Rating: 
Summary: excellent as usual
Review: When the library has nothing new AND interesting to offer, you can count od dear old TOM ROBBINS for some narrative magic. This novel has been resting on my shelf for ages, which is surprising because I'm a devoted fan of the author and I've enjoyed his other novels (both the earlier ones and those from the more recent times) immensely. Anyway, I finally tackled this little masterpiece and, as usual, I wasn't disappointed. The talking objects parts put me a bit off right at the outset but then it turned out to be a clever narrative device that fits nicely with the rest of the text. How silly of me, how could I doubt robbins' judgement? His novels accomplish an impressive feat. That is, they manage to be both entertaining (this is a page-turner, trust me, robbins knows how to keep you hooked, pumping enough "suspense" and "expectation" into each page so as to make sure that the story never gets boring....) and "deep". It's a perfect marriage between low-brow/gonzo narrative and highbrow sophistication. The philosophical passages are astounding, often they took their premise from goofy, no-nonsense statement and from that starting point they evolve into insightful (and often enlightening), albeit slightly mad, commentary on the state of politics, religion, arts and....well, pretty much everything in between. It has been written that Tom Robbins is "a god of eloquence, who refines the goofy into revelations". You can definitely believe those words, trust my advice on that one.
Rating:
Summary: My Favourite Book of All Time
Review: This is Robbins's best novel, and that's saying something. It is a work which is at once both immensely entertaining and extremely insightful. Robbins manages to make the subject of religion - particularly Christianity - spicy and interesting. This is NOT a bible study book; it frankly defies an easy description. How could it not when the first chaper opens with a large mechanical turkey traversing the country; the second chapter features a sock, a wooden stick, and a can of beans also on a long journey, and in the third chapter we learn of an Arab and a Jew, one of whom has a "thing" for ladies' shoes, who plan to open a deli together in New York? Like a Douglas Adams novel (he's the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe guy) all these very offbeat and seemingly irrelevant forces eventually dovetail seamlessly in ways that will make you wonder how the author could have envisioned such a plot all at once. Not only will you be unable to set "Skinny Legs" aside, you'll feel changed and challenged by this book. In the end, Robbins demonstrates that he is a wise and self-actualized writer, comfortable in a unique but very sensible and well-rounded philosophy. He writes in such a way as to make us question the assumptions and conventions of modern religion, and gets into the nitty-gritty of what we really care about without ever - not even for one second - sounding preachy or didactic. In fact, Robbins may have chosen the only viable writing style for communicating and facilitating the digestion of such a large and outwardly controversial subject. In the tradition of the world's greatest satirists - Swift comes to mind - his story stands so well on its own that few would feel threatened by his themes. Indeed, this book manages to maintain a level of stimulation, humor and engagement that never waivers. The only thing wrong with it is the fact that I didn't write it...
Rating:
Summary: Robbins's best!
Review: While I've yet to read a book by Tom Robbins that I haven't absolutely loved, I would have to say this is my favorite. His use of the language is sublime; he's the Picasso of the written word. And it says a lot when an author can make me laugh out loud in public...
Rating:
Summary: Another masterwork from Tom Robbins
Review: I don't think this is Tom Robbins' best. But that isn't saying much: this book is still amazing. I read half the book on the first day, and finished it hortly thereafter.
In this book, Tom Robbins says a lot about his views on the nature of life, and introduces some very compelling characters in the process--same of them inorganic.
The stor is very compelling, and every aspect of it is intriguing. This is a great read. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: fun, sexy, offensive and, patronizing
Review: This Tom Robbins tale is many things at once. He focuses on some big questions regarding civilization on planet Earth and how the Holy Land seems to be ground zero for our growth. He even likens the land of Jerusalem as the vagina from which our civilization is constantly challenged with pain and rebirth. The adventures of our artist heroine are scintillating and wake up the senses while showing that we all need to reexamine what we want out of life and explore why we feel the way we do. While I love the subject matter, Mr. Robbins seems too preoccupied with how many times he can make you haul out the dictionary to look up another big word. I'm all for flexing the vocabulary but he misses completely the idea of modesty or moderation. Anyone can type with a thesaurus alongside them. More irritating was his explanations of the way things are as fact rather than his own point of view. Instead of presenting his position as a possibility to be pondered he comes across as pedantic and preachy; all but calling those who disagree ignorant and short-sighted. If his aim was to entertain AND offend, he did a marvelous job. I would still recommend this book to anyone open-minded enough to listen to his perspective.
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