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Summary
In his fourth Lake Wobegon novel, Garrison Keillor returns to the little town that time forgot. The fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon is real to millions of A Prairie Home Companion fans, who tune in each week for the latest news about its strong women and good-looking men. Like Sinclair Lewis's Gopher Prairie, it is part of literary legend. Four novels have been set among its quiet streets: Lake Wobegon Days, Wobegon Boy, Lake Wobegon Summer 1956, and now Pontoon. Garrison Keillor's latest book is about the wedding of a girl named Dede Ingebretson, who comes home from California with a guy named Brent. Dede has made a fortune in veterinary aromatherapy; Brent bears a strong resemblance to a man wanted for extortion who's pictured on a poster in the town's post office. Then there's the memorial service for Dede's aunt Evelyn, who led a footloose and adventurous life after the death of her husband. Add a surprise boyfriend and a band of newly arrived Mormon missionaries, and the gently rendered chaos is complete. Full of richly drawn characters, sly wit, and indelible descriptions of everyday life in the heartland, Pontoon is another unforgettable portrait of the little town we love.
For all of us who are in the over 50 crowd and have cherished Mr. Keillor's anecdotal stories on a Prairie Home Companion about the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, "Pontoon" is a book that is right up our alley. However, be prepared, because this is the grown-up version of those stories. In this book, Keillor delves into topics such as death, family estrangement, sexual struggles, and provides us with a plethora of personal insights into the lives of his characters. The way he describes his characters is so hilarious that it had me laughing out loud during the early chapters. But as I continued reading, accompanied by nostalgic piano interludes, Keillor's slow and breathy narration began to feel a bit tiresome. Don't expect any grand, elaborate plot twists or moral lessons here. Rather, "Pontoon" is a tender and melancholic collection of characters from a small town who endure the absurdities and ironies of life. Nobody understands these Midwesterners better than Keillor himself. It's both amusing and heartbreaking to listen to him narrate his own book, just as he has done on the radio for so many years. Spending time with him feels like having a melancholic and detached friend who offers a clear perspective on the bigger picture within a small community. I'm grateful for the time I spent with this book, and I extend my thanks to Mr. Keillor. And yes, thank God I am not a Lutheran.
If you're a fan of Gerrison Keillor, you're bound to enjoy this story. He delves into the lives of his characters with more depth than he does on his regular radio show. I could easily spend an entire day listening to his captivating storytelling.
this is true garrison keillor, read in his quiet somewhat drowsy voice. it's delightful and full of surprises. the characters are logical to themselves and mostly to the others but when placed in the readers life, quite impossible. perhaps this is why one keeps on reading and listening to keillor.
Wonderful, funny, heartbreaking, inspiring - all of these apply. Think of the best Lake Wobegon stories from Keillor's monologues, with his slow Minnesotan tones; make the narrative one long story, with lots of intersecting lives and backstories; and make it a bit more adult (only a bit - like maybe PG-13) than the usual News from Lake Wobegon. Great characters, atmosphere, narration - just loved it.
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