Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The fierce invalid in Tom Robbins's seventh novel is a philosophical, hedonistic US operative very loosely inspired by a friend of the author. "Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are enormously popular in the CIA", claims Switters. "Not with all the agents in the field, but with the good ones, the brightest and the best". Switters isn't really an invalid, but during his first mission (to set free his ornery grandma's parrot, Sailor, in the Amazon jungle), he gets zapped by a spell cast by a "misshapen shaman" of the Kandakandero tribe named End of Time. The shaman is reminiscent of Carlos Castaneda's giggly guru, but his head is pyramid-shaped. In return for a mind-bending trip into cosmic truth--"the Hallways of Always"--Switters must not let his foot touch the earth, or he'll die.

Not that a little death threat can slow him down. Switters simply hops into a wheelchair and rolls off to further footloose adventures, occasionally switching to stilts. For a Robbins hero, to be just a bit high, not earthbound, facilitates enlightenment. He bops from Peru to Seattle, where he is beguiled by the Art Girls of the Pike Place Market and his 16-year-old stepsister, and then off to Syria, where he falls in with a pack of renegade nuns bearing names like Mustang Sally and Domino Thirry. Will Switters see Domino tumble and solve the mystery of the Virgin Mary? Can the nuns convince the Pope to favour birth control--to "zonk the zygotic zillions and mitigate the multitudinous milt" and "wrest free from a woman's shoulders the boa of spermatozoa?" Can the author ever resist a shameless pun or a mutant metaphor?

The tangly plot is almost beside the point. Switters is a colourful undercover agent, and a Robbins novel is really a colourful undercover essay, celebrating sex and innocence, drugs and a firm wariness of anything that tries to rewire the mind, and Broadway tunes, especially "Send in the Clowns". Some readers will be intensely offended by Switters's yen for youth and idiosyncratic views on vice. But fans will feel that extremism in the pursuit of serious fun is virtue incarnate. Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates is classic Tom Robbins: all smiles, similes and subversion. --Tim Appelo

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The spy who loved me..., 21 Mar 2007
... or more acurately, the spy whose story I loved... Robbins has many strong points: philosophically broad, theologically open-minded, able to string 300 storylines together... but i think his strongest point is in character sketching. Sissy Hankshaw, Ellen Cherry Charles, Bernard Mickey Wrangle and now Switters, who has replaced ECC as my favourite. As mentioned in the synopsis, he's a mass of contradictions, and extremely entertaining for it. I hope TR decides to break mold and write a sequel. Bond wishes he was this cool.

Superb, 06 Oct 2006
I am a relative newcomer to Tom Robbins, but thank the almighty that I came. i picked this book up, started reading it, and about 24 hours later I put it down again, with a bewildered smile on my face, having read the whole thing. As many Robbins fans will know, reading the "whole thing" actually equates to reading everything once but quite a lot of everything for a second and third time as you try to work out exactly how he does it. Magical.

Tom Robbins in top form, 17 Nov 2002
Tom Robbins in top form. A former CIA agent travels from the US to the Amazon rainforest where he is the subject of a curse that confines him to a wheelchair. Via a sojourn in a Syrian convent with renegade nuns our former agent gets caught up in the history of two religions whilst grappling with his sexuality. All this amidst the literary gymnastics and wit of Robbins prose. Outstanding.

the mosaic of life, 13 Oct 2002
I bought a second copy of this book so I could go to work underlining and dog-ear-ing the pages in an attempt to recall, for future use, the hundred or more glittering concepts I discovered here.

Our Hero, Switters, is a walking, talking, breathing, lusting, meditating symbol for the tesserae that make up the mosaic of the sort of life we all either embrace or deny in every moment. He is a pacifist CIA agent, a pragmatic mystic, a part-time adventurer and full-time romantic, and though captivated by the idea of innocence and purity, he lusts after his teenaged stepsister and ultimately finds her affection returned in the most delightful manner imaginable.

