Pilgrims: A Novel of Lake Wobegon

Lake Wobegon #10

by Garrison Keillor

Lake Wobegon goes to Italy in Garrison Keillor's latest

Twelve Wobegonians fly to Rome to decorate a war hero's grave, led by Marjorie Krebsbach, with radio host Gary Keillor along for the ride. The pilgrimage is inspired by a phone call from an Italian woman seeking her Lake Wobegon roots and by a memoir O Paradiso by a farm wife who found the secret of life and love in Italy. And by marjorie's longing to win back the love of her husband Carl. Far from home, sitting in the rain in the Piazza Navona, the pilgrims talks about themselves, as they never could do in the Chatterbox Café.

"You're not going to write about this, I hope," says Irene Bunsen. "Of course I am. I invented this town," says Mr. Keillor. "Oh my, aren't you something," she replies.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Travel, Book Club, Comedy, Novels, American Fiction

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show A Prairie Home Companion (called Garrison Keillor's Radio Show in some international syndication), which he hosted from 1974 to 2016. Keillor created the fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon, the setting of many of his books, including Lake Wobegon Days and Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories. Other creations include Guy Noir, a detective voiced by Keillor who appeared in A Prairie Home Companion comic skits. Keillor is also the creator of the five-minute daily radio/podcast program The Writer's Almanac, which pairs poems of his choice with a script about important literary, historical, and scientific events that coincided with that date in history.
In November 2017, Minnesota Public Radio cut all business ties with Keillor after an allegation of inappropriate behavior with a freelance writer for A Prairie Home Companion. On April 13, 2018, MPR and Keillor announced a settlement that allows archives of A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac to be publicly available again, and soon thereafter, Keillor began publishing new episodes of The Writer's Almanac on his website. He also continues to tour a stage version of A Prairie Home Companion, although these shows are not broadcast by MPR or American Public Media.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being thoroughly disappointed by Keillor's last Lake Wobegon offering, I was hoping for something different with his latest installment. And while "Pilgrims" isn't nearly as cynical and jaded as "Liberty," it's still not same Keillor I liked so much in "Lake Wobegon Days" and "Leaving Home."

"Pilgrims" tells the story of a dozen Lake Wobegonians journey to Italy for a tour so Marjorie Krebsbach can honor the grave of a fallen soldier from Lake Wobegon. She's also hoping to rekindle a bit of the passion in her marriage since her husband, Carl, started sleeping in another room without any explanation.

The first half of the novel, detailing the dozen mid-Westerners getting to Italy is delightful and feels like vintage Keillor. But it's in the second half that the books comes apart a bit, almost as if Keillor had a good idea for a monologue or two or even a short novella but felt like he had to expand it out to a full novel. Also disconcerting is Keillor inserting himself as a fictional character into the novel and referring to himself as Mr. Keillor or Keillor during the entire story. As a literary conceit, it's a bit of a stretch.

That said, the way in which Keillor gets to go on the trip and how he ends up sponsoring the entire endeavor are some of the more amusing parts of the early half of the story.

It's interesting to see the familiar residents of Lake Wobegon try adjust to the different country that is Italy. Some of them don't come off all that well, but that is probably part of the point.

And the running subplot about honoring the grave of the Wobegonian who dies in World War II quickly takes a few predictable turns. There are a couple of things that in this plotline that make it too easy to predict where and how things will end up by the story's end.

That said, this time around Keillor seems a bit kinder toward his characters, which is a welcome relief. This isn't vintage Keillor, but it has enough good moments in the first half to make it worth the time.

[Nanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have heard of the "Lake Wobegon” series but never picked up any of the books. I enjoyed Pilgrims and very well could choose to read others.

[Spectre · Rating 1 out of 5]

A one star rating from me says it all. Mr. Keillor scored GrandSlam with his initial Lake Woebegon offering and he cashed in with his subsequent television show but the whole pLOT diminishes with this offering and had it not been a book discussion selection I would had put the book aside after Chapter1.

[Maxine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of G.K.'s better efforts. In fact, one of his worst. Instead of mundane incidents made unforgettable by Keillor's dry humor and sense of irony; here we have what should be an adventure made dull by the lack of humor and the apparent attempt to cover the lack by writing sleaze.By the middle, it wasn't hard to predict the main plot. Although there was a bit of a surprise at the end, it wasn't enough to redeem this rather embarrassing effort.

