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The Tall Pine Polka
by
Lorna Landvik (Goodreads Author)
In the small town of Tall Pine, Minnesota, at the Cup O’Delight Cafe, the townsfolk gather for what they call the Tall Pine Polka, an event in which heavenly coffee, good food, and that feeling of being alive among friends inspires both body and soul to dance. There’s the cafe owner, the robust and beautiful Lee O’Leary, who escaped to the northwoods from an abusive husban...more
Paperback, 464 pages
Published
May 29th 2001
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1999)
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Lorna Landvik has a special way of making small town characters come alive!!
From back cover:
"In the small town of Tall Pine, Minnesota, at the Cup O'Delight Cafe, the townsfolk gather for what they call the Tall Pine Polka, an event in which heavenly coffee, good food, and that feeling of being alive among friends inspires both body and soul to dance. There's the cafe owner, the robust and beautiful Lee O'Leary, who escaped to the northwoods from an abusive husband; Miss Penk and Frau Katt, the...more
From back cover:
"In the small town of Tall Pine, Minnesota, at the Cup O'Delight Cafe, the townsfolk gather for what they call the Tall Pine Polka, an event in which heavenly coffee, good food, and that feeling of being alive among friends inspires both body and soul to dance. There's the cafe owner, the robust and beautiful Lee O'Leary, who escaped to the northwoods from an abusive husband; Miss Penk and Frau Katt, the...more
Tiny Tall Pine, MN sets the stage for a tale of friendship, tragedy, and hope. It also sets the stage for a Hollywood film: Ike and Inga.
The focal point of this novel can be found in the gatherings at the Cup O’Delight Café. This is the heart and soul of Tall Pine and the home of the Tall Pine Polka.
By the way, the Tall Pine Polka is not a dance; it is a state of mind. It is the sharing of one’s talents and the celebration of life in the company of good friends. Isn’t that wonderful?
There isn’t...more
The focal point of this novel can be found in the gatherings at the Cup O’Delight Café. This is the heart and soul of Tall Pine and the home of the Tall Pine Polka.
By the way, the Tall Pine Polka is not a dance; it is a state of mind. It is the sharing of one’s talents and the celebration of life in the company of good friends. Isn’t that wonderful?
There isn’t...more
I am wavering between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I loved the writing style - tongue in cheek, omniscient narrator - but the characters weren't my favorite, or maybe they just didn't seem believable to me. At the risk of giving anything away, I didn't like the love triangle and Big Bill didn't impress me (maybe because he has no life savings?). I liked the idea of a small town- the Hollywood storyline was entertaining as well - and you can tell the author has inside knowledge of how it all works....more
Fenny Ness is cast as the main character in a movie that is shot in her hometown, Tall Pine Minnesota. But the important story is her friends and their love for each other: the cafe owner, Lee O'Leary, who escaped to the northwoods from an abusive husband; Miss Penk and Frau Katt, the town's only lesbian couple; Pete, proprietor of the Shoe Shack; Mary, whose bad poetry can clear out the cafe in seconds flat. Big Bill comes to town and Lee develos a crush on him while Fenny falls for him too. Th...more
This novel is a lovely big friendly book, lots of characters you care about, and feel instantly at home with. The story of the people of Tall Pine,Minnesota and that of the film people who for a short time become a part of Tall Pine is a real rollercoaster, funny, sad and dramatic. The story highlights (if it needed highlighting) just how stupid the whole celebrity thing is - that the whole world is obessed with these days. Those things which are really important are more basic and everyday than...more
I enjoyed this book and the characters, but.... In my opinion there was too much; too many characters, too much going on. There were so many different outlandish things going on and over the top characters that it was hard to relate to each one. Right when I began to feel sympathy for one character, something else happened to switch my focus to another character, and on and on. When I felt the book should end; something else magnanimous happened until at the end I had trouble even caring about t...more
This is a story of the regulars who frequented The Cup O'Delight Cafe in Tall Pine, Minnesota. The Tall Pine Polka is a gathering of those regulars at the cafe after hours to drink the coffee, share food, and to dance. It is a time of good fellowship among frineds.