In one particularly memorable conversation, he tells her, "The more advertising I see, the less I want to buy..." Sounds simple, but taken in context of the moment, it unfolds like a rose, with just as many layers of beauty.

The freedom of parrots, a pyramid-shaped head on a South American shaman, Matisse's Blue Nude revealed, Finnegan's Wake, government intelligence policies, the art of stilt walking, renegade nuns and the price we fear we must pay for enlightenment...all these seemingly disparate concepts are not only brought together as a whole, but seamlessly dovetailed to offer an enchanting glimpse of one individual celebrating who-he-really-is by realising that the only price to pay for joy is letting go of fear.

Mr Robbins does it again, 10 Sep 2002
Tom Robbins has such a fantastically rich writing style, no metaphor is left unturned, no adjective unexplored.

We follow Switters on an amazing journey across three continents, meeting a multitude of strange and wonderful characters. The plot twists and turns and unfolds magically as each page turns (although apparently, Mr. Robbins never plans his books in advance, it comes straight out of his head and onto the page, making this story even more extraordinary).

I wanted to grab a pen and highlight all the phrases and sentences that made me chuckle but there were so many, I would have coloured in the whole book :o)

Read and enjoy...

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The spy who loved me..., 21 Mar 2007
... or more acurately, the spy whose story I loved... Robbins has many strong points: philosophically broad, theologically open-minded, able to string 300 storylines together... but i think his strongest point is in character sketching. Sissy Hankshaw, Ellen Cherry Charles, Bernard Mickey Wrangle and now Switters, who has replaced ECC as my favourite. As mentioned in the synopsis, he's a mass of contradictions, and extremely entertaining for it. I hope TR decides to break mold and write a sequel. Bond wishes he was this cool.

Superb, 06 Oct 2006
I am a relative newcomer to Tom Robbins, but thank the almighty that I came. i picked this book up, started reading it, and about 24 hours later I put it down again, with a bewildered smile on my face, having read the whole thing. As many Robbins fans will know, reading the "whole thing" actually equates to reading everything once but quite a lot of everything for a second and third time as you try to work out exactly how he does it. Magical.

Tom Robbins in top form, 17 Nov 2002
Tom Robbins in top form. A former CIA agent travels from the US to the Amazon rainforest where he is the subject of a curse that confines him to a wheelchair. Via a sojourn in a Syrian convent with renegade nuns our former agent gets caught up in the history of two religions whilst grappling with his sexuality. All this amidst the literary gymnastics and wit of Robbins prose. Outstanding.

the mosaic of life, 13 Oct 2002
I bought a second copy of this book so I could go to work underlining and dog-ear-ing the pages in an attempt to recall, for future use, the hundred or more glittering concepts I discovered here.

Our Hero, Switters, is a walking, talking, breathing, lusting, meditating symbol for the tesserae that make up the mosaic of the sort of life we all either embrace or deny in every moment. He is a pacifist CIA agent, a pragmatic mystic, a part-time adventurer and full-time romantic, and though captivated by the idea of innocence and purity, he lusts after his teenaged stepsister and ultimately finds her affection returned in the most delightful manner imaginable.

In one particularly memorable conversation, he tells her, "The more advertising I see, the less I want to buy..." Sounds simple, but taken in context of the moment, it unfolds like a rose, with just as many layers of beauty.

The freedom of parrots, a pyramid-shaped head on a South American shaman, Matisse's Blue Nude revealed, Finnegan's Wake, government intelligence policies, the art of stilt walking, renegade nuns and the price we fear we must pay for enlightenment...all these seemingly disparate concepts are not only brought together as a whole, but seamlessly dovetailed to offer an enchanting glimpse of one individual celebrating who-he-really-is by realising that the only price to pay for joy is letting go of fear.

Mr Robbins does it again, 10 Sep 2002
Tom Robbins has such a fantastically rich writing style, no metaphor is left unturned, no adjective unexplored.

