• Tue. Oct 15th, 2024

A Christmas Screwup

ByPam

I recently attended one of the most interesting book club meetings ever.  To be sure, the opinions are usually quite mixed but generally friendly.  Last night’s discussion, however, was completely different.

I was about the only person in the group who enjoyed the book.  I thought it a fun, light, silly poke at Christmas movies and mankind.

I was in the minority (not a new feeling, for sure).  As the discussions heated up we noticed a few disturbing points and it seemed as if everyone had read a different book. We noticed discrepancies in:

  • the main character’s hometown (Chicago or Minneapolis)
  • the wealth of the main character (wealthy or not)
  • an epilogue (have or have not)
  • method of transport (commercial or private airline)
  • own or not own a condo
  • owner or employee of a power drink company

Are you starting to understand?  Our discussion of the book turned from “I love how crazy gun toting Liz got her comeuppance” (me) to “wait a minute, Sparrow lives in Chicago not Minneapolis!!!” (everyone)

It turns out that the version I read, the first image, is the latest out in time for Christmas 2011. An original version published in 2009 the image in red, offers a slightly different story.

All of this leads me to wonder: What the heck was Keillor thinking?

To be sure, Keillor’s found great success with A Prairie Home Companion and many Lake Wobegon tales.

So, if a writer is so successful, how did  this book become such a hack?  Did he slack off on purpose? Was it put together hastily? Did he have interns or assistants write it?

Or was it a prank, a very bad publicity stunt?

I don’t know the answer but as our book club wrangler said: you will probably never run into this kind of situation again.

I hope not.

What do you think?

I’m linking up to  Serenity Now’s bloggy reading party.