(First blog post in the air! Thanks Delta for the Free WiFi! Will update with a picture when on the ground with better internet)
This book was certainly entertaining, to say the least. Then again, I’m not sure anything that has been developed in the brain of Garrison Keeler could be anything less than humorous. As an avid listener of A Prairie Home Companion, I was excited to read an entire novel about the citizens of Lake Wobegone, a mere segment of Mr. Keeler’s weekly two hour show. The book very much assimilated the radio show in Garrison Keeler’s style, and it was easy to hear his voice narrate the words to me in his sober tone as I read through the book. It was a nice book for just reading while laying in bed, or random short intervals throughout the day. This is mostly due to the fact that there was no constant plot, but rather just short stories about the citizens of this small town, a population of less than 1000 people.
One of my favorite parts about this novel was the footnotes, included in many of the stories with a purpose of extending the story or giving a sort of background. Some of the footnotes went on for pages (literally, I’m pretty sure a footnote including 95 thesis extended at least 10 pages), but they always provided an extra laugh. The town of Lake Wobegone is truly one of a kind. The religions of the town consist mostly of Catholic and Lutheran, though there is a small, family-operated religion that the author and narrator is a member of called the Sons of Knute. The Sons of Knute abstain from dancing, supposed to lead to carnal behavior, but don’t mind drinking or smoking. Because of sibling disputes, there are many different sects of the Sons of Knute, each usually consisting of a father and his faithful worshipers, better known as his wife and children.
We accompany the citizens of this small town for a year. Our narrator is Garrison Keeler himself, and though the book and town are both fictional, he does an excellent job of convincing us that these are his very own memories, perhaps recorded in a journal to allow for the immense amount of details. The members of Lake Wobegone try their best to be humble, and they will assist you in your efforts by not making a huge deal out of your accomplishments, even if they include a 2-hour, weekly, nationally broadcast radio show with a large span of listeners. No, they simply treat you as one of the crowd, why should you receive special treatment for making it big? After all, they remember when you were in diapers and unable to speak, they observed you as you learn to speak, everyone speaks, and so you get no special recognition for speaking in front of a microphone.
Though this book took me a long time to finish due to research projects and homework, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of time reading it. I easily give this book FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!! It is very clean, excluding the occasional cuss word, and I would recommend it to any busy mother who just wants to spend 5 minutes a day with a nice read. There are plenty of stopping points, but it is an excellent choice and will help you unwind from your day as you read the antics of the members of this crazy town.
Reading Next:: Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott
