The Bear Comes Home

Rating:
Summary: magnificent, musical, and magical
Review: beautifully written and wonderfully rich and detailed story of a saxophone playing talking bear who works in the free jazz scene in new york city. it's going to be hard to pitch since so few people even know about this scene and the idea does sound a little odd, but the characters are consistently compelling, the prose lovely, and the story alternately raucous and funny, insightful and tender. i bought three for musicians i know out here in la. if you have some jazz loving friends on your shopping list, this would be a real treat for them.

Rating:
Summary: What a way to run a planet...
Review: Every time I start talking about this book I get so excited that I flip out ALL the time and I end up knocking myself off of my own soapbox. All I can tell you is this: I bought this book and I read it. Then I went out and bought copies of it for my best friends. This is the best book about living, loving (she's just a woman), art, and jazz-sax-blowing, talking quadrupeds on the planet. It is totally sweet AND awesome. We owe Rafi Zabor a debt of gratitude for his insights.

Rating:
Summary: the reviewer has it wrong
Review: I loved 'The Bear Comes Home'. The story is incredible and larger than life (pun intended). Captured Jazz and the life of this amazing creature, and as someone who had never visited New York City before reading the book, it gave me an understanding to the City before I went there. I could get more into the music, but I know very little, it did teach me where to go looking for some incredible Jazz and I have bought some great material based on the background at the end of the book.

Well worth purchasing!

Rating:
Summary: an interesting read with some drawbacks
Review: I stumbled upon this book at a tiny trade-in library at a hotel in Mexico while on vacation. I had my doubts given the anthropomorphizing of a bear and the focus on jazz, about which I know relatively little. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the writing, plot, and development of the bear's character. I enjoyed the use of the bear as allegory for the alienated man among us. Zabor was quite good at making the bear's experience and that of the other characters accessible given the universality of their emotional lives.

On a more concrete level I have to say that I did not quite understand the bear's fascination with Iris, who was a chilly withholding woman who did not seem to appreciate his attributes at all. In fact, their liaison bothered me throughout the book and it seemed uncompelling. The sex scenes were a bit disturbing, too, but kind of like a car crash that you can't help but look at.

In all, I was very engrossed in this book but felt it had its flaws. Like other reviewers, I was disappointed with the ending. It just seemed to fall short. Plus, I was hoping he'd spontaneously dump Iris and move on to a better life. I'm just glad that Zabor didn't have Iris become impregnated with the bear's baby. For a moment there during the tour scenes, I thought he might be going in that direction. You never really know since the premise of the book was kind of "out there" to start.

I would recommend this book to select people who can suspend judgment and can tolerate lengthy abstract passages about jazz/improvisation.

Rating:
Summary: Pawesome!
Review: On one paw it is wonderful to read such a passionate account on JAZZ as an art form, on the ART of improvisation, the almost unBEARable struggle to say something substantial and original through your own musical voice, with a kind of ON THE ROAD feel to it. On the other paw it is incredible how well Rafi Zabor succeeds in describing the psyche of the Bear and how he manages to makes this story of an alto sax playing bear so perfectly plausible. Highly recommended for jazz musicians and jazz lovers alike.

Rating:
Summary: Very different, but very cool book
Review: One of the most unusual books I've yet to read, but unquestionably one of the best. Anyone who's lived in New York, plays jazz, or ever gone through bad times should read it. I've owned this book for years now (thanks to a recommendation from Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight/Idiot's Delight), and I still continue to re-read it.

Sincerely hoping Rafi comes out with another novel in the near future.

Rating:
Summary: Very different, but very cool book
Review: One of the most unusual books I've yet to read, but unquestionably one of the best. Anyone who's lived in New York, plays jazz, or ever gone through bad times should read it. I've owned this book for years now (thanks to a recommendation from Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight/Idiot's Delight), and I still continue to re-read it.

Sincerely hoping Rafi comes out with another novel in the near future.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be put off by the fantastical premise
Review: This is the best evocation of what it feels like to play jazz that I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Love Jazz - Love This!
Review: You wont believe you are buying into this fairy tale until it is too late and you are in way too deep. A bear. Jazz. A bear playing great jazz. Love. Emotions. Friendship. All the characteristics for one riveting tale. A must read!