Stories: An Audio Collection

by Garrison Keillor

“I think people have an absolute ear for what is true,” Garrison Keillor told an interviewer. It is this rare and marvelous sense of truth—of laughter, joy, and compassion and situations—that makes Keillor such a brilliant and beloved storyteller.

The collection includes: Your Book Saved My Life, Mister, End of the Trail, Meeting Famous People, Family Honeymoon Al Denny, Basketball, After A Fall, The Babe, We Are Still Married, Drowning, Attitude, Letter From Ruth Luger to Joanne Leinenkranz, Nu Er Der Youl Igen, The Chuck Show of Television.

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook

180 pages, Audio CD

Published April 28, 1993

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

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Keillor for years. But I've started to re-listen to a bunch of his collections on Audible.

This one is atypical of his work in that there's nothing at all about lake Wobegon. Just a bunch of varied stories. But they're all good, and In my opinion, the entire set is worth picking up just for the story"The Midlife Crisis of Dionysus."

Recommended.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Keillor. I listened to this collection of short stories in one day. Garrison had me smiling and laughing out loud many times. Anyone who loves folksy stories of Midwestern/Norwegian-American origin will love these tales told by the author himself.

[John Daily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keillor is a gifted writer and storyteller, but some of these just haven't aged well (and his sense of humor has never quite been mine).

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garrison Keillor. Need I say more?

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to Garrison Keillor tell these stories is a light-hearted, humor filled treat to listen to while waiting, driving, or looking for a reprieve from stresses de jour. Charmingly witty, tongue in cheek at times. His choices of stories and irreverent trips to familiar scenes and experiences growing into adulthood and beyond didn't disappoint this baby boomer.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hubby laughed twice while we listened to this audio book, both times I was jarred from the half-asleep-stupor that this book hypnotized me into.
I didn't like this book. He thought it was ok but said to me
"Please don't make me listen to anything else by this guy ever again."

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keillor really is a genius! These stories, I listened to them during my drive to Del Rio and back, were at time humorous, creative, off the wall and deeply touching.

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to Garrison Keillor read his own collection of random short stories may be the perfect gateway between A Prairie Home Companion and his fiction writing. This short collection seems to be chosen at random, most likely based on his own preference for the stories. The subject matter is as widely varied as possible and they seem to have been written at various stages of a long life of prolific writing for stage performance, standup, and literary purpose. Some read like essays, some like memoirs, some like radio programs, and some like short fiction. All are thought provoking and hilarious.

Not having read his fiction, I assumed most of Keillor’s writing would be somewhat like the radio shows, homespun Americana comedy reflecting a north midwestern humor. In fact, Keillor draws together some wide ranging talent in his various forms. It’s easy to see that he has really honed his ear and his pen in turn. His unexpected acerbic capacity often reminded me of Vonnegut in his scathing comic commentary on the vulgarity of culture. His impressive command of the commonplace and the halcyon reminds me of a less morose Raymond Carver and a less violent Stephen King.

Every one of these stories is a success, from the recollection of a small town baseball game where a decaying Baby Ruth plays just before he dies to an essay on what falling is like for tall people to a joke review of the circus freak show subject matter covered by day time talk shows. Keillor is helping to keep alive the radio format, the monologue, the short story, and so many of the zenith elements in great fiction writing.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of 15 of Garrison Keillor’s stories, some seemingly autobiographical, and some fictional. This is my first time reading/listening to Keillor (though I may have come across his work in a compilation). I can see why he was so popular for so long. He’s a good storyteller and knows how to deliver humor. My favorites were those in a fictional first-person narration, particularly “Your Book Saved My Life, Mister” about an author and an encounter with a fan that goes horribly wrong, and “Letter fromRuth Luger to Joanne Leinenkranz” in which a woman recounts the trials of a trip visiting her husband’s old buddies.
But many of these were just okay. There were several about sports that didn’t resonate with me because I’m not really interested in sports. Some were dated, and often this wasn’t a big deal. But those with heavy pop culture references, like “The Chuck Show of Television” set in the golden age of daytime talk shows (Oprah, Geraldo, Donahue, et al.) didn’t age well. There was some mild sexism, a product of the time, but more glaring were jokes at the expense of LGBTQ people. I remember when most comedians used being gay or trans as the punchline, and this material was recorded in the 1970s-1980s. At the time, people probably found it funny, but now, even if you can ignore the offensiveness as a reflection of the time (and appreciate how awful it must have been to be gay back then), the humor just falls flat.
Overall, this was just okay for me. It passed the time in traffic, and I’d check out more of Keillor’s work, but I’m not rushing out to find it.

[Kevin Foehrkolb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mix of stories read by Keillor in a studio and a few live-recorded stories from his old radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” I was a big fan decades ago, but his stories have become somewhat outdated in these less innocent and complex times. Most of the stories were somewhat dull and unremarkable, but a few were funny and creative. If you are unfamiliar with Keillor’s work but like Mark Twain’s novels, you will like Keillor’s stories and novels, too.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of Keillor's stories read by the author, some recorded with live audiences. If you're a fan, this is a "must listen". Keillor's calm, midwestern voice and his down-home storytelling is well represented here. Nothing earthshattering, just Keillor at his best.

[Sarah M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always entertaining and easy to listen too, Garrison Keillor can whip up stories out of this air and deliver them to audiences with such wit and charm that he will always be a favorite.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's still the greatest.

[Josh Bauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keillor tells a story like nobody's business.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good,fun stories.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection. Nostalgic. Great to listen to on a road trip.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy his stories but some of these were a bit over the top.

[Josh Cleveland · Rating 2 out of 5]

He’s a great storyteller. Also: several of these stories and his language didn’t age well at all.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a good Garrison Keillor story, especially when read by the author. This collection is of some of his best, some from his paper columns, and some performed before an audience at one of his many shows. Some are quite dark, some just laugh out loud funny, but all beautifully written, with his customary self depreciation, and with just enough bleakness to give everyday events an insight into what it is to be human. Really liked Family honeymoon, and also Meeting famous people.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed a lot of these stories, some I think I just didn't relate to. I especially liked the one about the smokers and his thoughts after a fall. Since it was an audio edition, I don't remember the true titles (forgive me, Mr. Keillor). It is worth a listen if you have a few extra minutes, he has a gift at story telling. :0)

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this audiobook and will give it to my sister. It's good classic Keillor stuff. Unashamedly a bit preachy, but never takes himself too seriously. Not all of these are gems, but neither are my reviews. Makes me want to write like crazy. Can't get enough of the guy from Lake Wobegon.

[Mary Zombori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed through the entire audio of this book, and I don't even like baseball or softball. Great stories.

[Tray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some real good short stories. My favorite ones were the quit smoking story and the 5 week family vacation. Give it a listen and tell me your favorite~

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realize he wrote more than Lake Wobegon... this was very entertaining, especially read by the author on audio! I plan to read more of his work.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hit and miss. Some really entertaining stories, but an equal number of forgettable ones. I enjoy Keillor but this was a bit uneven.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good hoot, but not a distraction as I was driving.

[Shirley Yant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything Keillor. He is a very humorous writer.