I've often thought that Thurber doesn't get the credit today that he deserves as a writer. This is probably because his works are not "deep" in terms of meaning or content. His mastery of language, though,is superb, and his stories are some of the most hilarious and best written I have ever read. I can read many of them over and over and still laugh out loud! His cartoons are clever as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in humor and 20th century American literature.

My teacher gave me a list of essayists and said pick one and read ten of the author's essays. I am glad to say that Thurber was an excellent choice and I laughed my way through this assignment.

Humorist Garrison Keillor has assembled in one volume of more than 1,000 pages the essence of James Thurber as satirist, cartoonist, short story teller, memoirist, and general observer of the foibles of his fellow human beings. Here are excerpts from Thurber's collections of his NEW YORKER pieces as well as some previously uncollected works and the text of his children's classic THE THIRTEEN CLOCKS; in which he never "talks down" to the kids. Some readers will appreciate such views of "The Battle Between the Sexes" as "Is Sex Necessary" and "Women and Men." Others will chortle over the best of "My Life and Hard Times" and Thurber's look at NEW YORKER founding editor Harold Ross. Thurber, unlike Sam Clemens, was able to see that everything is funny even if it wasn't happening to "the other fellow."

Don't own a cat, but this is a musical and 'cat' gem. Wonderful, original lyrics by Garrison to classical and popular tunes. About 16 cat songs sung by Garrison and Frederica with chorus and superb orchestra and orchestrations. Excellent sound quality, lots of fun.

Anyone who has a cat, likes cats, or who wants to know more about cats should get this CD. Even if you hate cats, I think you will enjoy this CD.

I have 2 of these Songs of the Cat CDs in case something happens to one of them...

As a cat lover, I found this compilation of poems/songs wholly accurate and entertaining. I loaned the tape to my mother who, in turn, loaned it to may aunt, who loaned it on, etc. I miss it! Therefore, I have found my way to Amazon for the sole purpose of obtaining another copy!

I checked this audio book out of the public library for a road trip several years ago, and was instantly hooked. I wore out the copy I made, and finally bought it. I listen to it regularly, with avidity, and have no idea when I'll get tired of it! Between each poem there is a pause of perhaps 30 seconds filled with intriguing noises, which allows you to dwell in the poem just read for a bit longer, while preparing you for the one to come-- a kind of aural sherbet between courses to freshen the mental palatte! The variety of poems-- modern, classic, metered, free verse, serious, witty; Garrison Keillor's melliflous voice and his sensitive interpretations, along with those marvelous sound-filled pauses between readings makes this particular collection an extremely pleasurable experience.

Keillor is a proven master of storytelling, as thousands know who have enjoyed "A Prarie Home Companion". His "Writer's Almanac" NPR radio spots have demonstrated how thoughtfully he applies that storyteller's insight to the reading of poetry. This collection is marvellously read and is wonderfully varied--from light verse to Dickinson and Shakespeare, with gems by several modern American poets such Mary Oliver, May Swenson and Donald Hall. A great companion for home or car!

This cassette has all the things you need for Halloween. I like the chilling stories from Lake Wobigon, and the musical performances. Plus! Garrison Keillor's performance of Edgar Alan Poe's The Raiven. Some of the broadcasts from A Prairie Home Companion are halarious, and very nice to listen to. This is the great book. It's highly recommended to all future Garrison Keillor fans.

Garrison Keillor's "Horrors" is not only one of Keillor's great works of all time, but it is a marvelous take on Halloween itself. This cassette series has everything fans of Keillor could possibly want from brilliant, unique stories to sharp, witty skits to wonderfully appropriate music for Halloween. The best thing, in my opinion, on this series, however, is Keillor's unsurpassed reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". To sum up, this cassette series is enjoyable year around and is a must-buy for any fan of Garrison Keillor and "A Prarie Home Companion".

I like this book because it's funny. I like all the stories including the story about how January is a sorrowful month. This is a highly recommended book. It'll make you laugh yourself to tears.

I've only just discovered Keillor's wit in the past few weeks, but already the words, "It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon," make me listen intently. This is a great collection that I'm only half-way through b/c I want to savor each story. "Gladys and the Raccoon" is my favorite so far, followed closely by "The Risk Takers." There's no dull moment, thus far, and the stories hold their allure even in repetition.

