A Moose and a Lobster Walk into a Bar

By John McDonald

Book Overview

A Moose and a Lobster Walk Into a Bar is a wonderful mix of classic Maine storytelling, stretched truths, and wry observations made by John McDonald during his many travels through the Pine Tree... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967166276
• ISBN13: 9780967166278
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Islandport Pr Inc
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Entertainment from Down East

Seasoned journalist and storyteller John McDonald offers a nice selection of Maine stories that include his own astute observations, reactions to news items, and answers to readers' questions. More than 70 vignettes are organized into seven chapters, with topics as varied as tourists, black flies, yard sales, county fairs, funky mailboxes, and town meetings. McDonald confirms as true the rumor that people "from away" who order delivery of live lobsters often discard them because the creatures they receive aren't red. Many Mainers report relatives or far-flung friends making that costly (and silly) error. This easy and fun read gives you the flavor of Maine, and natives will certainly relate to it. It's especially funny if you've been there as a tourist and can laugh at yourself and the traffic you cause. Some tales are similar to ones told in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the New York Adirondacks. Is it just the northern climate that makes people so interesting, or do the long winters themselves lead to such storytelling? Some of these narrations are simply universal, and Maine is merely the background. More than a few of them will have you nodding and smiling. This book is more substantial (and quite frankly, funnier) than typical regional humor paperbacks. Forget all those you-know-you're-from-[location] throwaway joke books available at tacky rest stops and order this one instead. You'll be better off. Attention fiction readers: Mr. McDonald seems to be a real-life version of Jim Qwilleran, the character made famous by Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat Who" mysteries. If you like reading items from "The Qwill Pen," you'll enjoy the stories in this book, even if you've never set foot in Maine.