Call number
FIC KEI
Collection
Genres
Series
Publication
Penguin Books (2009), Edition: Reprint, 272 pages
Description
A national holiday in Lake Wobegon is always gaudy and joyful. But when the major planner behind the Fourth of July parade and the twenty-four-year-old girl who dresses up as the Statue of Liberty develop a close "friendship," rumors begin to fly. What will happen is anybody's guess as CNN and the governor put in an appearance in Lake Wobegon--home to a good loving people who drive each other crazy.
User reviews
LibraryThing member spounds
After reading three depressing books in a row, I decided to cheer myself up with a Garrison Keillor book, so I picked up Liberty. The first chapter had me laughing--yea! I was listening to this as an audiobook, and then Garrison Keillor started reading me a sex scene. Ew!! Sorry, but I'm pretty
Show More
sure no one but Mrs. Garrison Keillor wants to hear that. I'm sure she would have loved it. Show Less
LibraryThing member bigorangemichael
With "Lake Wobegon Days" and "Leaving Home" Garrison Keillor took readers to the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, giving us memorable characters, some witty observations and some good natured humor. Those two novels are among my favorite books and I enjoy Keillor's monologues about "the
But in his last two Lake Wobegon novels, Keillor has the guy who could have been voted class clown to having a dark, meaner streak to his humor and observations--and the books have suffered as a result.
"Liberty" is the latest example of Keillor gone horribly wrong, going for sardonic and sarcastic instead of his usual witty and warm storytelling style.
"Liberty" centers on Clint Bunsen, turning 60 and in charge of the annual Fourth of July parade. Clint has been married for years but thanks to the Internet has met a younger woman who claims to be psychic and played Miss Liberty in the parade last year. He's having an affair, being run off the leadership of his committee and wondering just what happened to his life and feeling unfulfilled. All of this could lead to some interesting observations on life, marriage and the nature of love but instead it's all told in such a sardonic style that you're left not caring about any of these characters. It feels almost like we've wandered into a parallel universe Lake Wobegon story where people look and act about the same, but there is something fundamentally wrong at the core.
There are some funny moments in the story, but this novel isn't your typical Keillor Lake Wobegon novel. It's more in vein of "WLT" and some of his other short essays and while those are enjoyable it's not what I expect or want from a Lake Wobegon story.
The last two Lake Wobegon books have left me disappointed with Keillor, wondering if he's tiring of his fictional town and maybe if it wouldn't be better to leave fans the fond memories of him from "Lake Wobegon Days" instead of more books like "Liberty" or "Pontoon."
Show More
little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve." But in his last two Lake Wobegon novels, Keillor has the guy who could have been voted class clown to having a dark, meaner streak to his humor and observations--and the books have suffered as a result.
"Liberty" is the latest example of Keillor gone horribly wrong, going for sardonic and sarcastic instead of his usual witty and warm storytelling style.
"Liberty" centers on Clint Bunsen, turning 60 and in charge of the annual Fourth of July parade. Clint has been married for years but thanks to the Internet has met a younger woman who claims to be psychic and played Miss Liberty in the parade last year. He's having an affair, being run off the leadership of his committee and wondering just what happened to his life and feeling unfulfilled. All of this could lead to some interesting observations on life, marriage and the nature of love but instead it's all told in such a sardonic style that you're left not caring about any of these characters. It feels almost like we've wandered into a parallel universe Lake Wobegon story where people look and act about the same, but there is something fundamentally wrong at the core.
There are some funny moments in the story, but this novel isn't your typical Keillor Lake Wobegon novel. It's more in vein of "WLT" and some of his other short essays and while those are enjoyable it's not what I expect or want from a Lake Wobegon story.
The last two Lake Wobegon books have left me disappointed with Keillor, wondering if he's tiring of his fictional town and maybe if it wouldn't be better to leave fans the fond memories of him from "Lake Wobegon Days" instead of more books like "Liberty" or "Pontoon."
Show Less
LibraryThing member ServusLibri
Liberty presents another view of Keillor’s story telling ability and his storied small town world of Lake Wobegon. The threads for this one are the town’s fourth of July celebration, and the aging of its leading character, the garage owner in charge of the parade for the last couple of years.
Show More
The character development and the vignettes that carry the plot reflect the author’s ability as a master story teller. But they almost seem to be just that, a reflection of Keillor’s earlier triumphs. Fans can still enjoy it, but new readers may not want to go further into his world, and that’s a shame. So its readable, ideal for vacation since each chapter is a short story, but may disappoint compared to some of his other works. Show Less
LibraryThing member madamejeanie
Anyone who had ever had the pleasure of listening to the rich baritone voice of Mr. Keillor, relating his News from Lake Wobegon on The Prairie Home Companion radio show over the past 30-odd years will be delighted with this book. I could hear his voice and inflection all the way through this
Show More
delightful tale of the angst of a man turning 60 in the town of his birth when deep down inside, all he's ever really wanted was another life altogether. Clint Bunsen has been the coordinator of the Fourth of July parade and celebration in Lake Wobegon for more years than he cares to remember, having taken over the job from his own father. He's worked hard to make this a parade to be proud of in a constant struggle with committee members who hem, haw, and pass every buck that comes their way, locking horns with Viola Tors, who never met a good idea she couldn't choke to death with procedure, and who has longed to take over the reins and control the show for quite some time. This story is complicated, the narrative is humorous, and the climax is downright hilarious. Show Less
LibraryThing member grheault
Funny, funny, and double funny if you happen to live in a small town on a boring Fourth of July weekend when the parade is supposed to happen sometime before the fireworks, and its been a big deal all winter. Its a hoot to feel that perhaps Lake Woebegone is your home, and Garrison Keilor has sat
Show More
in on your parade committee meetings. Show Less
LibraryThing member jd234512
Another interesting story from Lake Wobegon by Garrison Keillor. It truly amazes me how he is able to continually come up with new stories from a town that has had very little change. The stories in the books are generally a little more racy from the weekly update in Prairie Home Companion and we
Show More
are able to delve into it a little further. In this story, we see Lake Wobegon experience national attention from their amazing parade they do each year and all the drama you could expect behind the scenes in a town such as this. This was a very quick, enjoyable read and it is always nice to have certain books where you know what you're getting into beforehand and there are little surprises. Quality storytelling of midwest life. Show Less
LibraryThing member mobill76
I'm the protagonist in the novel, so I thought it was great. It's amazing how well Keillor continues to mine Lake Wobegon for all it's worth. It seemed so superficial in the beginning. It was just a setting for some radio monologues. It's proving to be as detailed and epic as Middle Earth - and
Show More
much funnier. The book is, in fact, an expansion of a classic 4th of July "News from Lake Wobegon" where the Statue of Liberty in the parade wore nothing underneath her robe. Clint Busen's dilemma is a classic. Does he bit the bullet for the rest of his miserable wasted life? Or does he grasp the life preserver thrown to him by a younger woman and head west for a glorious final inning. This is typical Lake Wobegon in every way. Maybe the best yet. Show Less
LibraryThing member anitatally
I love GK's perspective on life in the US.
Pages
272
ISBN
0143116118 / 9780143116110