I can't believe I almost missed this book. I was just leaving the bookstore and I saw the word "orchestra" on the bottom shelf of new releases. I picked it up and read the first page, to see if it was a good book or a bad book. Good book. I could see that easily. So the very next chance I had, I called it from the library in the next town (I can't understand why they didn't have it at our own library) and read it. Then I read it again. Then, because I thoght it was so good, I had to order it from Amazon. Here's why I like it: It's real. Rachel and all the people surrounding her life are very believable and also insanely funny. It's not predictable, yet it's an extremely comfortable read, like everything turns out how it should. The musical aspect of it is very funny too, and if you play an instrument (school band does NOT count) you can sympathize with this book. Yes, there's romance in this book too. A great drive-in movie scene with Rachel and her special guy . . . If that's not enough to convince you, you need psychological help. :) Get to this book before it's too late!!!

Rachel is a young girl who is talented at playing the violin. Her best friend is now playing softball and spends most of her time with her team. Rachel, an only child, thinks she is in a weird family. Besides having no school, she isn't looking forward to summer. Then, to her surprise, she is accepted to play in a professional orchestra. Despite her excitement, she feels major things could go wrong, especially when the conductor quit.
I recommend this book to anyone, especially those interested in music. It shows that things can turn around and prevail, even if you don't think it will.

I really liked The Sandy Bottom Orchestra by Garrison Keillor and Jenny Lind Nilsson. I enjoyed this book for many reasons. The characters are well developed and very realistic. They are just like ordinary people you might find in a small town. I also liked this book because it is about one of my favorite things- music. Anyone who plays an instrument-strings especially- will love this book. I liked this book because, for the most part, I would love to have a summer like Rachel's. I think it would be really fun to play in a professional orchestra.

The best part of The Sandy Bottom Orchestra is when Rachel is at the orchestra rehearsals. She meets a lot of new people, and most of them are very wierd and funny. There is a man with hair like a birdcage, and Rachel's stand partner comes to the first rehearsal wearing a sweatshirt that says NEVER MESS WITH MOMMA and carrying a pink and turquoise striped purse. The rehearsals are the best part because it's there that the plot develops the most.

The setting and the characters were the most vivid elements of The Sandy Bottom Orchestra. The authors describe the setting so well that you can almost imagine a sleepy little town like Sandy Bottom. What makes this a really good book is the characters. They are vivid and strong and really draw you into the story. Rachel's mother is civil-minded and demanding, while her father is shy, yet successful, and loves classical music. Each is rather quirky and poor Rachel is afraid she will grow up to be like them.

Fans of Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" are already an imaginative sort. We know what Arlene Bunsen looks like, or Pastor Inquist. We've got a good idea how Roger Hedlund has been rotating his crops, and the main goings on on Main Street. We don't need pictures of this area because we already know it by heart--we've seen it on the radio. This book does exactly what it should...it doesn't dispel our images of Lake Wobegon, but gives us pictures of its neighbors and people living their lives in rural Minnesota. All the images are sepia toned. With a few exceptions, the subjects are unposed and candid, getting ready for the prom, or readying the field for corn.

The composition of the shots are superb. The short prologue gives a first person retelling of how Keillor invented the town that "time forgot and the decades cannot improve." That introduction, however, is so short that it's almost unfair to say that this is a Garrison Keillor book. He essentially wrote the foreword (although it's not titled that way), and the pictures tell the real story.

My only disappointment is that there isn't any color. Certainly sepia tones give us nostalgia the way we'd like to remember it, but sunset on a farm is something you can't appreciate in shades of brown. Rural life has its monochromatic moments, to be sure, but there's enough color and life to help us remember that not everything is nostalgia.

This gripe doesn't detract from the beauty of this book, though. Thankfully we never see Lake Wobegon, only hints and shadows. It allows us to preserve our preconceptions, but gives us a deeper feeling of connection with the area. If you're a fan of APHC, you probably already own this book (or you should). If not, take a look at a lifestyle that might be foreign to you.

