Rating: 
Summary: The Unified Field Theory of Love in small doses.
Review: A friend of mine who knows I am a big Tom Robbins fan asked me to appear before her Reading Group to discuss another Robbins novel and I was asked to describe Robbins body of work. I said that Robbins collected works were sort of like a family of 12 where all the kids had one parent, say the mother, in common but all of whom had different fathers, and all of whom were raised in different religions. In a sense everybody's all together yet they are all over the place.Robbins reminds me of Jonathan Lethem--a world-class author with a visionary imagination, a densely intellectual approach to writing, and a skewed worldview of epic proportions. Still Life is in reality pretty much an "average" Robbins novel, but that is in fact sort of like saying that the Hope Diamond is your "average" 80-carat diamond. What sets Still Life apart for me is that, though written many years ago, it's totally contemporary. Ralph Nader is a major minor character--and what you see here about him is as relevant as it was when the book was written. The Woodpecker is essentially a professional bomber--but is he merely a criminal (terrorist?)or an outlaw (freedom fighter?)? There are Arabs as major characters--all in a state of internecine hostility. And the symbolic hooey--and there's plenty of it here--is as New Age as New Age gets, even though it predates New Age by an eon. I'd read the book years ago and recently reread it and found it as engaging, thought provoking and quirkily amusing as ever. It's not many novels that can be a contemporary masterpiece of different decades. So, though there are better Robbins books out there, I definitely think Still Life with Woodpecker is a "must read" even today.
Rating: 
Summary: my all time favorite...
Review: This is my absolute favorite book of all time. I have read this book over and over througout different points in my life. Each time I am able pull from it a new understanding. I have recommended this book to so many people over the years, and have gotten nothing but THANK YOUS! Still Life touches on so many different topics with such simplicity, however the meaning and importance of each is immense. An example being something as simple as our relationship with inanimate objects, most of us take that for granted each day. Tom Robbins in his witty clever way compels the reader to appreciate his or her surroundings. Of course the love story. And the age old question of how to make love stay???
Even the finishing up in longhand is brilliant. I'd never give anything away, but this book by far has the best last line ever! Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: Dazling sentences, lovely story, but what to do?
Review: First off I have to let it be known that this is the only Tom Robbins novel that I have read, so I cannot compare "Still Life with Woodpecker" to other Tom Robbins works. That being said I must also say that now having read a tom Robbins work I have to marvel at his fantastic smithing of words. Metaphors, similes, and visual allusions that are so creative and right to the point that can't help but make me read them over and over. "Still Life with Woodpecker" is a tale of love. A redheaded deposed princess living with her deposed king and queen parents just outside of Seattle. Her search for love and meaning in the world while trying to save it from the horrors of destruction, all while falling in love with another red-head who finds purpose in blowing things up, constitute the center of this story. But in essence "Still Life with Woodpecker" is less of a story than it is a very long aside about the nature of things and emotions. At least in the end I felt that the plot, in its outrageous plausibility, along with none of the characters being totally worth sympathy, became just a little too much and I began to appreciate the book more for its wordsmithing and poignant insights, which are worth the read. Unfortunately Tom feels that in the end he has to explain what the book is all about. It would have been better to just let the reader figure that out I think. Plus, being a red head myself, it was nice to know that I may be an inter-dimensional communicator to an exiled alien race. Good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best writers of our time
Review: Tom Robbins is a genius. I have read all of his novels. This is definetly one of my favorites. Still Life With Woodpecker explores everyones need for love. It defines how we see ourselves and each other. It dares to tell us, in an off the wall story line, how we love one another and always for the wrong reasons. The plot to this book is unpredictable to say it best, although Tom Robbins writes in a very unique way. You will either love his style or not be able to read twenty pages without remembering high school "literary works of art". I personally read this book in about 5 hours. I picked it up and the world ceased to exist. This is one of those books you can get lost in, and you begin to realize why you love to read, which to me is to escape the boring reality of the real world. In books people are who they are and do what they say. I also recommend Jitterbug Perfume, by Tom Robbins. This is my favorite out of all of them. If you are looking for an author similar to Robbins, the closest I have found is Richard Grant, I recommend Tex and Molly in the Afterlife. Enjoy Tom Robbins, you'll never quite read anything like him ever again.
