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Book reviews for "Keillor,_Garrison" sorted by average review score:

The Best American Short Stories 1998
Published in Paperback by Mariner Books (30 October, 1998)
Authors: Garrison Keillor and Katrina Kenison
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This Year Look to Next Generation for Short Stories
As a short story lover and and die hard fan of THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES collections, I was surprisingly disappointed by this year's edition. With the exception of a couple stories ("Cosmopolitan" and "People Like That Are the Only People Here"),I found the stories to be boring, bland, and generally lacking any spark of life. I refer anyone interested in reading authors that push limits, bring unique points of view, and take risks to Scribner's Best of the Fiction Workshops 1998 by Carol Shields (Editor), John Kulka (Editor), Natalie Danford(Editor).

A Quick and Nourishing Fix
The honest reason why I pick up the Best American Short Stories series is because I typically don't like to make the commitment of reading a full length novel (read: lazy!). I figure if I really don't want to go through the hassle of reading good, classic fiction, then what should be the next best thing? Short stories are more immediate and if they're really written well, as is usually the case in these compilations, the reader is immediately submerged into another world, place and time. And when time's up, you can go on to the next story and plunge into another reality.

I've been collecting the Best American Short Stories series for quite a few years now and they've never disappointed me. The special standouts in the 1998 series include Lorrie Moore's humorous and frightening account of a mother's ordeal with her toddler's life-threatening illness, as well as John Updike's wonderful short story on his tribute to his father. When you need quick brain nourishment, pick up this book and read some great writing from some of today's best authors.

Great stories
In this collection the focus is on great storytelling. You won't find lots of stylistic acrobatics and clever postmodern narrative techniques but you will find stories that are consistently moving and a joy to read. This is the most enjoyable collection of Best American Short Stories that I have read.

The audiotape is also fantastic with many of the stories being read by Garrison Keillor.


ME: By Jimmy (Big Boy) Valente
Published in Audio Cassette by HighBridge Company (09 March, 1999)
Authors: Garrison Keillor, Tim Russell, Jimmy Valente, and Timothy Russell
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The Garrisonator Triumphs
If you have ever enjoyed reading anything by Garrison Keillor you MUST read this book. And if you are not already a fan of Keillor this may turn you into one. Keillor is in top form in this very well crafted satire that roughly parallels the story of pro wrestler Jesse Ventura's rise to governor of a state made famous by Keillor's Lake Wobegon stories.

It would appear from the tone of writing in this book that Mr. Keillor has been studying the work of Kurt Vonnegut very closely. I may be wrong, but it seems like Keillor is deliberately emulating Vonnegut's folksy but sophisticated satirical voice in this particular novel. I keep expecting one of the characters to start reciting "My name is John Johnson, I live in Wisconsin..." or to see the phrase "So it goes." Especially when the Jimmy the Candidate runs into a female space alien in a sexy getup on a country lane next to the World's Biggest Corncob near Walnut Grove, Minnesota while on his campaign tour.

I do not know why some people think Keillor is being anti-Ventura in this book. I especially do not understand the remarks that accuse Keillor of being a hateful "anti-right wing" leftist! Especially in view of all the swipes at Al Gore which are not mean spirited, just vague attempts to paint him as a noncontender. Not to mention the Jimmy character's promise that if he were President he would not be like Clinton, but keep it "in the First Bedroom."

A hilarious romp by a writer having the time of his life.
Every now and then, a writer discovers the perfect subject for his talents. That's the case with this book. I think Keillor must have written this book about as fast as his fingers could fly over the keyboard, because the nature of the subject matter allowed him--no, really encouraged him--to just throw caution to the winds and charge at his subject with gleeful energy. Keillor in the past has had trouble finding the right sort of persona to voice his sometimes acerbic observations on the Midwestern character. No such problem here. Like the real Jesse Ventura, Jimmy (Big Boy) Valente is a self-invented man. Like Ventura, Jimmy is a cartoon. He is much too large to be a real human being. His voice is not human. His behavior is cartoonish, over-the-top and extreme. He inhabits a world full of cartoon characters (the other professional wrestlers), all of whom stand for strange and spooky little corners of the human imagination. The "sport" of wrestling is a cartoon of good and evil, misdeeds and retribution. Jimmy Valente's war, Vietnam, was a cartoon version of an ordinary war.

In other words, everything about Jimmy Valente is bigger than life, and that gives Keillor full license to let his imagination run riot. He never had to worry about being excessively colorful or bizarre, because his subject is so cartoonish that "anything goes."

