It is the story of Clint Bunson's slightly late mid-life crisis. He has reached the age of 60 and is wondering whether he made a dreadful mistake nearly 30 years ago and has wasted his life. This is set against the 4 July celebrations in Lake Wobegon, the organization of which is a further distraction to him.
One one side, it is a serious story about getting older and wondering "what if ...", but it is written in a light-hearted and easy to read style, with sharply drawn characters and many moments of humour.
The author's use of words is always precise, with occasional moments of inspiration. At one point, he is discussing the working of a committee and says "After all was said and done, a lot was said and not much done." Elsewhere, he refers to the result of someone passing wind with a charming simile: "The smell in the air was like buzzards had died from eating rotten eggs."
I will certainly come back and read some more by Garrison Keillor in due course.
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