Reviews

Had absolutely no idea what to expect going in and was delighted and caught entirely off-gaurd by every twist and turn, in true Robbins fashion. Didn't like it as much as Jitterbug Perfume or even Villa Incognito, but was still an enjoyable and creative read. Definitely made me chuckle.

probably_reading_right_now's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow what a crazy book! This is my first Tom Robbins book and I’ve never read anything like it! At first I didn’t know what to think, but as I got into it I had to keep reading! It was so weird and different in a good way. Tom Robbins has a way of writing that is entrancing to the reader. I don’t know how he came up with it, but I very much enjoyed both his original writing style, and the book itself.

buzzroz's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

thereadingwells's review against another edition

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Despite many attempts over weeks, I couldn’t get into this bizarre book. The only thing I enjoyed was the colorful vocabulary, but the scattered and bizarre nature of the book just isn’t something I want to spend my time on right now.

I loved Jitterbug Perfume - but I can’t help feeling like so much of this book is bizarre just for the sake of being bizarre. I found myself skipping paragraphs that were nothing more than pointless rants.

certifiedmalpal's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

gobblebook's review against another edition

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4.0

This would be well worth reading for the language if nothing else: beautiful prose, with turns of phrase that make you laugh out loud. Reminiscent of Pynchon, but more coherent. The characters are all so extreme that they are almost caricatures, yet still engaging and believable within the zany world of the book. The story takes a while to get going, but I didn't mind because the characters and the language were so much fun. Once it does get going, it is ultimately about the search for meaning and the nature of religion (and the religion of nature).

manwithanagenda's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.75

Trite bullshit. Now I have to think of a nice way to tell my dad that this book is fucking awful and a waste of time. There were several segments of lovely prose, good ideas and provoking thoughts, but it was all buried in a nonsense stew of free-association and self-indulgent cheap philosophy with no backbone or substantial characters.

"But what about Amanda?"

What about her? A woman empowered to give erections, who only opens her mouth for cock and to talk about butterflies.

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