Rating:
Summary: The Best In A While...
Review: When a writer can spiderweb philosophy, comedy, romance, genius, and suspense, and make it look like an accident... he places up towards amazing in my book. After reading hum-drum dramas and dispassionate and redundant school "classics," Tom Robbins' brilliance is nothing short of flooring. Full of hilarious one-liners and countless colorful connections, "Still Life With Woodpecker" was without a doubt a book I will pick up again. There is so much jam-packed into this quick read that I'm sure I missed half of his jokes and yet never stopped laughing or crying. I can't wait to go back and read it again. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone and everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Dazling sentences, lovely story, but what to do?
Review: First off I have to let it be known that this is the only Tom Robbins novel that I have read, so I cannot compare "Still Life with Woodpecker" to other Tom Robbins works. That being said I must also say that now having read a tom Robbins work I have to marvel at his fantastic smithing of words. Metaphors, similes, and visual allusions that are so creative and right to the point that can't help but make me read them over and over. "Still Life with Woodpecker" is a tale of love. A redheaded deposed princess living with her deposed king and queen parents just outside of Seattle. Her search for love and meaning in the world while trying to save it from the horrors of destruction, all while falling in love with another red-head who finds purpose in blowing things up, constitute the center of this story. But in essence "Still Life with Woodpecker" is less of a story than it is a very long aside about the nature of things and emotions. At least in the end I felt that the plot, in its outrageous plausibility, along with none of the characters being totally worth sympathy, became just a little too much and I began to appreciate the book more for its wordsmithing and poignant insights, which are worth the read. Unfortunately Tom feels that in the end he has to explain what the book is all about. It would have been better to just let the reader figure that out I think. Plus, being a red head myself, it was nice to know that I may be an inter-dimensional communicator to an exiled alien race. Good stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Had possibilities
Review: Tom Robbins is in need of a braver editor or a stronger writing coach. Some of what he says is truly clever, such as "I have a black belt in haiku. And a black vest in the cleaners," then he gets carried away with his own cleverness and bogs down his writing. It isn't enough to have one metaphor--he throws in 4 or more, which even Shakespeare would have difficulty pulling off. The dialogue is quite often composed of things no human being would ever say. I could not find the characters believable or likable, though the servant Gulietta, provided some comic relief.
Rating: 
Summary: Please excuse me while I hurl...
Review: This book was absolutely horrible. I found it wedged in a crevice next to my rack. Looks like somebody forgot to throw it away. The star of the book, the princess, is one of those whiny young people that tend blame all their problems on everyone else instead of taking credit for their own shortcomings. The book even goes on to glorify criminal activity through the actions of the Woodpecker. I would not recommend this book to people with a level head on their shoulders. I would, however, recommend it to people who insist on being confused about life and people that buy into the whole "everything has a hidden meaning" line of thought.
Rating:
Summary: being a redhead...
Review: I was recommended this book by a dear friend who, on seeing my mane of bright red hair for the first time, simply handed me the book with a smile on her face. It is a great read, lots of fun, and offers one of the best explainations on why us redheads are the way we are that I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of explainations). Not meant to be taken too seriously, but offering a philosophy for the dreamers out there, this book is sure to entertain and delight many readers who've always wondered...what IS the problem of redheads?
Rating: 
Summary: A sort of love story...
Review: Still Life With Woodpecker represents the best and worst of Tom Robbins. The throwaway plot and the characatures that inhabit the Robbins written world can be incredibly tiresome and obnoxious. What is also at work, however, is Robbins' playful sense of humor and engaging philosophy. It is not overblown, super-intellectual dribble; that would be against everything Robbins stands for in his writing. What Robbins does is draw the reader in to a very personal discussion about life, love, and all things related (including Camel cigarettes, blackberries, Ralph Nader, etc) in a funny and open-ended manner.
Tom Robbins leaves as much up to the reader as he shares himself. The book deals with love, the concept of the outlaw in society, and various other topics, but one gets the feeling that Robbins is only sharing as much as he feels is necessary to get a response from the reader. You must approach his work with a light heart, after all, what is the point of doing anything without a sense of humor?
While I loved everything this book gave me, it lacks certain things that make a book great, namely, PLOT and depth in characters. I would recommend the excellent Jitterbug Perfume as a primer for Robbins.
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