[Carmen Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A set of Keillor books was in the neighborhood book box. I pulled this by random and decided to read it as I am from Minnesota and am a Keillor fan. I was a little disappointed, however. It was pretty silly. There's honestly not much to say about it. I enjoyed the Minnesota references and jokes, but that was about it.

[Melissa Falgier · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice if you have listened to his radio shows. If you understand how he tells a story, and appreciate that, you'll like this book. I think he's told better stories.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most reviews of this book will start the same way I start this one: I love "A Prairie Home Companion", and count myself a faithful listener. Garrison's monologues are an American treasure. I so looked forward to reading this book.

Unfortunately Garrison's books don't work so well for me. I liked "Pontoon" OK. It was silly, but I liked the way it worked its way up to a crescendo of inanity. Still, I didn't plan to read another Keillor book, and I wouldn't have picked up Pilgrims except that the Washington Post review gushed over it, as if it were the Keillor book that really worked. But the truth is I only made it half way through Pilgrims and skimmed the rest. I think Garrison's style of story-telling just doesn't support a full-length novel. What works for a 10-minute monologue doesn't seem to work (for me at least) in a full-length novel. One star, sadly.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered why I liked Keillor, thank you very much this book. He has equal affection for a liason dangereuse as he does for dull sweet lasting married love. He skewers the ugly American as well as those who eschew their Wobegonian place in the world. Yes, we have to dream to stay alive, sometimes dreaming bigger than we can manage in any sustainable way, but, as he says, even the Pope has to go home and eat cheese sandwiches. And even the shy, obedient Minnesota attitude that one may long to escape sometimes saves the day. Our virtues are the other side of the same coin of our flaws, and Garrison gets that beautifully in vignettes both Woebegonian and universal here.

Great job, sir, you've redeemed yourself after that Pontoon junk. Or perhaps I'm just in another stage of life...

[B. Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Lake Wobegone gang abroad are no different than they are out on a dismally boring fictional prairie: still just tired, oversimplified characters by a geriatric blowhard who should have retired from writing years before he gave up the radio. I used to like him, but after about half a dozen dog turds in a row I'm starting to forget why. Maybe I'll miss him when he's officially dead, but for now I'm walking away. And that's the news from my town, where all the men are male, all the women are female, and all the children, even the slow ones, know that the comical possibilities of tuna fish and jello at church suppers have long been depleted.

[Debby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I began this book with the notion that it was supposed to be funny. I guess it could be if you were a Minnesotan who could relate to the characters in this book. Keillor's definition of plot must be very different from mine. This book was all over the place. There were times I had to go back and re-read portions to try to figure out what I missed only to find I didn't miss a thing - the story is what was lacking. I'm sure this story is to Minnesotans what The Great Gatsby was to the 1920s, but both should never be confused with great writing.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years I'd heard Margie Krebsbach's name but had never really formed any opinion. As she is the center of this bit of metafiction, I will never forget her and her adventures in Rome; and what adventures...oh, my, Margie!!! And I enjoyed "Gary Keillor" as part of the story, too...taking notes as the "pilgrims" are enjoying their visit to Rome (or not). The book isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed the fast-reading diversion. It wasn't as goofy as "Pontoon" (which just made me laugh, so much slapstick) but a good time, especially if you hear Mr. Keillor's voice reading the very words.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I was reading, I kept thinking that this was a silly, little book that managed to hold my attention.

However, the ending was almost solemn and much more thought-provoking.

As I thought about this situation, I realized that this is how I often feel when I listen to his weekly radio broadcast, Prairie Home Companion.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

All she wants is for her husband to notice her.... but her efforts to get him to notice her takes her to Rome with half the people of Lake Wobegone...and Garrison Keilor with her. I didn't expect that little dalliance on the way! Use this book as a breath of fresh air betwen some more serious works....or when you have the flu and are confined to the sofa.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dozen citizens (personal stories and baggage included) of Lake Woebegon undertake a pilgrimage to Rome to fulfill a mother's dying wish of embellishing the gravestone of her son, a local hero of WWII. You may expect this to be all feel-good folksy but it does have some punch, although it's never really mean or disrespectful to the alarmingly and comically conformist Minnesotans.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I have read by Garrison Keillor whose radio program I have heard from time to time. His story-telling ability shines through, along with his sense of humour and sharp observation of humanity. I like his matter-of-fact descriptions of absurd actions and conversations; his portrayal of very ordinary life as pilgrimage.

[Tom Schwerbrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty racy for a Keillor novel. Descriptive sex scenes! An affair in ITALY! With an Italian! But like so many other Keillor stories, it's a hoot. A great escape from all the crap everywhere. Lake Wobegon silliness and satire.

