Rating: 
Summary: Yuck
Review: There are few authors alive today who possess the ability to seamlessly mix sweet nostalgia with bittersweet melancholy in their writings. Garrison Keillor maintains his reputation as one of these authors in Lake Wobegon, Summer 1956. Keillor skillfully juxtaposes the serenity of small town life and the closeness of family with the frustrations of teenagers and the not-so-idyllic reality of day-to-day family existence. The result of these depictions is a setting and a set of characters that seem real.My problem with the book is that I felt like I've been here before through Keillor's other Lake Wobegon books. I was already familiar with the Bunsens, the Larsens, the Sanctified Brethren, and the Chatterbox Café's location. While I don't mind revisiting familiar territory (a sentiment with which I'm sure many of his readers would agree), I felt that there was nothing really new in this book. Since Keillor's attempts outside of the Lake Wobegon milieu have had mixed success, it is easy to understand why he would want to stick closely to his "comfort zone." The combination of this familiar setting and his tremendous talent makes the result of an enjoyable read a foregone conclusion. Yet, one can only hope that Lake Wobegon, Summer 1956 is not the first sign of that one of America's finest writers is running out of ideas.
Rating: 
Summary: Sweet And Evocative, But Somewhat Tired
Review: There are few authors alive today who possess the ability to seamlessly mix sweet nostalgia with bittersweet melancholy in their writings. Garrison Keillor maintains his reputation as one of these authors in Lake Wobegon, Summer 1956. Keillor skillfully juxtaposes the serenity of small town life and the closeness of family with the frustrations of teenagers and the not-so-idyllic reality of day-to-day family existence. The result of these depictions is a setting and a set of characters that seem real. My problem with the book is that I felt like I've been here before through Keillor's other Lake Wobegon books. I was already familiar with the Bunsens, the Larsens, the Sanctified Brethren, and the Chatterbox Café's location. While I don't mind revisiting familiar territory (a sentiment with which I'm sure many of his readers would agree), I felt that there was nothing really new in this book. Since Keillor's attempts outside of the Lake Wobegon milieu have had mixed success, it is easy to understand why he would want to stick closely to his "comfort zone." The combination of this familiar setting and his tremendous talent makes the result of an enjoyable read a foregone conclusion. Yet, one can only hope that Lake Wobegon, Summer 1956 is not the first sign of that one of America's finest writers is running out of ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely BORING!!!!
Review: This book is DEFINITELY NOT one of Garrison Keillors best. This book rambles on and on and was sooooooo boring I almost quit reading it many times! I've read and loved all of his other books but this was a big dissapointment. Save your money and spend it on another of his books. I decided to complete the book only to say that I read the whole, entire, boring piece and about the only good thing in the book was the ending! Hopefully GK will come out with something that is more Lake Wobegon again soon. I was disappointed, but will read more books of his in the future I'm sure.
Rating: 
Summary: That Summer you got a little older
Review: This is an outstanding book. Mr. Keillor is a wordsmith to be admired and paints a masterpiece with his command of the language. Upon finishing this book, I sat and deciphered its meaning. I knew I felt sad for Gary but I didn't know why. Then I figured it out; Gary had grown-up a little in the summer of 1956. I longed for the simplicity of childhood and wonder why when we are kids, we want to grow up so fast. Mr. Keillor's book gives us a peek into lifes little events and make you realize that, like it or not, "grown-up happens".
Rating: 
Summary: Uneven -- not GK's best.
Review: This was a real disappointment. I've enjoyed Keillor's other books, as well as PHC, but this book was uneven and just not engaging. There didn't seem to be a discernable plot and it was a struggle to get through the book without losing interest entirely. I recommend you skip this book and read one of his other gems.
Rating:
Summary: A story of life
Review: This was my first time reading a Garrison Keillor novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this book was. It follows the life of 14-year-old Gary as he grows up in the summer of 1956. I love how Garrison Keillor writes. The story moves along in a lazy manner. You almost don't even realize that the story is progressing. It is much the same as I remember spending my summers. The days blend together until suddenly you wake up and realize that the summer is half over, and then suddenly you're waking up for school early in the morning again. This would make for a boring novel if Keillor wasn't such a gifted storyteller. The characters are wonderfully human and I found myself laughing out loud as Gary described the adventures and personalities of his small town. And just when you think that the book is going to be nothing but a comedy, Keillor hits you with a profound lesson about life. This was truly a great book. Some people may be offended by parts, but this book is about life and life isn't always innocent and pretty. Garrison Keillor did a terrific job writing this book and I definitely have to recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Woe is me
Review: Unfortunately, there's something a little disappointing about Garrison Keillor's latest book of Lake Wobegon lore. I read LAKE WOBEGON DAYS a few years ago, and although I found it to be generally slow-moving, it was nonetheless also consistently moving, poetic and sweet (something like maple syrup, all told). It was probably my favorite book in a year full of pretty good books, so I was eager to pick up another Keillor title before long. When LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956 came out in hardcover, I snatched it up and dove in with exuberance and relish (and a little picnic table mustard and ketchup).
LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956 starts off strongly enough, setting up an interesting family of characters, and putting them through a series of interesting and keenly observed episodes of mid-twentieth century interpersonal drama. The young male protagonist portrays himself, often humorously, as something of a tortured soul: a sensitive artistic type saddled with an incurably filthy mind who, as plain bad luck would have it, was born into the midst of a thick-witted, Bible-toting household.
