Word: novelization
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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There is something wonderfully satisfying about a guilty pleasure. Whether it be a sleazy novel, Ace of Base, the tabloids, St. Elmo's Fire, Melrose Place, a brainless action movie or Baywatch, it's mighty fun to gorge on trashy entertainment...
...there's something even more fulfilling about reading a cheesy novel in the guise of literature. Sure, it may not be Doestoevsky, but it's an "intellectual activity" nonetheless (even if it's done on the beach while sipping iced...
Keillor's charmingly lucid writing, however, cannot hide the gaping flaws of the plot and main characters in Wobegon Boy. Almost halfway through the novel, a magazine with a front-page picture and article appears one day, depicting John as a "portly Lutheran Lothario" who "tried to 'psychologically seduce'" women at the public radio station where he works. However, up to that point in the book, readers are lead to believe that John is kind, quiet, in love with his girlfriend Alida, and not coming close to stepping on anyone's toes along the way. This sudden, almost violent disclosure...
Another perplexing scene in the novel, though a much less politically charged one, is the issue of Alida, John's adored girlfriend. She is described time and time again as beautiful, brilliant, and full of personality. She also eludes John's proposals of marriage repeatedly. Then, as suddenly as the radio station scandal arises, she agress to be his wife. One could believe that this is nothing more than Keillor's deus ex machina for the story--she has to say yes eventually, but it has to take a while to build suspense...
...look past all of the potential p.c. faux pas and can interpret Keillor to be wistful rather than patronizing, the novel's heart truly comes through. "The stream of insults that life directs at you cannot be vanquished by skill or cunning," John comments. "You can't fight your way clear. You can't outsmart life. The only answer is to be loved so that nothing else matters so much." Such honest, simple wisdom can rarely be argued with. Keillor may preach and he may be politically biased, but the man is still talented, hilarious, and a damn good story...