We follow Switters on an amazing journey across three continents, meeting a multitude of strange and wonderful characters. The plot twists and turns and unfolds magically as each page turns (although apparently, Mr. Robbins never plans his books in advance, it comes straight out of his head and onto the page, making this story even more extraordinary).

I wanted to grab a pen and highlight all the phrases and sentences that made me chuckle but there were so many, I would have coloured in the whole book :o)

Read and enjoy...

Amazing book, 13 Nov 2007
I was amazed to find that Tom Robbins was quite famous outside his native America. His works are an offshoot of Vonnegut and the adsurdists, and if you've not delved into them, then by all means start with this novel. His "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" put him on the map years ago, but he's written so many novels now that stand up to that one, he's almost better remembered for the newer ones than the one that initially made his career. As usual, his books deal with absurd and funny situations and while you need the willing suspension of disbelief, Robbins makes it all seem real--too real--even if you can't get past that. I love each of his books, which is unusual as I'm prone to like one by an author and not another. You MUST read his "Another Roadside Attraction" if you read "Woodpecker" and like it. Great. Just great.

tom rides again, 04 Sep 2005
i have now read 5 of the 8 books in the robbins canon, and loved them all. so far, i'd recommend this as a first read to anyone embarking on the tr trip - it's just as wonderful as the others, but for a change has a (relatively!) straightforward plotline that allows you to dive straight in. 'zany' is a word frequently used about robbins's writing, and so it is - it's also gripping, hilarious, brilliant, witty, clever, erudite, wise, sexy, surprising and all round wonderful. just a lil suspension of disbelief required - the fact that improbables occur in the storylines is neither here nor there - think of 'em as fabulous. a writer whose every sentence carries a punch of one sort or another. sheer reading delight. and will make you happy - 'it's never too late to have a happy childhood'.

A Study of Redheads, 05 Jul 2004
This is a light and entertaining book from a word-play genius. What is amazing is the way he weaves so many stories into a tidy, compact little package - almost the size of a pack of cigarettes, as a matter of fact.

This is a story about a tarnished princess, an outlaw bomber with bad teeth, a scene stealing if somewhat undomesticated loyal servant, toads - both real and plastic, an exiled King and his "Oh-Oh, spaghetti-o" Queen, a CIA not-so-secret agent, an outraged Middle Eastern playboy, blackberries, Camels, Ralph Nader, pyramids and aliens from Argon.

What more could you possibly want in a book?

Tom Robbins has a genuine talent for words and puns, and those with active funny bones will be tickled throughout. His casual use of words like "slishy" and phrases like "I have a black belt in haiku" abound, to be discovered with unbridled delight.

This is a book to be enjoyed within one lunar cycle without fear of repercussions.

all time favourite, 14 Jan 2004
This book impressed me so much that i paid a lot of money to have my original ratty paperback copy professionally bound so it wouldnt fall apart on me! The story has me laughing out loud on public transport and it can be dipped into for laughs at any time.. the story is compelling, the anti-hero and heroine more than just characters and the philosophy makes you think. i cannot recommend it highly enough.

Beautiful love story by an absolute genius, 20 Apr 2002
Tom Robbins has such a unique way of looking at the world that only he could write a love story like this. It foregoes all the usual cliches to present a simple boy-meets-girl story in a way that is enlightening, entertaining and enriching.

This is, quite simply, one of the most magical books I have ever read, and I will never make the same mistakes in love as I did before I read this (well that's the plan!).

Buy it, it will make you laugh and cry in equal measure and it will change your (love) life.

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The spy who loved me..., 21 Mar 2007
... or more acurately, the spy whose story I loved... Robbins has many strong points: philosophically broad, theologically open-minded, able to string 300 storylines together... but i think his strongest point is in character sketching. Sissy Hankshaw, Ellen Cherry Charles, Bernard Mickey Wrangle and now Switters, who has replaced ECC as my favourite. As mentioned in the synopsis, he's a mass of contradictions, and extremely entertaining for it. I hope TR decides to break mold and write a sequel. Bond wishes he was this cool.