Young Gary is relentlessly persecuted by his goody-goody older sister, unjustly scolded and disciplined by his humorless father, and gossiped about by his aunts. It's only his free spirit cousin, whom he has the hots for, and his somewhat free-thinking mother that give Gary some of the room he needs to grow into the adult who'll eventually write down all of these sometimes fond, sometimes painful memories. There's also an uncle that gives him the best gift anyone could give a boy with too many thoughts in his head: a typewriter. Gary spends most of the summer of 1956, when he's not fantasizing about his cousin, or writing dirty stories on his new typewriter, covering the local baseball games for the LakeWobegon paper. It's not a bad way to spend the summer when you're fourteen and just starting out. The problem is, the way it's written, it doesn't make for that great of a novel. One problem is that nothing really happens. Gary almost gets involved with his cousin, goes to baseball games, spanks the monkey, learns to write lead sentences, meets the lead singer of a local musical group, and that's really about it. LAKE WOBEGON DAYS didn't have much in the way of conflict either, but it managed to propel itself with a quiet, dreamy worldview that always left you hungry for another lick, and kept you from putting the book down unless you absolutely had to. In LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956, you get the feeling that that wonderful ice-cream like narrative substance was left out of the freezer a little too long and got soupy on you. There are nice moments LW SUMMER 1956, and it's worth a look if you're a frequent visitor, but all in all, it just doesn't have the hard to define stuff to keep you interested. Still, it's clear from this book that Keillor has many talents as a writer, and his humor and sense of irony remain intact throughout. If you're looking for a good chuckle and don't mind blue material (or actually seek it out) LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956 is probably worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Woe is me
Review: Unfortunately, there's something a little disappointing about Garrison Keillor's latest book of Lake Wobegon lore. I read LAKE WOBEGON DAYS a few years ago, and although I found it to be generally slow-moving, it was nonetheless also consistently moving, poetic and sweet (something like maple syrup, all told). It was probably my favorite book in a year full of pretty good books, so I was eager to pick up another Keillor title before long. When LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956 came out in hardcover, I snatched it up and dove in with exuberance and relish (and a little picnic table mustard and ketchup).
LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956 starts off strongly enough, setting up an interesting family of characters, and putting them through a series of interesting and keenly observed episodes of mid-twentieth century interpersonal drama. The young male protagonist portrays himself, often humorously, as something of a tortured soul: a sensitive artistic type saddled with an incurably filthy mind who, as plain bad luck would have it, was born into the midst of a thick-witted, Bible-toting household.
Young Gary is relentlessly persecuted by his goody-goody older sister, unjustly scolded and disciplined by his humorless father, and gossiped about by his aunts. It's only his free spirit cousin, whom he has the hots for, and his somewhat free-thinking mother that give Gary some of the room he needs to grow into the adult who'll eventually write down all of these sometimes fond, sometimes painful memories. There's also an uncle that gives him the best gift anyone could give a boy with too many thoughts in his head: a typewriter. Gary spends most of the summer of 1956, when he's not fantasizing about his cousin, or writing dirty stories on his new typewriter, covering the local baseball games for the LakeWobegon paper. It's not a bad way to spend the summer when you're fourteen and just starting out. The problem is, the way it's written, it doesn't make for that great of a novel. One problem is that nothing really happens. Gary almost gets involved with his cousin, goes to baseball games, spanks the monkey, learns to write lead sentences, meets the lead singer of a local musical group, and that's really about it. LAKE WOBEGON DAYS didn't have much in the way of conflict either, but it managed to propel itself with a quiet, dreamy worldview that always left you hungry for another lick, and kept you from putting the book down unless you absolutely had to. In LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956, you get the feeling that that wonderful ice-cream like narrative substance was left out of the freezer a little too long and got soupy on you. There are nice moments LW SUMMER 1956, and it's worth a look if you're a frequent visitor, but all in all, it just doesn't have the hard to define stuff to keep you interested. Still, it's clear from this book that Keillor has many talents as a writer, and his humor and sense of irony remain intact throughout. If you're looking for a good chuckle and don't mind blue material (or actually seek it out) LAKE WOBEGON SUMMER 1956 is probably worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Clever, humorous writing.
Review: What a wonderful book! The use of language and timing has always been Garrison's strong point, and this novel seems like an exercise in bringing everything he's learned over the years together. It's a very speedy read for almost 300 pages with a breezy, carefree style and astute attention to what would be the primary interests of a yound teen boy in 1956. Garrison's dry humor shines brightly in many passages. Those who don't see what purpose the crude "bathroom humor" serves in this work haven't much vision. As always with Garrison's work, he shines a light delicately through the paper-thin mask of religious fundalmentalism to show the anxious creatures underneath.
Rating:
Summary: what's going on with Keillor
Review: What happened to the great Keillor that I was hoping to get when I picked this up? The book is "about" a teenage boy, but the overt... in this book makes me wonder if he wrote it FOR teenage boys. I couldn't even finish it, made it halfway through it then dumped it. Yuck!Did his publisher tell him to "spice it up" next time? Seriously, before you invest in this read some excerpts. Next time he introduces a new book, I'm going to thumb through it first. In the past I always felt comfortable recommending Keillor to friends, family, the man on the street..... not anymore. I've been a longtime lover of Wobegon antics, and this is awful. FYI I'm only 33 and I found this book pointless as well as tasteless.
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