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lucinda02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jrice13's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A lighthearted look at mortality and why we’re here. The book is filled with pages of descriptive, sensory evoking quotes that want to keep the reader from taking things too seriously.
Great for picking back up and reading your favorite lines again and again.
Great for picking back up and reading your favorite lines again and again.
amicareads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
didn’t like the ending, but really enjoyed alobar and kudra’s story!
adelisle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
trin's review against another edition
1.0
Well, I officially don’t get Tom Robbins. People have recommended him on the basis of comparisons to [a: Douglas Adams|4|Douglas Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1189120061p2/4.jpg], but Adams is, you know, funny. Here’s what seems to pass for humor in a Tom Robbins novel: beets (the very existence of), a woman getting stung in a delicate place by a bee, and lesbians (the very existence of). And here’s the kind of prose you can look forward to:
The sky, layered with thin altostratus clouds and smog, appeared to reflect human suffering and failed to awaken in Claude visions of paradise. (Page 13)
The sky was a velvety black paw pressing on the white landscape with a feline delicacy, stars flying like sparks from its fur. (Page 36)
With the absence of the cloud cover that normally caused the sky over Seattle to resemble cottage cheese that had been dragged nine miles behind a cement truck, the city, for the first time in memory, would have an unobstructed view of one of nature’s most mystical spectacles. (Page 47)
When Claude glanced at the sky, he saw that the text of [b: Les Miserables|6648041|Les Miserables (Classics Illustrated)|Classics Illustrated|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462334629s/6648041.jpg|44515804] had been painted over by Salvador Dali. The sun was so round and glossy and black that had it a figure eight on it, well, it would have validated a lot of long-standing philosophical and theological complaints, underlining once and for all just where we earthlings sit on the cosmic pool table. (Page 81)
A few flat clouds folded themselves like crepes over fillings of apricot sky. Pompadours of supper-time smoke billowed from chimneys, separating into girlish pigtails as the breeze combed them out, above the slate rooftops. Chestnut blossoms, weary from having been admired all day, wore faint smiles of anticipation. (Page 201)
And of course:
Above Seattle, the many-buttocked sky continued to grind. (Page 312)
And that’s just me culling annoying descriptions of the sky. Imagine 350 dense, unrelenting pages of this crap. I never thought a book about immortality—one of my favorite subjects—could ever inspire in me such a desperate desire for it all to please just end.
The sky, layered with thin altostratus clouds and smog, appeared to reflect human suffering and failed to awaken in Claude visions of paradise. (Page 13)
The sky was a velvety black paw pressing on the white landscape with a feline delicacy, stars flying like sparks from its fur. (Page 36)
With the absence of the cloud cover that normally caused the sky over Seattle to resemble cottage cheese that had been dragged nine miles behind a cement truck, the city, for the first time in memory, would have an unobstructed view of one of nature’s most mystical spectacles. (Page 47)
When Claude glanced at the sky, he saw that the text of [b: Les Miserables|6648041|Les Miserables (Classics Illustrated)|Classics Illustrated|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462334629s/6648041.jpg|44515804] had been painted over by Salvador Dali. The sun was so round and glossy and black that had it a figure eight on it, well, it would have validated a lot of long-standing philosophical and theological complaints, underlining once and for all just where we earthlings sit on the cosmic pool table. (Page 81)
A few flat clouds folded themselves like crepes over fillings of apricot sky. Pompadours of supper-time smoke billowed from chimneys, separating into girlish pigtails as the breeze combed them out, above the slate rooftops. Chestnut blossoms, weary from having been admired all day, wore faint smiles of anticipation. (Page 201)
And of course:
Above Seattle, the many-buttocked sky continued to grind. (Page 312)
And that’s just me culling annoying descriptions of the sky. Imagine 350 dense, unrelenting pages of this crap. I never thought a book about immortality—one of my favorite subjects—could ever inspire in me such a desperate desire for it all to please just end.
savaging's review
2.0
I read a book that everyone loves and I did not like it. I'm sorry. I found it tiresome. All the rugged middle-aged men wowing the young nubile ingenues with their much smarts. So many overextended metaphors, dad jokes passed off as literary cleverness. For the rest of my life I'll be hearing people gush about Tom Robbins and I'm going to have to smile and nod along in order to not ruin the mood.
But there were some nice observations about beets.
But there were some nice observations about beets.
quinnlindell's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lbonis's review against another edition
this book is soooooo sloooooow - maybe one day ill finish
jannagregory's review against another edition
4.0
Beets and immortality. I always enjoy the wordsmithery of Tom Robbins.