The result is a laugh riot, and clearly Keillor has no nasty agenda with respect to the extremely odd but oddly likable man who currently is his governor. One of the fun little jokes Keillor has is his inclusion of dialogue between Jimmy and his ghost-writer, Garrison Keillor. In those exchanges, Jimmy usually puts down his amanuensis with trenchant humor and a clear sense of who he is.

I have not enjoyed everything Garrison Keillor has written, although I've enjoyed most of it. This book is just a treat. Read it when you've got someone around so you can can read to them some of the more outrageous lines.

A Great Weekend Read
I've always thought that Garrison Keillor was a bit too folksy for me, but I have a new appreciation of his wit and humor. This book is a quick read and makes a great weekend escape. No, it is not a literary masterpeice for all time, but it's not supposed to be. It's merely a satire on one of the popular personalities of the day. I often laughed out loud. Don't bother reading this book if you take politics or Minnesota too seriously or if you simply have no sense of humor.


We Are Still Married: Stories and Letters
Published in Hardcover by Viking Press (1992)
Author: Garrison Keillor
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What a Snore
This book is just about the worst thing I have ever read. One thing though... it talks about the end of the prairie home companion show... was there some break there or what? the show is on every weekend. Purple Monkey Dishwasher.

Not a Patch on Wobegon
Fans of Garrison Keillor's "Lake Wobegon" tales may well be disappointed by this ragtag collection of essays, poems and stories. It seems that Keillor's bottom drawer has been cleared out and pressed into service by Faber and Faber to provide a stopgap measure until the next bona fide book about the immensely popular Midwest town.

A lot of the entries here are just plain bizarre or pointless. If you manage to get through 'Pieces' and 'The Lake', then admittedly some of the letters and poems are very funny indeed. The closing section - stories - contain some passable (if unsubtle) satires. But there is no obvious theme to the collection, nor any kind of link between pieces. It is the sort of book that is usually rushed out after a writer's death in order to cash in on morbid interest created by his demise. But, as far as I know, Keillor is very much alive.

Barely a quarter of the contents are blessed with the author's dry, acerbic wit, and the reader has to wade through endless baseball stories and punchline-free shaggy dog stories to hit the occasional pot of gold. Faber's motivation in publishing this volume is obvious - to keep the Keillor bandwagon rolling along - but in disappointing loyal fans and alienating new ones, their plan may well backfire.

Mark Campbell (Freelance Writer)

Not about Lake Wobegon, but still worth a look
This work represents a *hodgepodge* of Garrison Keillor works that would not have fit well published in any of his other books. If you are looking for a book about the life and times of Lake Wobegon, MN, this is not it. Even so, there are a good many short pieces in this book that make it a DEFINITE ASSET to your collection. My favorites include "The Young Lutheran's Guide to the Orchestra" (a hilarious parody on "The Young Musician's Guide to the Orchestra"), the poem "The Old Shower Stall", the essay on sneezing, the essay on letter writing, and Keillor's commentary on being voted one of the sexiest men in America. Though not typical in his established "The News From Lake Wobegon" story form, the poetry and prose in this collection are definitely typical Keillor humor!


Guy Noir: Radio Private Eye
Published in Audio CD by Penguin Audiobooks (2002)
Author: Garrison Keillor
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Amusing in Small Doses
Guy Noir is sort of a Philip Marlowe/Sam Spade kind of a guy. His friend of 30 years, Pete, might pass for Miles Archer, Spade's late, lamented partner in "The Maltese Falcon." Each skit involves Guy confronting Pete over some incongruous issue. The duo devise deliciously alliterative dialog, but become belligerent, and the burgeoning bellicosity soon embroils them in a gun battle. They invariably wind up killing each other. Cliche's from the golden age of radio drama abound as the two "friends" deal with all sorts of modern day issues. My first thought upon listening to the first episode was "Dr. Phil meets Philip Marlowe."

The first two or three episodes had me laughing out loud, but the longer I listened, the less funny it became. Don't listen to the episodes straight through. Listen to them one at a time, and give yourself a couple of weeks between episodes.

Very Funny, and something very different from Lake Woebegon!
I love GK's Lake Woebegon stuff, but this tape is even funnier! I've worn mine out by listening to it so many times, and am now having to order a new one! These stories are such a cheesy take-off on the old mysteries from radio's golden years, and it is totally hysterical that Pete gets killed in each episode. (I wonder if the creators of South Park got the idea to kill Kenny in each episode by listening to Pete get killed in each Guy Noir episode?!?!)