Some of the characters are Lee O'Leary, who owns the cafe and who escaped (or thought she did) from an abusive husband to land in Tall Pine. Miss Penk and Frau Katt are the town's lesbian couple whose devotion to each other is strong...more
Some of the characters are Lee O'Leary, who owns the cafe and who escaped (or thought she did) from an abusive husband to land in Tall Pine. Miss Penk and Frau Katt are the town's lesbian couple whose devotion to each other is strong...more
Lorna Landvik, author of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, has written a book about the residents of Tall Pine, Minnesota. Main character, Fenny Ness, is perfectly content in her small town until she gets cast as the leading role in a movie being filmed in Tall Pine. Life for all the characters in the small town is turned upside-down by the film crew.
This book was light and fun. Just the kind of book that a reader should just breeze through but, for some reason, it took a real commitment of time...more
This book was light and fun. Just the kind of book that a reader should just breeze through but, for some reason, it took a real commitment of time...more
Tall Pine, Minnesota has a lot to recommend it: quirky townsfolk who share traits that can be defined as folksy, friendly, nosy, and any number of other adjectives. But what really connects the residents of this town near the Canadian border is their unique gathering place known as the Cup O'Delight Café, made famous for its delicious coffee made with a secret blend known only to its owner, Lee O'Leary.
We meet many of the residents in the opening pages, as they enter the café and order breakfast...more
We meet many of the residents in the opening pages, as they enter the café and order breakfast...more
I liked this book, but not as much as I really wanted to, and nowhere near as much as I enjoyed some of Landvik's other offerings. Though the cast of characters was initially interesting, they all seemed a little too eccentric as the novel progressed. The movie in a small town element was done better in the movie State and Main, and I for one thought there were too many subplots running throughout the novel which overcomplicated it all.
I did think that Fenny, Bill and Lee were well-drawn, devel...more
I did think that Fenny, Bill and Lee were well-drawn, devel...more
Every time I go into a bookstore or library I check to see if certain authors have released any new books (fingers crossed, oh please! Oh please!) So I was delighted when The Tall Pine Polka was released. I had gobbled up both Patty Jane's House of Curl and Your Oasis on Flame Lake and was hungrily awaiting another novel from Landvik, who has become one of my all-time favorite authors. As with previous Landvik works, Polka iss et in a small lakeside town in Minnesota. the majority of the charact...more
Highly entertaining. This felt like Prairie Home Companion meets chick lit. The plot is ridiculous, but that was fine with me since it seemed to be a book that's more about friendships and the zaniness of small town midwestern life than a convincing, compelling plot. I laughed out loud more than once. The author is great at illustrating small town Minnesota and its crazy characters. Perfect summer or weekend read. I'll definitely be picking up more of Landvik's work in the future.
I liked the cute small town in this book
and most of the characters, but at some point the heroine and her beau started annoying
the royal daylights out of me and I found my face tense from glaring at their words. Not
often, but more than I'd prefer, I'd get knocked out of the story because the way she wrote
a couple of sentences irked me. I would cringe. It reminded me of bad sitcom writing.
and most of the characters, but at some point the heroine and her beau started annoying
the royal daylights out of me and I found my face tense from glaring at their words. Not
often, but more than I'd prefer, I'd get knocked out of the story because the way she wrote
a couple of sentences irked me. I would cringe. It reminded me of bad sitcom writing.
Author for 2009 Book Festival. Fits the woman's book group genre. Minnesota author. Set in northern Minnesota. similar to Ganni Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Even minor characters are three dimensional. Includes Native American issues, gay couples, small town closeness. Friends and neighbors even though you really do not even like each other at times.
This was the second Lorna Landvik book I've read (the first was Patty Jane's House of Curl). Landvik keeps that plot twisting, there's no way to predict the ending from the halfway point. The story takes place in northern Minnesota with jaunts to well known cities which was fun for me as a reader. There are a few plotlines going with Fenny being the main character in most of them, but it's not too much. Overall I really liked it and would recommend it.
I was in search a light fun read & I found it here. I'm always a sucker for an interesting title and this Lorna Landvik didn't let me down. She throws several over-the-top quirky characters together on to a twisty turny (almost unbelievable) plot line. Beautiful escapism. Saved me from becoming too serious and down in the mouth about my reading :).
