Author - Tom Robbins
5 out of 5 Stars
This was my first foray into the world of Tom Robbins and I am devastated that nobody recommended his writing to me sooner. It took me over two weeks to finish this novel, which for me is an obscenely long time, but I took such pleasure in reading sentences out loud and rereading certain passages over and over, that I am truly grateful that I took my time. I'm eager to read more of Robbins' novels.
But back to the book at hand. There is just so much I love about it. The characters - Sissy Hankshaw Gitche and her 'deformed' thumbs, Julian Gitche - a Native American leading a Manhattan society life, The Countess - a homosexual man with dentures who markets feminine hygene products and is 'friends' with Capote, Bonanza Jellybean - a young woman who never gave up on her childhood fantasy of being a cow girl, and my most favorite, The Chink - (mislabeled of course) who contradicts himself, adores yams, is sexually uninhibited (penis wagging!) and debatably wise after living amongst the 'clock people', and Dr. Robbins (heh) who drinks chablis with his patients.
And then all of the other elements (almost characters in themselves) - the missing whooping cranes, amoebas, the clouds, the prairie, Manhattan, sex, love, philosophy, poetry, art, nature, magic, culture, freedom, theatrical elements (a la meta and Brechtian by distancing the audience yet drawing them in, a contradiction, I know), animals, history, religion -- Robbins covers it all in this book with astute humor and without taking himself seriously.
Definitely a book I will keep forever and will most certainly read again.
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