Wobegon boy (1997 original; edició 1997)

Read during Fall 2003

Sweetly charming and moving novel about John Tollefson, who leaves native Lake Wobegon for small town Upper New York State. There is much of late 80's yuppie life gently satirized with fresh vegetables and public radio and wood floors and upper class life in Manhattan but the subtle life revelations when John returns home for visits are the true story. After being so dissapointed by WLT, this was truly enjoyable read. Funny and charming.

John Tollefson is the manager of an academic public radio station. He has an idyllic life that is boring him to tears. His job, his home, his relationships, all are going well - so well that he no longer feels like he is in the drivers seat. Coasting through everything his life lacks depth and more importantly, it lacks meaning. John, with the help of his can't-commit-to-marriage girlfriend Alida, sets out to make his life more interesting by opening a farm restaurant and other daring risks. John is perpetually guided by history, the life stories of his ancestors - a butcher, publisher, politician, among a wild cast of others, and a philosophical slant unlike any other. ( )

Curious about Garrison Keillor, since I heard some of his stories years ago on the radio.A relaxed book with entertaining characters and a simple development of the main character. Charming slices of life. ( )

The Lake Wobegon parts were by far the better sections of this novel... the storytelling, shaggy dog stories, and ambling narratives flowed easily here, while still revealing the emotional complexity of a man who grew up and left home and doesn't learn the man his father was until it's too late. The New York state parts were mostly funny for the public radio satire, but felt flat compared to the rest. The relationship with Alida was a cipher throughout.

If I understand the premise of the story, than it is supposed to describe how the values of a Mid Western Lutheran Boy hold up in a different setting. The error in this premise is that the main character never had the values of a mid western Lutheran boy. His values are the same as all those around him, and he is simply a reflections of the culture around him with a Minnesotan accent. He does have memories of his parents who are the ones who have the Lutheran values. John, the title character is somewhat pompous and condescending. He dubs those who do hold to "Lutheran " values ad "Dark Lutherans" To the authors credit, there are some very humorous moments in the story. That and the sections that deal with John going back for a funeral and learning more about his parents and grand parents are entertaining and keeps this story form falling into disappointing ( )