an unforgettable portrait of small-town American life, of why "we are what we are" and why "smart doesn't count for much."
I never read it.