[Pascale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Garrison Keillor and this is one of his best books, with all the hallmarks of his style and self-deprecating humor.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine the film, Shirley Valentine’s Vacation with its maturing female protagonist undergoing something of a mid-life crisis but built around an individual who planned a tour group from Lake Wobegon (instead of an English wife traveling solo) and substituting Italy for Greece. Such is the conceit behind Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance. This delightful book is filled with all of the witty, cleverly-phrased descriptions of the small town Midwest, as well as small town Midwesterners. In addition to poking fun at the small town mentality, Pilgrims is also full of self-deprecating humor as radio host and author Garrison (“Gary” to some of the characters in the book) Keillor frames the story with his own (alleged) insecurity and reaction to the hostility from his fictional hometown while viewing the unfolding events.

It all starts with a desire to honor the grave of a veteran of WWII who, apparently, was an amazing war hero. The truth turns out to be rather surprising, as does the certain amount of duplicity the protagonist deals to Keillor, her husband, and the other disciples (The book doesn’t call them that, but there are 12 members of the tour and the Catholic Church (real and mostly imagined) plays a major role in the story.). Of course, a certain amount of duplicity is perpetrated on said protagonist, as well.

Keillor has a lot of fun with the Lutherans on the trip misunderstanding the Catholics and, sometimes, the Catholics not even understanding themselves. At one point, the pilgrims visit the Scala Sancta (allegedly the stairs Jesus climbed for his trial with Pontius Pilate) but Keillor identifies the alleged artifact as being the stairs Jesus climbed to the Lord’s Supper and, for good measure, suggests they saw the Sancta Sanctorum Cucina where the Lord’s Supper was prepared, too (p. 181). [Note: Besides the Last Supper having been held in Jerusalem, I think the Cucina is the name of a restaurant near the Vatican.] On another occasion, he refers to Pope Giovanni della Cancelleria (Pope John the Omitted) to offer a funny name that sounds almost plausible because Rome has a Palazzo della Cancelleria (p. 198).

I enjoyed the way Keillor handled his own character—neither stealing the show nor being immune to the comic events which occur in the story. And while I can’t really write about the ending without creating a dreadful spoiler, I can say that it seemed fitting—maybe not “poetic justice” but fitting. And speaking of the ending, don’t ignore the Epilogue. I wasn’t wild about the poem, but the bit with Keillor’s sister had me giggling from its wonderful absurdity.

Lake Wobegon will always be on my literary vacation list—even if I’d probably need to be a regular (and inebriated) patron of the Sidetrack Tap to find it anywhere except the occasional radio special and between the pages of a book like Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance.

[Michael Stutzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The humorist Garrison Keillor has a special place in the hearts of Minnesotans. This is particularly true for those who grew up when he did; a time when the Twin Cities Metro Area had a kinder, gentler reputation now marred by humorless, leftist politicians. "Scandihoovian" humor was the norm and made its mark on all of us, including Keillor's fellow suburbanites Joel and Ethan Coen.

Keillor's public persona started on a classical public radio station, where he was hired to spin classical records during the dreary morning shift. To conquer the ennui of working on dark winter mornings, he wrote comical advertisements for Jack's Auto Repair and other mythical businesses, and read them in a monotonous drone over the non-commercial airwaves. I was stunned when I first heard them coming from my alarm clock radio, as I struggled to wake up in time for class at the University of Minnesota. As his listenership grew, Minnesota Public Radio wisely decided to let him do his own thing, even when it meant frequent spinning of the Beach Boys ditty, "Help Me, Rhonda", which listeners placed among the Top 10 Classical Recordings featured by the station. MPR sponsored the landmark "Prairie Home Companion" broadcasts that national audiences are most familiar with.
But the "shy, bachelor farmer" he claimed to embody shined brightest in his fiction. He became a frequent contributor of humorous short stories in the New Yorker Magazine. Those were collected into publications, and Keillor inevitably started writing novels about Lake Wobegon and its steadily growing (in both number and development) cast of characters. The book "Pilgrims" is a self-referential work in which the now-famous Keillor is roped into subsidizing a dozen Wobegonians' tourist trip to Rome. Fans of The Prairie Home Companion will not be disappointed by the references to the Krebsbachs, Father Wilmer, Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery, the Sons of Knute Lodge, etc. Sex and alcohol play a role not explored during his radio shows. Rome's tourist attractions elicit Wobegon analogies, e.g. the Piazza Navona's fountains remind Wally Buntsen of the Minnesota Walleye Opener,and "Pretty amazing for a Lutheran to see this, huh?"
While you will laugh while turning pages, there are several better books in this series, including "Liberty" and "Wobegon Boy".

