Wednesday BookCrave: Tom Robbins Author Spotlight
By Mike Payne
To call Tom Robbins a novelist might be selling him short. His lifetime of vivid, imaginative works often portrays a much deeper, treasured talent than that of a quirky imagineer. Robbins’ novels have been the subject of academic scrutiny, but not just as literature– as philosophy, as social commentary and more.
In works like “Skinny Legs and All”, Robbins tackles modern day Middle East conflicts, pre-historic matriarchal religions, art and sex (a lot of sex). In “Jitterbug Perfume”, an epic novel in its own right, Robbins weaves a story of immortality, religion, dying gods and perfume. What is unique about Tom Robbins is the euphoria and relentless fun that he has in bringing these subjects to life through wild characters and fantastic story lines. If you’re new to Robbins, or have read one of his works in the past, continue reading to learn about the three master works of his career: “Still Life with WoodPecker”, “Jitterbug Perfume” and “Skinny Legs and All”.
(Mr. Robbins Himself)
Jitterbug Perfume (Amazon rating:4.5 stars, 169 customer reviews)
“Jitterbug Perfume” is Robbins’ epic masterwork, a tale of an ancient king, a dying god, an immortal dance and the ultimate perfume. The story spans millenia, from the darkest of ages in Europe to around three o’clock last Saturday afternoon. Alobar, ancient king turned modern day janitor, has found the secret to immortality and a scent powerful enough to wake the dead. Jitterbug Perfume is a story about aging, immortality, love and defiance against the rules of life. An absolute GearCrave favorite.
Buy: $11.20
Still Life With Woodpecker (Amazon rating: 4.5 stars, 159 customer reviews)
“Still Life With Woodpecker is sort of a love story that takes place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes. It reveals the purpose of the moon, explains the difference between criminals and outlaws, examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism, and paints a portrait of contemporary society that includes powerful Arabs, exiled royalty, and pregnant cheerleaders. It also deals with the problem of redheads,” reads the back cover of “Still Life”. The “Woodpecker” in this novel is an infamous, womanizing anti-hero whose paintbrush is his skill with exploding devices. The leading lady is a young, red-headed princess who falls for the Woodpecker. The enemy in this book is everyone else: from the Feds to Balkan royalty to Arab princes to extra terrestrials. Sound like a cluster fuck? Take another look at that Amazon rating above.
Buy: $11.20
Skinny Legs and All (Amazon rating: 4.5 stars, 107 customer reviews)
The Library Journal sums this wild story up in ways we admire: “A painter’s struggle with her art, a restaurant opened as an experiment in brotherhood, the journey of several inanimate objects to Jerusalem, a preacher’s scheme to hasten Armageddon, and a performance of a legendary dance: these are the diverse elements around which Robbins has built this wild, controversial novel. Ellen Cherry Charles, one of the “Daughters of the Daily Special” in “Jitterbug Perfume”, takes center stage. She has married Boomer Petway and moved to New York, hoping to make it as a painter. Instead, she winds up a waitress at the Isaac and Ishmael, a restaurant co-owned by an Arab and a Jew. Robbins’s primary concern is Middle Eastern politics, supplemented along the way with observations on art, religion, sex, and money. Few contemporary novelists mix tomfoolery and philosophy so well. This is Robbins at his best.”
Buy: $11.20
