Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon

Fri, 10/16/2009 - 11:41am by ringenka

I am not always thrilled (possibly an understatement) when an author opts to read his or her own book for the audio version. However, this is not the case when the author is Garrison Keillor. I enjoyed every moment of the 8 hours spent listening to Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon.

Keillor’s books delightfully compliment the NPR radio program A Prairie Home Companion. I found Pontoon to be more plot intensive than some of Keillor’s other novels. The book begins with the death of an elderly member of the community and goes on to detail various reactions to the passing. It is both thoughtful and funny. During the final disc I had to pull my car over because I was laughing so entirely. Perhaps worth noting (perhaps not) is Keillor’s elegant use of simile. One such comparison found in Pontoon: “It looks like the desiccated cadavers of squirrels run over by trucks.” What more does a novel need?

If you enjoy Pontoon, you might want to check out these audio books:

Home On The Prairie: Stories From Lake Wobegon
Homegrown Democrat: a Few Plain Thoughts From The Heart Of America