Lorna Landvik does angst like no other writer. I seriously adore her. This was not the best of her novels but it was satisfying none the less. What I found appealing was the complicated characters. In addition, I found myself taken by surprise by the plot twists. No small feat when frankly you get to the point when you have read them all!
I liked this book, but I'm only giving it 3 stars because it is not nearly as good as other books Lorna Landvik has written. I felt there were too many character storylines going on that it was hard to get a good depth to any of them. All in all it was entertaining, but feel there could have been more had she not tried to intertwine so many characters and relationships. There was potential for it to be great, but in the end it fell a little short. I do want to read more from her, as I have enjoy...more
Hot dish, bars, and leftsa if you have ever lived in the mid-west you probably know what they are. I got a kick out of those references in the book. I never would have known what they were until I lived in North Dakota a few years back. The story was cute, fun, and original with an interesting cast of characters.
I was expecting a better book, more like Billie Lette, Where the Heart is or Honk and Holler, Opening Soon - the plot and quirky characters have the appeal of Billie Lette's characters, but not as well done. still, it was a good read, entertaining and worth finishing with some surprises at the end.
I read this long ago, but somehow didn't put it on my shelf. I remember only a little about it, other than that there are quirky characters, and a small town with a tight-knit community. A movie crew comes into town and disrupts the dynamics; relationships are strained but all works out in the end.
Simply stated, I had fun reading this book. The characters really do come alive. If you are from a small town, you can picture yourself in your own small town polka...that is until the book takes a weird dramatic turn. I assume the dramatic turn is supposed to appeal to our need for sensationalism, but the characters (as they were brought to life in the first part of the book), did not seem consistent in the second part of the book. In the end I felt let down. It was still a fun book. I just wou...more
Comments before reading: I recieved this book as a gift for secret santa exchange. I was not sure if I would ever read it but after reading the book reviews from fellow good readers I'm looking forward to reading it. I hope it won't be too disappointing. This will be the first book I've read from Lorna Landvik so I hope I like the style of writing.
Comments after reading: I did like this book and there were moments where I found myself laughing out loud. I did not like the start of part 2 in the...more
Comments after reading: I did like this book and there were moments where I found myself laughing out loud. I did not like the start of part 2 in the...more
Lost souls finding their way in a small Minnesota town. Reminds me of the many individuals I meet in my little village in upstate NY. Loved the quirky characters trying to figure out life, love and all the other important L's (laughter, lifestyle, lust, location and more).
I have read all of Lorna Landvik's books. About half of them I absolutely love and the other half are just ok. This is one of the just ok books. Not up to par with her other novels. She always has fun characters, this book just got a little too smaltzy and far fetched.
Totally easy to read and enjoyable but some of the plot seemed a bit outlandish/predictable. Maybe it should be a 4-star, I don't know. It was perfect for what I needed though - an easy book to read while nursing that didn't consume me and make me want to read it all the time.
I found this book a goof read. However, as I got farther and farther into the book I kept feeling like the book should end. While the events were well connected some of the later elements seemed stretched and at times almost too much for my taste.
Someone called this book "book candy" and that is an apt description. It was a silly, fun read, just perfect for today's climate. I couldn't take any more bad news so this book was great. It was a page turner and a very quick read.
Landvik's books may be a little cliched and sometimes farfetched but the characters are always so quirky that you just wish they were some of your best friends to hang out with. Her books have always delighted me.
Jan 28, 2010
Torie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Torie by:
My grandmother.
Shelves:
2010-reads
Finally! I finished this book. At first it just pokes along and then *bam*! Something big happens and the book starts flowing from there. It's a great story with a bit of humor about life as it just happens to the vast majority of us all. It's a great read if you just want to read something casual and human.
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Lorna Landvik is a mother of two and wife of one. She is the author of eight novels, including the best-selling ANGRY HOUSEWIVES EATING BON BONS, PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL and OH MY STARS. Also an
actor and playwright, Lorna has appeared in many stage productions. She is a new and passionate neophyte to the practice of yoga, which is a fine antidote to her long established practice of lounging.
More about Lorna Landvik...
actor and playwright, Lorna has appeared in many stage productions. She is a new and passionate neophyte to the practice of yoga, which is a fine antidote to her long established practice of lounging.
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Jan 29, 2010 11:23am