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jcousins's review against another edition
4.0
There ia no way to describe or explain this book. It's surreal, and I enjoyed it very much.
nattyg's review against another edition
1.0
Irreverence for irreverence's sake does not make me a fan. I spent more time in 41pgs trying to figure out what the heck was going on in every single sentence, only to realize the author thinks he's witty. Pass.
gloame's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved this book in high school. I don't think I could ever read it again, but it stuck with me for a long time.
esperall's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
brronwyn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“The difference between a criminal and an outlaw is that while criminals frequently are victims, outlaws never are.”
whtbout2ndbrkfst's review against another edition
5.0
I have read this book in full three times, and in part many additional times. It's one of my "comfort books". That being said, I found a review I wrote of it when I was 17 that I feel is the truest review I could possibly give you:
As many times as I have given up on this intense and overwhelming piece of literature, I keep coming back; I am somehow drawn towards its frustrating concepts and ridiculous theories. When it lay under my bed for a week –watching the year change amidst old posters and dust bunnies- I had to consent to my curiosity. I needed to know what else Tom Robbins has to say, even if I hated every word that tumbled off his Remington SL3 typewriter.
Although I could only grimace at the poor summarization of this novel on its back cover when I first held it in my hand, I now realize that the nonsensical promises it made were completely true. I am not going to attempt to describe its intricate plot to you, because, to be entirely honest, I am not positive there is one. For how can a book that promises to explain the problem with red heads and reveal the purpose of the moon have a story worth explaining? Further, how can a novel about an ex-communicated royal family take place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes? You will have to answer these questions for yourself, because I certainly would not even know where to begin.
While there may be no discernible plot, there is a some-what sequential string of events and a slew of preposterous philosophies all tied together in the quest of a young ex-princess out to discover the truth about life and love.
Posing questions such as: “what is the purpose of the moon?”, “is there a difference between criminals and outlaws?”, and “what ever happened to the golden ball in the fairy tale after the princess kissed the frog?”, Robbins successfully makes your head spin. He explains the significance of the word “choice” and the meaning behind the picture on an ordinary box of camel cigarettes. As a reader you will also discover the difference between essential and inessential insanities and ask yourself, ‘how do you make love stay?’. Throughout the many twists and turns, Robbins also strategically places 3 “Interludes” where he pauses, dragging you out of your muddled reverie, and questions the capabilities of his typewriter.
However, Tom Robbins is not oblivious to the mental torture he is putting his readers through. A little over halfway through the book he writes, “…you, reader, have developed a relationship with this book as an object, no matter if you can tolerate another line of its context” (169). Of course, he is right. Now matter how annoyed you are, particularly after reading that last sentence, you will continue to plow on –slowly reading about the wonders of the universe. Tom will not only expand your horizons, he will give you entirely new ones to look at.
However, it is not only the revelations princess Leigh-Cheri has and the philosophies Robbins so successfully intertwines throughout the pages of this novel that entice, his writing style is one-of-a-kind as well. Using metaphors such as “like a vacuum cleaner with insomnia”, “melted like raw sugar into the steeping tea of night”, and “like a pair of r’s trapped in a Spanish songbook”, Robbins perfectly captures the essence of everyday life. In doing so, he manages to throw your typical surroundings into a whole new light.
From the poems that precede the prologue to the final sentence of the epilogue, every word is chosen with a rare precision, creating a tumultuous masterpiece as intense and as mesmerizing as they come. Though I am sure you have read many novels in your lifetime, this one will be incomparable to any of them. It is a truly exhilarating read that can only excite an avid literary nerd, and I truly believe you will enjoy it. It will make you question your sanity and quite possibly the sanity of everyone around you, but every excruciating page is worth the headache. That is the paradoxical conundrum I wish to share with you. So, go ahead: Read it. Hate it. Love it. Enjoy it. And, when you want to wring the author’s neck, throw the book across the room vowing to never turn its pages again. I promise you that you will have to finish it. There is something magical and abstract that will compel you to read every last word. Maybe it has something to do with all the red heads.
As many times as I have given up on this intense and overwhelming piece of literature, I keep coming back; I am somehow drawn towards its frustrating concepts and ridiculous theories. When it lay under my bed for a week –watching the year change amidst old posters and dust bunnies- I had to consent to my curiosity. I needed to know what else Tom Robbins has to say, even if I hated every word that tumbled off his Remington SL3 typewriter.
Although I could only grimace at the poor summarization of this novel on its back cover when I first held it in my hand, I now realize that the nonsensical promises it made were completely true. I am not going to attempt to describe its intricate plot to you, because, to be entirely honest, I am not positive there is one. For how can a book that promises to explain the problem with red heads and reveal the purpose of the moon have a story worth explaining? Further, how can a novel about an ex-communicated royal family take place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes? You will have to answer these questions for yourself, because I certainly would not even know where to begin.
While there may be no discernible plot, there is a some-what sequential string of events and a slew of preposterous philosophies all tied together in the quest of a young ex-princess out to discover the truth about life and love.