Superb, 06 Oct 2006
I am a relative newcomer to Tom Robbins, but thank the almighty that I came. i picked this book up, started reading it, and about 24 hours later I put it down again, with a bewildered smile on my face, having read the whole thing. As many Robbins fans will know, reading the "whole thing" actually equates to reading everything once but quite a lot of everything for a second and third time as you try to work out exactly how he does it. Magical.

Tom Robbins in top form, 17 Nov 2002
Tom Robbins in top form. A former CIA agent travels from the US to the Amazon rainforest where he is the subject of a curse that confines him to a wheelchair. Via a sojourn in a Syrian convent with renegade nuns our former agent gets caught up in the history of two religions whilst grappling with his sexuality. All this amidst the literary gymnastics and wit of Robbins prose. Outstanding.

the mosaic of life, 13 Oct 2002
I bought a second copy of this book so I could go to work underlining and dog-ear-ing the pages in an attempt to recall, for future use, the hundred or more glittering concepts I discovered here.

Our Hero, Switters, is a walking, talking, breathing, lusting, meditating symbol for the tesserae that make up the mosaic of the sort of life we all either embrace or deny in every moment. He is a pacifist CIA agent, a pragmatic mystic, a part-time adventurer and full-time romantic, and though captivated by the idea of innocence and purity, he lusts after his teenaged stepsister and ultimately finds her affection returned in the most delightful manner imaginable.

In one particularly memorable conversation, he tells her, "The more advertising I see, the less I want to buy..." Sounds simple, but taken in context of the moment, it unfolds like a rose, with just as many layers of beauty.

The freedom of parrots, a pyramid-shaped head on a South American shaman, Matisse's Blue Nude revealed, Finnegan's Wake, government intelligence policies, the art of stilt walking, renegade nuns and the price we fear we must pay for enlightenment...all these seemingly disparate concepts are not only brought together as a whole, but seamlessly dovetailed to offer an enchanting glimpse of one individual celebrating who-he-really-is by realising that the only price to pay for joy is letting go of fear.

Mr Robbins does it again, 10 Sep 2002
Tom Robbins has such a fantastically rich writing style, no metaphor is left unturned, no adjective unexplored.

We follow Switters on an amazing journey across three continents, meeting a multitude of strange and wonderful characters. The plot twists and turns and unfolds magically as each page turns (although apparently, Mr. Robbins never plans his books in advance, it comes straight out of his head and onto the page, making this story even more extraordinary).

I wanted to grab a pen and highlight all the phrases and sentences that made me chuckle but there were so many, I would have coloured in the whole book :o)

Read and enjoy...

Amazing book, 13 Nov 2007
I was amazed to find that Tom Robbins was quite famous outside his native America. His works are an offshoot of Vonnegut and the adsurdists, and if you've not delved into them, then by all means start with this novel. His "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" put him on the map years ago, but he's written so many novels now that stand up to that one, he's almost better remembered for the newer ones than the one that initially made his career. As usual, his books deal with absurd and funny situations and while you need the willing suspension of disbelief, Robbins makes it all seem real--too real--even if you can't get past that. I love each of his books, which is unusual as I'm prone to like one by an author and not another. You MUST read his "Another Roadside Attraction" if you read "Woodpecker" and like it. Great. Just great.

tom rides again, 04 Sep 2005
i have now read 5 of the 8 books in the robbins canon, and loved them all. so far, i'd recommend this as a first read to anyone embarking on the tr trip - it's just as wonderful as the others, but for a change has a (relatively!) straightforward plotline that allows you to dive straight in. 'zany' is a word frequently used about robbins's writing, and so it is - it's also gripping, hilarious, brilliant, witty, clever, erudite, wise, sexy, surprising and all round wonderful. just a lil suspension of disbelief required - the fact that improbables occur in the storylines is neither here nor there - think of 'em as fabulous. a writer whose every sentence carries a punch of one sort or another. sheer reading delight. and will make you happy - 'it's never too late to have a happy childhood'.

