Liberty: A Novel of Lake Wobegon

Lake Wobegon #8

by Garrison Keillor

Clint Bunsen is one of the old reliables in Lake Wobegon: the treasurer of the Lutheran church and the auto mechanic who starts your car on below-zero mornings. For six years he has run the Fourth of July parade, turning what was once a line of pickup trucks and girls pushing baby carriages that hold their cats into an event of dazzling spectacle. Blazing bands, marching units, cannons, horses, a fireworks show, and the famous Living Flag - one thousand men and women wearing red, white, or blue, standing in formation - have attracted the attention of CNN and prompted the governor to put in an appearance as well. The town is dizzy with anticipation. Until, that is, they hear of Clint's ambition to run for Congress. They're embarrassed for him. They know him too well: his unfortunate episodes involving vodka sours, his rocky marriage. And then there is his friendship, or whatever it is, with the twenty-four-year-old girl who dresses up as the Statue of Liberty for the parade. It's rumored that underneath those robes she is buck naked, and that her torch contains a quart of booze.
It's Lake Wobegon as it's always been: good loving people who drive each other crazy.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Audiobook, Comedy, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

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 2 out of 5]

With "Lake Wobegon Days" and "Leaving Home" Garrison Keillor took readers to the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, giving us memorable characters, some witty observations and some good natured humor. Those two novels are among my favorite books and I enjoy Keillor's monologues about "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve."

But in his last two Lake Wobegon novels, Keillor has the guy who could have been voted class clown to having a dark, meaner streak to his humor and observations--and the books have suffered as a result.

"Liberty" is the latest example of Keillor gone horribly wrong, going for sardonic and sarcastic instead of his usual witty and warm storytelling style.

"Liberty" centers on Clint Bunsen, turning 60 and in charge of the annual Fourth of July parade. Clint has been married for years but thanks to the Internet has met a younger woman who claims to be psychic and played Miss Liberty in the parade last year. He's having an affair, being run off the leadership of his committee and wondering just what happened to his life and feeling unfulfilled. All of this could lead to some interesting observations on life, marriage and the nature of love but instead it's all told in such a sardonic style that you're left not caring about any of these characters. It feels almost like we've wandered into a parallel universe Lake Wobegon story where people look and act about the same, but there is something fundamentally wrong at the core.

There are some funny moments in the story, but this novel isn't your typical Keillor Lake Wobegon novel. It's more in vein of "WLT" and some of his other short essays and while those are enjoyable it's not what I expect or want from a Lake Wobegon story.

The last two Lake Wobegon books have left me disappointed with Keillor, wondering if he's tiring of his fictional town and maybe if it wouldn't be better to leave fans the fond memories of him from "Lake Wobegon Days" instead of more books like "Liberty" or "Pontoon."

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read Lake Wobegon Days years ago, I was delighted. The people were so real and the stories warm and funny. I got nearly as much enjoyment from Leaving Home, but nothing since then has resonated quite as much. And now he really must be getting tired, because his last two books have been disappointing in every way. Pontoon was a rehash of things he had written before, with nothing new to say. And Liberty has only new, unpleasant things to say. The characters are all the same ones we have met before, but with all the warmth and humanity drained from them. Keillor's humor, which, though it has always had a touch of the adolescent about it, is usually so enjoyable, is here all heavy irony and Benny Hill slapstick. Reread Lake Wobegon Days instead.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long-time devotee of Lake Woebegon, I have been missing the humor of Garrison Keillor for a while. Yes, I subscribe to his weekly column and reread the Writer's Almanac every day, so I haven't lost the sound of his voice or cadence in my ear. But it was the people of that small town who were slowly moving away from me. Luckily I found this book at a library sale. They are much more complicated than I remember.

The living flag is a highlight here as July 4 approaches. Clint Bunsen learns he is Latino, not Norwegian, and an identity crisis threatens the peace. CNN and the governor create havoc and the strong women of town notice Lady Liberty may not be wearing anything under her gown.

I'm pleased to note I laughed out loud.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's put it this way: if I were married to Garrison Keillor, I'd be a wee trifle concerned by his sudden fascination with adultery. This one (like the last) is pretty well focused there. C'mon, Garrison: this isn't what we read your books for!

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big 4th of July parade is being planned for Lake Wobegon, by personalities who have personal agendas. What could possibly go wrong? And then there is Clint, who is having a kind of midlife crisis, and he is in charge of the parade. Hilarious.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine book in the Garrison tradition. Depressing in a healthy way, and very older guy-focused. It made me wonder how a young person and/or a woman would react to it.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your typical Garrison Keillor. This one has interjected a lot of zing into the story. Keillor used his famous humor in chuckling at a small town's preparations for the 4th of July! Perfect for summer reading, as I laughed a lot!

