Pontoon

A Novel of Lake Wobegon

By: Garrison Keillor

Narrated by: Garrison Keillor

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Garrison Keillor's latest book is about the wedding of a girl named Dede Ingebretson, who comes home from California with a guy named Brent. Dede has made a fortune in veterinary aromatherapy; Brent bears a strong resemblance to a man wanted for extortion who's pictured on a poster in the town's post office. Then there's the memorial service for Dede's aunt Evelyn, who led a footloose and adventurous life after the death of her husband 17 years previously. Add a surprise boyfriend and a band of newly arrived Mormon missionaries, and the gently rendered chaos is complete.

©2007 Garrison Keillor (P)2007 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2008

"There's plenty of fun to be had with the well-timed deadpans and homespun wit." (Publishers Weekly)

One of my favorite audiobooks

I really enjoyed this audiobook for the 3rd time. One of the best listens out of my hundred plus audios. The entertainment of it all is non-stop!

Brillliant but not lighthearted

Did the person who wrote the "publisher's summary" even read the book? Definitely not. First of all, it is not about "Dede" (or Debbie as she is really called in the book), it is really about Evelyn (who is NOT Debbie's aunt. No relation) and her life/death/family/town/bowling ball. There were NO mormon missionaries, only Lutheran pastors from Denmark who were being sent on a tour of the USA to get them out of their Bishop's hair. It is terrific Garrison Keillor, I give it top marks. However, those looking for Mr. K's lightheartedness and endless chuckles, need to know that this one is dark. Terrific , but you will be crying more than you are laughing. As a former Midwestern Lutheran I certainly did. Very real characters. Very well done. Read by GK, as no one else could really do it justice. Check a synopsis somewhere else, though since Highbridge Audio couldn't bother to get someone to write one properly.

Vintage Keillor

Those of us who've been listening to PHC for several decades recognize as familiar old friends pretty much every thread in this story, but we don't mind. It's the human condition. Some people complain about Garrison's deadpan delivery on this audio book, but not those of us who love him...his mere voice reminds of us a generous, quirky view of life that comes along with it.

Laughed out loud!

Typical Garrison Keillor -- if you're a fan you'll like this one. Not necessarily for a road trip with the kids, though, due to discussions of sex and death. I really enjoyed it, and laughed out loud a number of times. Even though the end is predictable, the buildup to it is enjoyable and fun. I'll listen to it again.

Lake Wobegon Revisited

This book is for all of us over 50 types, who have treasured Mr. Keillor's anecdotal stories on a Prairie Home Companion, about the fictional town of Lake Wobegon. But, this is the adult version of those broadcast stories. Here he deals with death, family alienation, sexual dysfunction and a host of private, personal insights into the lives of his characters. His descriptions of his characters made this reader laugh out loud in the early chapters. But, as the chapters rolled by, punctuated with nostalgic piano interludes, Mr. Keillor's slow, breathy narration starts to wear. There is no great architecture of fiction here. This is not a miracle or morality tale. Rather, it is a sweet and somber collection of provincial characters who are shown to endure life's inanities and ironies. And there is no one who knows these Midwesterners better than Mr. Keillor. It is funny and sad to listen to this, with him doing his own narration as he has on the radio for so many years. I'm glad I spent the time with him. He is like having a friend who is melancholy and removed, giving him a clear view of the big picture in a little town. Thank you, Mr. Keillor and thank God I am not a Lutheran.

Loved it!

What did you like best about this story?

Dry humor. Laughing out loud funny in places.

Any additional comments?

Keillor does a great performance of the spoken lines for the characters. I just listened to a book where the female narrator used a "male" voice and a "female" voice and it was very annoying.

First Keilor novel for me!

What a read this was! Keilor is known for his wry sense of humor & it really shows in this novel. How relaxing it is to listen, first to his voice, then to his hilarious descriptions of people & events. Mysteries are my usual pick, but this was a wonderful change of pace for me. & will be checking out other Keilor pieces.

Listen again and again

I agree that the Publisher description has it all wrong, maybe they skimmed the book. I smiled through the whole thing, there are so many characters, it took me a couple of rewinds to sort them out. I laughed so hard I cried at the crazy ending! Then I started over from the beginning. The first line sets the tone. "Evelyn was a lifelong insomniac, so when they say she died in her sleep you have got to question that" This isn't the same sentimental Garrison Keillor on NPR these characters live much more worldly lives. The book is sweetly sad in the genre of lost innocence, and small town wildness. This would make a great movie, maybe like a Prayer for Own Meany was turned into the World According to Garp. I keep this one on my Audible player, and have listened to parts over and over and always seem to pick out a few more details that were lost on me on first reading. As an audio book this one will stay in my permanent collection.

An examination of human nature

This was my first GK book and it was a very pleasant suprise. GK's rambling style is unique, his characters totally believable and in many cases recognisable as someone we know (even ourselves), and his observations about life and death and human nature are astute, often amusing and often acerbic. Nobody could read it better than GK, he is simply perfect. I must confess the farcical episode on the lake at the end was way to hammed-up for my sense of humour, but GK gets to the heart of what matters in ourselves and others by being a master of observation and, of course, a master of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Pontoon

Although pontoon was hilarious, you have to slog through lots of unnecessary prose to get there