Rating: 
Summary: not a page-turner, but still a good read
Review: This story is about one disastrous weekend in the life of Gwen, a Filipina stock broker in Seattle. On Friday, the stock market crashes and her career is at stake. Her boyfriend (whom she doesn't like that much) is looking for his pet monkey (doesn't like him either) whom he has bought from a French jewel thief and is afraid will start thieving again. She has a strong attraction to a former stockbroker-turned-world-traveler/philosopher (and she doesn't like him either.) Her 200-pound psychic best friend (you guessed it -- she doesn't like her either!) has disappeared without a trace.What makes this book entertaining is how Robbins keeps us guessing on whether or not HE likes Gwen. She is complex enough to be likable and heinous at the same time, and you keep reading to see if she will learn a lesson as she strives to solve all of her myriad problems before she has to meet with her boss on Monday. You have no clue what Robbins has in store until the very last paragraph, and even then it's a doozy.
Rating: 
Summary: My favorite line ...
Review: Lots of folks probably like Robbins for his take on the mystical. Although HAiFP held my interest over the role of Sirius in African cultures, I'm jaded enough to wonder how much of what he said was true and how much he made up. But I read Robbins for the bons mots. Here's what I thought was the best from Half Asleep: "The look on his face could end three Italian operas and still have enough anguish left over to water an existentialist's lawn."
Rating:
Summary: Cosmic Conjecture or Metaphor Mania?
Review: This book may set a new record (even for Robbins) for gratuitous metaphors. The one-minute story line: young, churn-and-burn stockbroker with boring, born-again boyfriend (complete with kleptomaniac monkey) meets former stock-guru now amphibian-wannabe with serious Sirius (dog star) leanings for a madcap Easter weekend, metaphor-laden talkathon. In spite of its over abundance of metaphors and turtle pace, I enjoyed the book and the cosmic conjectures of the author.
Rating: 
Summary: A Verbal Masterpiece
Review: Fair warnings: this book is not for the faint of heart, the easily disgusted or those who don't appreciate verbal kalidescopes. Written in the second person ("you" instead of "I" or "they"), this book engulfs you, not like a warm blanket, but more like a fog through which you can only see a couple of feet - those feet, however, are astoundingly clear. The novel is a love story, a hate story and a story about the weird ... that goes on when you're not looking. If you don't believe in miracles, monkeys, the Tarot and the incredible ease in which a very large woman can vanish into thin air, go buy some John Grisham instead. If you can approach this work with an open mind, a hazy sense of self and a seriously good nightlight, give it a try. Just because a plot is slightly unbelievable does not mean the book should be discounted - rather, I think it opens the reader up to the possibility of happenings they never imagined. Hey - one day your boyfriend might also ask you to search for his monkey in your overweight, missing neighbor's apartment. Don't forget: he's a sucker for a banana popsicle.
Rating:
Summary: Good... not great
Review: I usually only write reviews for books that I loved or entirely hated. I didn't love or hate this book, and I'm still trying to determine why everyone else loved it so much more than I did. I've only read Tom Robbins once before (Jitterbug Perfume) and found his writing absolutely amazing and his imagination extraordinary. Both of these impressions were confirmed with Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas, but I didn't really find the characters too appealing and the plot was creative but ultimately disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Different Drummer
Review: What an interesting book. I don't care much for the stock market or frogs or aliens but I loved this book. So many twists and turns my head is still spinning. Gwen is a wonderful character. Her evolution was intriguing. This is my first Robbins' book but I'm ordering more.
Rating:
Summary: Linguists in the sky with diamonds
Review: Tom Robbins is a linguistic superstar of the highest order. Reading this book on a beautiful day with a cup of coffee and several hours to spare, is the closest I can think of duplicating the feeling of LSD, without actually taking the drug! As a writer, I can only aspire to the astounding level of this man.
Rating:
Summary: Hey, Ballard ain't that bad!
Review: Seriously, what other author can speak to your highest linguistic inventiveness, the rudest, naughty little boy, and give salty commentary on local Seattle haunts?! I was first introduced to Mr. Robbins by a good buddy of mine who belongs in one of these novels and who sent me _Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates_ when my language was turning trite and my fiendishness at an all-time low. Gwen Mati is not my favorite protagonist, but Larry Diamond and Dr. Yamaguchi are more than anyone's disbelief can accomodate. Whitman meets Twain and they both down a bottle of tequila and a pint of Chunky Monkey. Oh, and it rains. Read it!!
Rating:
Summary: best book ever!
Review: It's practically impossible to review a Tom Robbins novel considering that just reciting the plot line in no way describes what actually goes on in the story (sorta like an existential Seinfeld episode). That's what makes it so exciting- you never know what will make you laugh on the next page or what will make you think about life in a totally different way in the next chapter. This is my favorite of all of TR's books (and he's my favorite author so I guess that makes it the best book ever!). I have read it ATLEAST 10 times and buy it for gifts. I'd say this is a good starting place if you are not familiar with TR. It's a little more cautious than some of the others. Of course, being so totally UNcautious is exactly why TR has so many loyal fans. Anyway, HIGH praises for this book. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A fun read
Review: This book is different from other Tom Robbins' books I've read, but it's still great. When I first began reading it, it took awhile for me to get into it, but after 50 pages or so I couldn't put it down. Hilarious, thought-provoking, intelligent, and bizarre. I recommend this book to anyone who likes unconventional writing and has a great sense of humor.
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