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Garrison Keillor’s great talent is the vignette, the brief look at human beings caught in defining moments, or perhaps in moments of utter triviality. The results are memorable.

Maybe the problem in “Liberty” is that he is much less skillful at linking those vignettes. In his zeal to create action, he ended up with a near potboiler.

The story centers around 60-year-old Clint Bunsen, whose greatest role in Lake Wobegon has been management of the July Fourth parade. But he has ruffled feathers and feels unappreciated. His wife and work don’t interest him much, either. He considers running away to California with a woman of 28, or perhaps running for Congress. These discontents and fantasies do ring true.

But would Irene Bunsen really wield a gun? And would Myrtle Krepsbach actually talk dirty to Clint Bunsen? Keillor seems to want to show that these homespun characters are more than meets the eye, but I can’t take these moments seriously.

The governor of Minnesota, appearing in the July Fourth parade, is inadvertently photographed with a naked woman (Miss Liberty had a wardrobe malfunction). His career is over, and Keillor has his stand-in for Larry Craig and numerous other politicians in their gotcha moments.

So the result is a potpourri of slapstick and crisis moments.

On the other hand, I did keep listening. Garrison Keillor is made for audio. The man can deliver a story, even one that is often silly.

[Tlnorz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was originally going to give this book a 3 just because there is not a way to give a book a 3.5. It is a short, silly, book but I keep thinking about some of its themes so it must have affected me some. Any book that you think about days/weeks after you read it is worth more than a 3, or a 3.5. Maybe it's a 3.85. Heck, I'll just give it a 4.

Like all of Keillor's book, this one has plenty of laughs, plenty of dumb humor, and some potty humor too.

This book has a lot to say (in my opinion) on something most of do as we get older -- look back on our life and decide if we got it right. So, it will mean more to you and resonate with you more if you are getting up there in age -- which I am.

The aging, conflicted, male is a common theme in Keillor's books. Perhaps it is cathartic for him to write about middle aged men aging not-so-gracefully. Or, maybe it is just fun for him to write about that particular subject. Either way, I would recommend this book -- to anyone over 40.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the disappointment of Keillor's "WLT," this book was back to his strength -- stories of Lake Wobegon. While it has some of his trademark naughtiness, it's not as blatant and overbearing as it was in "WLT." The Lake Wobegon stories are so good because you KNOW these people -- not just because of his weekly broadcasts on "A Prairie Home Companion," but because you've met people just as he describes. Those characterizations are the bedrock of Keillor's work. This is the story of Clint Bunson, who is having a mid-life crisis and wondering, at 60 years old, if life turned out the way he wanted. In the end, he discovers what life is all about. A satisfying and quick read. If you enjoyed "Lake Wobegon Days," you will enjoy "Liberty."

[MB (What she read) · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I really enjoyed Pontoon, this book lacked Pontoon's hilarity and just didn't do much for me. I felt kind of depressed when I'd finished it. To me, the book's humor seems slanted towards men, particularily men undergoing mid-life crisises??? Maybe it's just me...

Are there any women out there who enjoyed this book? I'm curious as to what you thought.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

great quick read. especially fun if you are a prairie home companion fan. warning though there are a few racey parts and it is a little weird to here garrisom keillor's voice narrating them in your head!

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy National Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion and Garrison Keillor's stories about Lake Wobegon. However, an entire book on the subject is a bit boring and, I am sorry to say, not very funny.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit that I didn't finish the book, but I really had no desire to finish it. There were a few hilarious moments, but then some turns to the story I really didn't care for.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the radio show on a printed page. I could almost hear Garrison's voice as I was reading this. The stream of consciousness style of the radio show transitions well to the printed page.

Clint Bunsen is going through an existential crisis. Clint starts thinking of how he should have just followed what he wanted to do and all the could-have- beens of his life. He's a Republican and a good mechanic and that seems to be a good enough thing for his wife and for the town busybodies. This clash of what Clint wants and how he sees himself versus how the town and his family sees him creates feelings of not being appreciated and perhaps adds to a sense of depression. It all takes place against the backdrop of a big parade that is held each year in Lake Wobegone. It might not be his first crisis but towards the last several chapters it seems he has managed it well.

Small town life in Minnesota does not appear to be much different than small towns throughout the Midwest.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have wanted to read/listen to a Garrison Keillor book for a long time. I have tried reading this book and I just wasn't able to get into it. Audiobook cure. It was about 6 hours long, making it a pretty quick read. The story continues to be kind of slow and uninteresting as it is building up in the beginning.

I enjoy the parts where he sings.