[Dave Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start but worth it to stay with it. Margie Krebsbach leads a group of Lake Wobegonians on a pilgrimage to Rome, ostensibly in order to honor one on their own who fell during the liberation of Rome in 1944 but really to escape her ordinary life. These books are not your child friendly tales from Prarie Home Companion and nothing is as it first seems. While the silly phony history bits making fun of touring Rome may wear a bit even a they invoke the spirit of Twain's Innocents Abroad, the epistliery old letters from the front our fallen hero sent his brother which Margie reads channel Mauldin's Up Front most satisfactory. Things move fast as we near the end if the tale and we really do wonder which way Margie will go. I actually enjoyed the epilogue, a somewhat mystical poem (and that is unusual for me) that caps this fine tale and perhaps turns the last paragraph into another kind of story.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The trip to Italy was a nice reading adventure. I had a hard time believing that Margie was so out of tune with Carl's worries over the financial situation. Apparently, she was a woman who did not share the financial responsibilities of the marriage. She did not once offer to help Carl with the financial dilemma but instead unconcernedly went about planning a trip to Italy for herself and her friends. She was self-centered and could only fret why Carl did not seem amorous anymore. What a feather brain!
It was a mindless romance, what can I say?

I finished this after Madam Bovary, another woman who could not seem to grasp the nuances of true love.

[June · Rating 1 out of 5]

I keep seeing these Lake Wobegon books and have the virus one on my TBR shelf, but now I don't know if I'll read it. In the interest of honesty, I must confess that I read this book, Pilgrims, a slow slog over the past several weeks.

Okay, I skimmed some and skipped a few pages, but still, what a waste of time in the middle of summer when I really don't have time to spare. It sits nose-down now in my trashcan, a fitting metaphor there.

There were tiny purple patches and a pleasant twist at the end, but mostly: only read this book if you've ever had a secret craving to read an old man's fantasy disguised as drivel.

[Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite Keillor book. A group of Lake Wobegons travel to Italy to honor the grave of a local war hero. For a twist, Keillor injects himself into the book as a minor character, much disliked by his fellow townspeople. The main character Margie is hoping to rekindle her marriage on the trip to Italy and has a few surprise "lessons" occur. I loved the characters and of course, he does a fantastic job of describing the Minnesotan values and attitudes.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if the local war hero wasn't a hero at all, but just someone who seized an opportunity? And what if that opportunity turned out to be his child, a child he never met? Would there be reason enough to fly off to Rome and decorate his grave any how? It's quite funny to watch as this all plays out.

[Dan Woessner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A trip to Rome to honor a Wobegon WWII veteran is a cover for the main character's desire to either save her marriage or determine that it's over. It's a classic Keillor story (this one he also appears as a character) with a combination of humor and commentary. Probably not my favorite of his books, but it was a quick read.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not a 5 star book but I really enjoy this world and these people Keillor has created, plus there are some genuinely funny scenes scattered throughout. I was heartened that his tone in this began to move back toward optimism after the more pessimistic turn in the previous two in the series. I also enjoyed your he meta nature of inserting himself as a contemporary character to the usual cast.

[David Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand some of the negative reviews that this book received. As a whole it does not quite hold together, drifting from person to person whose individual stories may or may not be interesting.

Yet I still very much enjoyed it with it very much capturing the flavor of the Lake Wobegon universe, with the citizens of lake Wobegon being strangers in a strange land. A fun weekend read.

[Michael Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is up to Keillor's usual standard. It is funny, sweet at times, bittersweet at other times, and all because in his radio-comedian voice, he can tell a story full of everyday clowns that seem so utterly real, you think you know them by their own real names in your own real life. Bravo! You need to read this.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a Garrison Keillor in quite some time, and I was anticipating more warmth. This story lacked the warmth of small town life that I recall in Keillor's previous books. Perhaps the story would translate better to the radio show. I was annoyed by Marjorie throughout most of the story.

[Andrea and Wendy Horwatt-Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I love Garrison Keillor, this is not his best work. He has his Lake Woebegone characters travel to Rome, and he goes along. Most of the book is spent insulting the Garrison Keillor character. Various absurdities occur, but it all ends good in the end. Fun but certainly not "deep".