Barbara M. reviewed on + 147 more book reviews
Debated between 2 or 3 stars--would have given it 2.5 if that were allowed. This is the first book of Kling's that I've read. I've heard him occasionally--don't recall if it was on NPR or some other outlet--and he had a dry wit so I thought I'd enjoy his writing. This book is a fast read. Kling is a decent writer and has a low-key sense of humor that comes out in his stories. However, I didn't find these vignettes particularly interesting. The jacket leaf describes the stories as "autobiographical" but I suspect Kling has taken literary license with some of his tales. His story about finding a young beaver in the middle of winter in the uptown area of Minneapolis (I've lived in the Twin Cities for 40+ years so know many of the MN locales Kling references) is not believable. Beaver stay in their lodges during the winter and eat on food they've stored in and near the lodge. So, the idea of a beaver in the middle of winter in the middle of an urban street is ridiculous. Kling also seemed to go off on tangents while telling a story--similar to someone going off on a different topic mid-sentence.