I'd give this five stars, but I don't like Garrison's "singing" at the beginning of each side of the tape -- although he has a nice speaking voice, his singing voice is awful, and the songs are too long (they're only 3-4 minutes at most, but that's 3-4 minutes too long!)

You itchy, me scratchy.
The Guy Noir episodes are simply hilarious. Keillor and his crew have absolutely outdone themselves. After getting this tape as a gift several years ago, I ran out and bought everything else Keillor I could find. While I do enjoy much of Keillor's other works, nothing comes close to the Guy Noir series.

You'd think that after listening to this tape 2 or 3 times that one would tire of it. Quite the contrary. Every time I hear this tape I like it more. My only lament is that it isn't available on CD. Actually, I'm purchasing my 4th copy since I've lent the last three to friends who keep on conveniently forgetting to return them.

I saw other reviewer's fault the performance for having the same endings... they just didn't get it. It's the fact that practically all the episodes come to the same conclusion that makes it so funny. In fact I've laughed so hard that I came down with a case of Loon throat...


Stories
Published in Audio CD by HighBridge Company (1997)
Author: Garrison Keillor
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Not his best work
Don't get me wrong; I would still rather listen to this than any other storyteller alive today, but there are plenty of things in my opinion that have come out of Keillor's brain that are vastly superior. Only if you have to have everything by this brilliant mind will you want this.

As mentioned, it is abridged and not live
Perhaps, and indeed probably, I am greatly spoiled by Keillor's stories. As a result, I don't like changes, such as the lack of a live audience which I think Keillor feeds off of. However, it must be said that there are stories here that only Garrison Keillor could possibly come up with and that is by no means nothing.


The Sheep Book: A Handbook for the Modern Shepherd
Published in Paperback by Ohio Univ Pr (Trd) (2001)
Authors: Ron Parker, Garrison Keillor, and Ronald B. Parker
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Great for folks just starting out.
This book will tell the newcomer all the basics and touches upon the economics in a non-technical manner.

The book is a good source for adults and teens.

Ron Parker has done a good job simplifying technical jargon so the novice has a chance to avoid pestering other shepherds with strange questions.


Youth: Stories from the Collection (Lake Wobegon U.S.A.)
Published in Audio Cassette by HighBridge Company (1995)
Author: Garrison Keillor
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Keillor's average is America's excellence
While "Youth" represents work not quite up to the typical magnificence of Garrison Keillor, it does represent quality storytelling that is presently unmatched in this country. The first of five stories in this series is "Blue Devils", chronicling the experiences of the Lake Wobegon High School Women's Basketball team. The second story is "Nostalgia", a somewhat forgettable but pleasant story about the pleasures and heartaches of nostalgia as they relate to one specific family. "O Christmas Tree" is Keillor's take as to the significance of the famed tree all over the world during December. "Pageant" is the story of how Karl Krebsbach was forced into taking over Lake Wobegon Lutheran's annual Christmas Pageant. Finally, "Messy Shoes" is Keillor's personal description of his love for the city of Seattle. While not even close to Keillor's best work, "Youth" still makes it easy to see Keillor's brilliance.


Definitely Above Average: Stories & Comedy for You & Your Poor Old Parents
Published in Audio Cassette by HighBridge Company (2001)
Author: Garrison Keillor
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Definitely BELOW Average
This is missing much of the charm of the usual Prairie Home Companion programs. The first CD consists only of songs. If you listen to the show for the music you may like this. The second cd has a few long sketches, a couple of which were entertaining, the others were simply repetitive. If you're expecting the typical Prairie Home Companion show, look elsewhere.

Perhaps just a smidge above average
If you are unfamiliar with Keillor, but like listening to old time radio shows, then you may enjoy this cd. I liked this collection, even though it is frequently corny.

While an adult would have to be a true fan to enjoy Keillor's singing on the music cd, my uncritical toddler bounces to the rhythms and enjoys the quirky music. As an adult, the cd with the sketches is more enjoyable. "Laws concerning Food and Drink: Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father" is worth the price of the cd alone.


Ain't That Good News
Published in Audio Cassette by HighBridge Company (1991)
Authors: Garrison Keillor and Emmylou Harris
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Published in Audio CD by Highbridge Audio (2003)
Authors: Mark Twain and Garrison Keillor
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