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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
New York this time, but Lake Wobegon never too far away, 29 Mar 2004
Lest anyone be misled, let me say at the start of this review, that I am a fan of Garrison Keillor, a regular listener to his radio show Prairie Home Companion (thank god for the Internet) and a devourer of his books. In Love Me, Keillor moves his main character, Larry Wyler, from Minnesota to New York. He becomes a successful author, leaving his wife Iris at home in St Paul, and goes to work for the New Yorker magazine (but a strangely fantastic version of the magazine), where he meets daily with writers such as Salinger, Updike, Benchley and all the other staffers. Unfortunately, no sooner has Larry started to work for the magazine than a serious case of writers block afflicts him. This goes on for many years, but doesn't seem to halt his progress through a variety of women, parties, bars and various minor adventures. He is approached by a Minnesotan newspaper to write an agony coloumn, and in the persona of Mr Blue, Larry delivers a stream of typically Keilloresque advice to sundry troubled people. The letters to Mr Blue, and the answers provided, make up a significant part of this book. Keillor lets us see the progress of some of the letter-writers as Mr Blue corresponds with them over months or even years, and this adds variety and humour to the book. The book is full of Keillor's philosophy, and his humanistic approach to people and their problems. Larry Wyler's whole career is described during the 260 pages, and we see him ageing, and maturing, achieving a sort of peace, despite his many troubles. I am not going to describe the book's ending, but readers will not be surprised to discover that the senes of peace eventually requires a reconciliation with the values and lifestyle of Minnesota. Keillor has done nothing new in this book. It is an undemanding read, but for his fans, this will be sufficient. Their dose of gentle humour and homespun philosophy will keep them satisfied until the next volume comes along.
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