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Happy to Be Here
In these reflections on our lives and times, Keillor invites readers to join "The Shy Rights Movement", to drop in at "The People's Shopper", and to hear the truth behind the Cinderella legend as explained in the consciousness-raised lingo of "My Stepmother Myself".
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
March 1st 1999
by Faber and Faber
(first published 1981)
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Along with "The Book Of Guys" and "WLT", this is probably my favourite Keillor work. Essentially, this gathers up all the non-Wobegon material from the early part of his career -- and a lot of it is absolutely side-splitting.
"Happy to Be Here" consists entirely of unrelated short pieces, mostly originally written for The New Yorker. In them, Keillor deftly (but never snidely) parodies old radio serials, comic books, 70s self-help columns, small-town newspapers, government press releases, hard-b...more
"Happy to Be Here" consists entirely of unrelated short pieces, mostly originally written for The New Yorker. In them, Keillor deftly (but never snidely) parodies old radio serials, comic books, 70s self-help columns, small-town newspapers, government press releases, hard-b...more
I have had a tumultuous relationship with Keillor's writing. In short, I greatly enjoyed the novel Wobgeon Boy and I also enjoy his radio show, but I disliked "The Book of Guys" and, to a lesser extent,"Happy To Be Here. I think there's just something about his short stories that leaves me unsettled and doesn't offer enough substance/plot for my tastes.
The first section of the book kept me in mind of the way I felt reading the short stories in Salinger's Nine Stories. This is another author whos...more
The first section of the book kept me in mind of the way I felt reading the short stories in Salinger's Nine Stories. This is another author whos...more
I so wanted to like all of this book, but some of it is self-indulgent and badly in need of a blue pencil. He does have a tendency to rattle on forever past the point where the point was made, and after a while it seems amateurish and high-schoolish. The concise bits were much better than the ones that seemed to go on and on and on. I think at this stage in his life Keillor was still rebelling against a lot of his early life and needed to shock people a little bit, and possibly he did here - but...more
This book came from a random box o'box. It took me a second to get use to the train of thought as I had no idea what to expect. After a while, I really appreciated it and laughed out loud so to speak.
I enjoyed the chapter on step-mothers and how they got a bad wrap. I liked the re-write of the stories of Snow, Cinderella and Gretal. It was reminiscent of Wicked, in many ways.
I also enjoyed the little story about middle men in the arts. Ask for $10,000 v. $100,000 seems so appropriate in light...more
I enjoyed the chapter on step-mothers and how they got a bad wrap. I liked the re-write of the stories of Snow, Cinderella and Gretal. It was reminiscent of Wicked, in many ways.
I also enjoyed the little story about middle men in the arts. Ask for $10,000 v. $100,000 seems so appropriate in light...more
Seems as if somehow other readers want this to be, or thought it is, something other than what it is. It is not 'stories.' It is not a companion to Lake Wobegon or even to Prairie Home Companion.
It is a whole bunch of very funny essays. Most (all?) are parodies and it does help, somewhat, to recognize the assorted source materials. For example "Plainfolks" is inspired by the Foxfire 3 (Foxfire series. And if you've never read serial comic books or pulp fiction magazines you'll not fully apprecia...more
It is a whole bunch of very funny essays. Most (all?) are parodies and it does help, somewhat, to recognize the assorted source materials. For example "Plainfolks" is inspired by the Foxfire 3 (Foxfire series. And if you've never read serial comic books or pulp fiction magazines you'll not fully apprecia...more
Of all the many Keillor books I've read this was my least favorite. Not that it's bad, because of course it isn't, it's just a collection of short stories and I probably should have been reading a novel, because that's what I like to read. Read several of the stories to my wife after kids were in bed and we laughed and laughed together, which made the whole thing worth it. Best when read out loud in bed.
ISBN 0140092315 - To be honest, I'd like to get back the time I spent reading this book. It's not awful, it's not particularly good, but I found little in it that appealed to me and I wouldn't read it again. Keillor seems like the kind of guy it would be fun to have a drink with, but Happy To Be Here? Eh.
- AnnaLovesBooks
- AnnaLovesBooks
I just couldn't finish this book. It is written in stories and I have a hard time staying with it. I did find some of the material amusing, but some of it was not. I thoroughly enjoyed another book by this author so I will certainly read another one that a friend has lent to me.
if you enjoy short stories, there's so nice ones in here. but i've found that short stories either leave me wanting more, or feeling like i've just wasted 20 minutes of my reading time.
Garrison Keillor jusy makes me chuckle. And I needed a chuckle. Here's a gem: "I had hit bottom, the depths, the Zasu Pitts, the Rudy Vallee, the utter Ralph Nader of my existence."
I liked the first part of this book (Woebegone-like character stories) far more than the rest of this, which dealt with baseball, political humor, and even some weird science fiction.
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11147543
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11147543
If you enjoy NPR's A Prairie Home Companion you'll enjoy this collection of short stories.
All chapters are funny, some are most hilarious.
I came to Garrison Keillor backwards. First I saw the movie, then I started listening to Prairie Home Companion, and now I've tried out one of his books. I liked it. Although, I think I struggled without his literal voice to hear the literary one (it's the that dry wit). I didn't love it, but I'm intrigued to move on to Lake Wobegon.
Somewhat funny, some boring and dumb
I didn't really finish reading and I never will. It was not my "style" of enjoyment. I didn't really get into the few stories I read and I don't think I will try any longer.
A collection of essays written for The New Yorker. As with all collections, it is hit and miss. I am a fan of the radio show so it is easy for me to hear him reading these stories with his voice. That helps, but I'd have to say this is a so-so collection. I do recommend the Snow White story. Pretty funny.
Essays/Stories/News from Lake Woebegon/etc. Many laugh out loud funny. I esp. like Jack Schmidtt, Arts Administrator.
I didn't get the humor in this until we were at book club discussing it. It was ok, but I'm not sure I would read another Keillor book... well, maybe down the road sometime?
if you love garrison keillor this is a great story of small town USA - it reminds me that we never really know people as well as we think we do
May 19, 2008
Jeanne
added it
Another of Garrison's masterful portrayals of just folks you'd like to meet! Reread this one more than once!
Maybe I needed Garrison Keillor's voice to go along with these stories, but they were just kind of "meh"
This was Keillor's first book. His writing has improved since then.
Happy to Be Here by Garrison Keillor (1982)
Have first Edition of this book signed by the author.
Jun 12, 2013
Howie Dodds
marked it as to-read
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Garrison Keillor (born Gary Edward Keillor on August 7, 1942 in Anoka, Minnesota) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist, and radio personality.
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“God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.”
—
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