The Book of Guys: Stories (Paperback)

~ (Author) "MADAME CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY AND JUDICIARY, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SKILLED TRADES, MY FRIENDS IN THE PRESS, FELLOW..." (more)
Key Phrases: ear for dialogue, Big Al, Earl Grey, Miss Rasmussen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Book of Guys features 22 very funny stories about "ordinary guys, gods, heroes, and dim bulbs," told in the friendly, conversational style of silver-tongued master storyteller Garrison Keillor, the host and writer of the popular radio show "Prairie Home Companion," author of Lake Wobegon Days, Happy To Be Here, and many other books.

"Guys are in trouble these days," says Keillor. "Years ago, manhood was an opportunity for achievement and now it's just a problem to be overcome. Guys who once might have painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling are now just trying to be Mr. O.K. All-Rite, the man who can bake a cherry pie, be passionate in a skillful way, and yet also lift them bales and tote that barge."

In the book's introduction, a bunch of guys are drinking whiskey in the woods and singing mournful songs. One of them says, "I ain't no misogynist or chauvinist but I got to say, women are getting awfully impossible to please these days. . . . I quit playing softball and deer hunting and took up painting delicate watercolors, still lifes mostly, and tossing salads, and learned how to discuss issues and feelings and concerns and not make jokes about them, and they're still angry at me. A guy can't win . . . . So don't worry about it. Live your life. Oya! we all yelled."

This book is truly a hoot, even if you're not a guy.

From Publishers Weekly

Keillor's humorous collection of stories about manhood in the '90s was a seven-week PW bestseller.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); 1st THUS edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140233725
• ISBN-13: 978-0140233728
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,160 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great storytelling (as expected), but not his best..., August 24, 1999

By A Customer

Garrison Keillor is an excellent storyteller. I have loved my visits to Lake Wobegon, both through his books and his radio broadcast.

"The Book of Guys" is the kind of funny, well-crafted storytelling you would expect from Keillor. However, he is not at his best here.

These short stories tend to explore some areas that Keillor does not seem to be as comfortable in. They seem, at times, to be an exercise in which G.K. stretched his own limitations, experimenting with different types of characters and situations.

It's a very good book -- very funny, and very well-written. But if you haven't read Keiller before, I would recommend "Lake Wobegon Days" first.

Yet, even Keillor at his absolute worst (and "Book of Guys" is certainly not this!) would probably be worth reading. The man is simply a great storyteller!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a master of the short story, but VERY funny, August 1, 2000

By	Buckeye (Harvard, MA USA) - See all my reviews

I like books that make me laugh out loud, though they're way too few and far between. This one had me laughing throughout, and for that reason alone it is well worth the read. And no, I don't think you'd have to be a guy to enjoy this one.

Keillor's writing, besides being very funny, is very literate and clever. Many of the stories come across in much the same way his radio skits and monologues do. But - I wouldn't say that he's quite mastered the written short story genre just yet. Quite a few of the stories have endings that read like Keillor just decided that the story had gone on long enough, so let's see if we can wrap it up in the next 20 words or so. They kind of leave you hanging.

However, stylistic demerits aside, this is one very funny book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grain of Salt, October 31, 2004

By	Brooklyn - See all my reviews

Other reviewers are more than informative about the book's contents, so I'll be brief.

This book is for middle-aged men. As a guy leaving my own youth behind and headed into the middle years, the book is more relevant and funnier than it would have been even three years ago.

If you are a fan of Prairie Home Companion, be warned! This is NOT his usual sappy fare. A couple of pieces have that Garrison Keillor sheen we know and love, but for the most part, these pieces expose another side of Mr. Keillor's talent. Though his style has not changed, his subject matter does.

The book is at turns, funny, sappy, sad, disturbing. The honesty of his phrases, whether in a comedic or tragic moment, is very refreshing. His words get right to the truth of the matter and don't dress it up much. Not a bit of it is bad writing; it's all good, but you must be prepared for a wider definition of "good" than you might expect from works like Lake Wobegon Days and such.

And, finally, delivery is key. I found I "got it" when I imagined Mr. Keillor reading it to me, which is perhaps a weakness of his writing -- it must be delivered in his voice. So consider buying the audiotape of it -- you won't miss anything and you'll have the added benefit of experiencing these tales exactly as Mr. Keillor intended.