Posing questions such as: “what is the purpose of the moon?”, “is there a difference between criminals and outlaws?”, and “what ever happened to the golden ball in the fairy tale after the princess kissed the frog?”, Robbins successfully makes your head spin. He explains the significance of the word “choice” and the meaning behind the picture on an ordinary box of camel cigarettes. As a reader you will also discover the difference between essential and inessential insanities and ask yourself, ‘how do you make love stay?’. Throughout the many twists and turns, Robbins also strategically places 3 “Interludes” where he pauses, dragging you out of your muddled reverie, and questions the capabilities of his typewriter.
However, Tom Robbins is not oblivious to the mental torture he is putting his readers through. A little over halfway through the book he writes, “…you, reader, have developed a relationship with this book as an object, no matter if you can tolerate another line of its context” (169). Of course, he is right. Now matter how annoyed you are, particularly after reading that last sentence, you will continue to plow on –slowly reading about the wonders of the universe. Tom will not only expand your horizons, he will give you entirely new ones to look at.
However, it is not only the revelations princess Leigh-Cheri has and the philosophies Robbins so successfully intertwines throughout the pages of this novel that entice, his writing style is one-of-a-kind as well. Using metaphors such as “like a vacuum cleaner with insomnia”, “melted like raw sugar into the steeping tea of night”, and “like a pair of r’s trapped in a Spanish songbook”, Robbins perfectly captures the essence of everyday life. In doing so, he manages to throw your typical surroundings into a whole new light.
From the poems that precede the prologue to the final sentence of the epilogue, every word is chosen with a rare precision, creating a tumultuous masterpiece as intense and as mesmerizing as they come. Though I am sure you have read many novels in your lifetime, this one will be incomparable to any of them. It is a truly exhilarating read that can only excite an avid literary nerd, and I truly believe you will enjoy it. It will make you question your sanity and quite possibly the sanity of everyone around you, but every excruciating page is worth the headache. That is the paradoxical conundrum I wish to share with you. So, go ahead: Read it. Hate it. Love it. Enjoy it. And, when you want to wring the author’s neck, throw the book across the room vowing to never turn its pages again. I promise you that you will have to finish it. There is something magical and abstract that will compel you to read every last word. Maybe it has something to do with all the red heads.
eehancock's review against another edition
5.0
Ironically I read this at the behest of a romantic interest.
"Snakes are all belt, no pants."
"Snakes are all belt, no pants."
samneat's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
branch_c's review against another edition
2.0
Well, Robbins is certainly, as described in his own dust-jacket blurbs, "offbeat," so I'll give him credit for that. But I remember enjoying his Jitterbug Perfume not primarily for its offbeat-ness, but for the mythology, the secret history, and the more straightforward contemporary fantasy elements such as the quest for immortality. Hadn't tried any of his other books until now, and it turns out that this one just wasn't my kind of thing, so maybe in general his stuff isn't, and Jitterbug Perfume was the exception.
There were lot of reasons I wasn't wild about this book: first off, it's one thing to be offbeat and another to cross the line from the offbeat to the simply inane, and I'm afraid that happened here, particularly with some of the secondary characters and their dopey repeated quirks. For another thing, a major theme here was supposed to be the nature of love, and while Robbins had some interesting things to say on that subject, it's not a theme that really needs much exploring for me, and anyway it was overshadowed by the frankly juvenile sexual stuff. The secret history, such as it was, was for the most part info-dumped on us as a theory constructed by the female protagonist. The story and style reminded me at different times of Pynchon, Dave Barry, Neal Stephenson, and others... which in theory seems like it ought to be a solid achievement, but in practice, it came across as so snarky and self-consciously clever that most of the humor fell flat. And the postmodernist asides to or about his electric typewriter added nothing for me.
There is some creativity here, no doubt about that, especially in the drawing together of disparate elements - I do see why some people love Robbins, and this book in particular, but for me it was mostly unenjoyable.
There were lot of reasons I wasn't wild about this book: first off, it's one thing to be offbeat and another to cross the line from the offbeat to the simply inane, and I'm afraid that happened here, particularly with some of the secondary characters and their dopey repeated quirks. For another thing, a major theme here was supposed to be the nature of love, and while Robbins had some interesting things to say on that subject, it's not a theme that really needs much exploring for me, and anyway it was overshadowed by the frankly juvenile sexual stuff. The secret history, such as it was, was for the most part info-dumped on us as a theory constructed by the female protagonist. The story and style reminded me at different times of Pynchon, Dave Barry, Neal Stephenson, and others... which in theory seems like it ought to be a solid achievement, but in practice, it came across as so snarky and self-consciously clever that most of the humor fell flat. And the postmodernist asides to or about his electric typewriter added nothing for me.
There is some creativity here, no doubt about that, especially in the drawing together of disparate elements - I do see why some people love Robbins, and this book in particular, but for me it was mostly unenjoyable.