The climax of the book can be seen from a mile away, but it is told as a story from a small town so the climax probably should be obvious. The resolution is not necessarily what you would expect. As a younger old person I don't yet resonate with these characters, but I probably will one day.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

And we're back in Lake Wobegon with all of the favorites. This book really revolves around Clint Bunsen and the escapades around the 4th of July parade and his affair with a mid 20's yoga instructor. That's the setup and that's all Keillor needs to craft another yarn about the town that time forgot.

It was good and had everything you would expect from Keillor, great characters, great writing and plenty of humor. Clint was never one of my favorite characters from the town and that made a strong four star book into a three star book for me (I give ratings based on my enjoyment of the book and not their literary merit).

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not the endearing Lake Woebegone of the past with the quirky, loveable characters whose lives we enjoyed following week by week. No tender insights into human nature or family love, no silly spats among neighbors, no focus on virtues or faith, nothing to make you cry or grow, no talk of Scandanavian dishes or casseroles with canned soup. This is more the dark side of a familiar character. His undoing, his depression. As some have sad, it's written from a man's point of view, focusing on fantasies women can't relate to. I hope GK will return to the Lake Woebegone we all love.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Garrison Keillor’s storytelling and this is an excellently written book. However, I just did not enjoy it. The whole story uses one of his long running Lake Woebegone tropes as the centerpiece- the town’s 4th of July celebration. There are genuinely funny moments in this book but the focus on a longstanding character’s midlife crisis and affair was not enjoyable reading for me. While I appreciate Keillor’s skill at storytelling and his keen wit, I did not dig this one. I hope the final two Woebegone books are back on track. Listened to the audiobook, production was outstanding.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cabin Read #9: The good part of this novel was revisiting Lake Wobegon. Always fun to see what some of my favorite Lutheran’s are up to. However, I don’t think I gained anything by reading this, and certainly wouldn’t have missed something by not. I think there’s so much written about men reaching mid-life and having a crisis (affair), that there’s really not much new to add on the subject. For me, the main character’s long suffering wife, Irene, was the most interesting. Otherwise, it’s just a big, long whine about a guy blaming others for his own choices.

[Lizzann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although we like Garrison Keillor, we just couldn't get into this book. We like to listen to books on road trips and had gotten the audio version read by the author himself. There were a few smiles on the first cd but not enough to to make us want to put the second cd into the player. Perhaps we were too accustom to shorter versions of stories on the radio show that are so well crafted. I believe that a short story may be more difficult to write.

[John Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good holiday read for Lake Woebegone fans though this novel rather than collection of short stories stretches credulity its farce rather than comedy. Keillor can write a racier story than he can read on the radio and takes full advantage - I had no idea the buttoned up citizens of Lake Woebegon could be so naughty - a good stretch if you think you know what the Lake Woebegon world is about. If you like the familiar you won't like it! Good fun.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I missed after moving back home was my weekend journeys to Lake Wobegon. It's a wonder that Keillor wasn't turfed out of his home state after making such fun of its denizens. I hope I didn't scare the neighbours laughing out loud on the deck, but this book is so funny that I want to read it aloud to the family as we used to do with Stephen Leacock. And to think I bought this book at the Mennonite Central Committee store! Nudity, adultery, swearing, mockery - they're all in here.

[Nikolai Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young adult, I worry too often about living an unfulfilled and meaningless life, so "Liberty" proved to be an interesting meditation on regret, old age, identity, and patriotism in small-town America. Keillor is, as always, a cynical but comical writer with the natural ability to have a voice that's both poetic and pragmatic in his musings. It's a fun, quick read that flows really well.

[Mystery Theater · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once in a while you read a book and you are eager to finish so you can leave a Rotten Review. This is that book. A negative, rambling, depressing, hopeless view of humanity, without any redeeming humor unless you consider public humiliation funny.

At least 50% of the pages are useless sidetracks, making it not only depressing, but dull and full of irrelevant babble.

Keillor, you grow prolix.

[Kyndra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was funny, but not interesting enough to hold my interest to the very end. I love Garrison Keillor, but the emphasis on adultery in this one was a bit much for me to enjoy it as much as I would have otherwise.

[Virma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is not as good as Pontoon. Still same small town and characters but a little darker and not so many laughs. Not sure if author is trying to have more drama or “ depth” but I was looking for laughs and a fun easy read.

[David Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't always enjoy Keillor's novels; his collections of essays are usually better. But this one was really good, the story of a man going through a late mid-life crisis as he tries to understand what his life has been and will be.

[M. B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretentious drivel. I loved Keillor’s Lake Woebegon days but this was stupid. Keillor was not embracing these characters, he was ridiculing them and you wind up being absolutely grossed out by them. Sad.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a typical Lake Wobegon story of Norwegians trying to live life to the fullest, politicians trying to bamboozle the electorate, and all hell breaking loose in the midst of a 4th of July parade being broadcast to the world.