From the Central Minnesota prairie, in beautiful black and white pictures and picturesque prose, here is the Genesis of Garrison Keilor's magical mythical Lake Wobegon, site of "A Prairie Home Companion." Here we get to *see* the strong women, good-looking men, and above average children of and for whom he speaks on Saturday nights. Accompanying Richard Olsenius' stunning photography (how can the viewer not be deeply moved by the picture of the veterans at the St. Wendell cemetery on Memorial Day?) are excerpts from the Radio Show, interviews with inhabitants, and essays and musings from Keilor - like this:

"Culture isn't decor, it's what you know before you're twelve. It sticks with you all your born days. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You can try to wrestle free of it, like those geese who trail the V-formation, trying to look as if they aren't part of this bunch, as if flying south were a personal decision on their part, but your feint towards independence only makes it clearer who you really are. Some people like hot dish better if it's called cassoulet, or pot roast if it's pot-au-feu. Fine. Suit yourself. Same difference."

Whatever you call those culinary delights, you'll like this book. Come see Father Kleinschmidt's Annual Blessing of the Snowmobiles. Ja, you betcha! Reviewed by TundraVision.

This was purchased as a Mother's Day gift for my Mother-In-Law and it was a big hit. She really loved it - as did my Father-In-Law. Garrison Keillor already seems to be a big hit with the over 50 crowd and this book fits perfectly with his style.

I agree it's a fine "Kids book for Adults", with simply beautiful illustrations, and wity prose. But as far as a book for kids, I've found that the advanced vocabulary actually gets in the way of successfully conveying the story to young elementary children. Unless your child can handle words such as truckle, pate, and manse, you will find yourself stopping on every page to explain what's really being said. This tends to quickly take away from the enjoyment of reading the story aloud.

This retelling of the prodical son story based on a runaway cat is one children's book that moms and dads will love, maybe even more than their kids. Garrison Keillor's poem is a joy to read and the artwork so is beautiful you won't even want to let your children get their hands on it. The story is rich in sarcasm and symbolism for adults and funny rhymes and sound effects for the kids.

Cat lovers, Keillor fans and children alike will enjoy this book for its beautiful art, rich and colorful writing and endearing message. But it's not necessarily about cats. Keillor hides behind the cat as Minnesota's prodigal son who finally came home. You can see the world. Become famous! You can even get rich but you can't take the -oh out of a Minnesota boy. We're glad you came home, Garrison.

I have loved PHC for years, but have just recently started reading GK's work. He spins wonderful yarns, but I found this collection of stories a bit disjointed past the midway point of the book. One thing that is nearly always consistent is that "It was another quiet week in Lake Wobegon."

This has many favorites from PHC shows, including my favorite, "Pontoon Boat." Certainly, the original delivery of Keilor adds much to the presentation, but easily any of us who have heard these can still here his pace, and emphasis as we glide across the words. And, for those who haven't, this is still such entertaining tales.

"Hawaii" and the Usher competition is another fav. How about hand signals for such as "child removal" - "crossed arms and kicking motion?" Or "A Glass of Wendy" --- "if a horse got on the sauce himself, he might get mixed up, but usually they did hte job and if the sheriff came, all he found was a wagon and a horse with red eyes and bad breath."

Classic, good stuff to be cherished and shared.

Garrison Keillor is a master short story writer...unfortunately, publishers keep trying to turn him into a novelist. This is his BEST collection of stories. Wise, warm, and wonderful. A worthy successor to the string of small-town American writers.

This is not only a fine collection of monologues from what was arguably the period during which Keillor most popular, it also has gorgeous guitar links provided by Chet Atkins. Just a few seconds of wonderful trademark arpeggios by a guitar genius (and good friend of Keillor's) in between each monologue. I'd listen to an entire CD of just music like that. This is a fine piece of work.

I have virtually all of Keillor's Lake Woebegon works, and this is his finest! "On Meeting Donny Hart" is perhaps the finest tragi-comedy of them all! You'll bust a gut listening to Mazumbo, Gospel Birds, Pastor Ingquist's Trip to Orlando, Mammoth Concert, and Babe Ruth Visits Lake Woebegon-- the whole set is superb. I can't say enough good about this excellent product.

This is one of 2 collections of monologues (the other being "Fall") that (to me) comprise the absolute best of Garrison Keillor's recorded Lake Wobegon stories. Some of the later collections have a more uneven feel, but "Gospel Birds" and "Fall" don't have a weak moment on them. The stories range from hilarious to touching to heartbreaking, and many times are all three at once. You'll laugh at these whacko Minnesota characters, but you'll also see yourself in them, and feel along with them as well. This is time well spent.