A Study of Redheads, 05 Jul 2004
This is a light and entertaining book from a word-play genius. What is amazing is the way he weaves so many stories into a tidy, compact little package - almost the size of a pack of cigarettes, as a matter of fact.

This is a story about a tarnished princess, an outlaw bomber with bad teeth, a scene stealing if somewhat undomesticated loyal servant, toads - both real and plastic, an exiled King and his "Oh-Oh, spaghetti-o" Queen, a CIA not-so-secret agent, an outraged Middle Eastern playboy, blackberries, Camels, Ralph Nader, pyramids and aliens from Argon.

What more could you possibly want in a book?

Tom Robbins has a genuine talent for words and puns, and those with active funny bones will be tickled throughout. His casual use of words like "slishy" and phrases like "I have a black belt in haiku" abound, to be discovered with unbridled delight.

This is a book to be enjoyed within one lunar cycle without fear of repercussions.

all time favourite, 14 Jan 2004
This book impressed me so much that i paid a lot of money to have my original ratty paperback copy professionally bound so it wouldnt fall apart on me! The story has me laughing out loud on public transport and it can be dipped into for laughs at any time.. the story is compelling, the anti-hero and heroine more than just characters and the philosophy makes you think. i cannot recommend it highly enough.

Beautiful love story by an absolute genius, 20 Apr 2002
Tom Robbins has such a unique way of looking at the world that only he could write a love story like this. It foregoes all the usual cliches to present a simple boy-meets-girl story in a way that is enlightening, entertaining and enriching.

This is, quite simply, one of the most magical books I have ever read, and I will never make the same mistakes in love as I did before I read this (well that's the plan!).

Buy it, it will make you laugh and cry in equal measure and it will change your (love) life.

Sissy Hankshaw Rules!, 09 Nov 2007
Sissy Hankshaw is one of my favorite characters ever put on paper, right behind Ignatius in CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES and Max Perkins in McCrae's KATZENJAMMER. She's a totally off the wall chick who has her stuff together. Throw this in with a typically un-typical Tom Robbins plot and all the atmosphere you can think of and you've got a recipe for one great book. I laughed my A** off in some sections of the book. And there's no sagging middle or boring parts. This is hysterical. I also liked Robbin's STILLLIFE WITH WOODPECKER. You should read that along with the witty and urbane KATZENJAMMER (McCRae) and CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. All great laughter-like literature with education behind it.

Even Cowgirls get the Blues, 17 Oct 2003
I fell hopelessly in love with this book by about page ten. The free spirit of Sissy Hankshaw and her perception of life is intoxicating. You will sometimes find yourself looking at your thumbs during quite moments! However, about half way through I had something of a lover's tiff with the novel. The seemingly endless musings of 'the Chink' are frustrating, confusing, pretentious and , frankly, boring. I got the distinct sense that Tom Robbins was just dying to splurge all his theories into the middle of this, otherwise, wonderful American tale.
His references to anal, ill informed and soul-less book reviewers won't go un-noticed. They're only doing their job, Tom!
This doesn't change the fact that this is tremendous book that sucked me in and had me mildly obsessed for a while. It made me want to meet a girl like JellyBean, know someone like the Countess and be more like Sissy Hankshaw.

Always lifts me out of the blues!, 15 Nov 2001
One of my all-time favourite books. Don't let the film put you off - saying that, I haven't seen it so that I wouldn't be put off!

Robbins is an exceptional writer: his style is positive, uplifting, educational, honest, sensual, encapsulating joie de vivre.

In this book, Sissy Hankshaw is a typically strong, unconventional female character who follows a Jack Kerouac inspired trek, eventually meeting Jellybean Bonanza (what a name!) on a cowgirl ranch for the climax (tic), plus the usual Robbins male guru to help see the light. There is some girlie action, which makes some folks inclined to believe that it's just a 'gay' book, but there's much more to the story than that and should appeal to all with Robbins enchanting his readers to be open-minded. Even 'squares' would secretly dig it!!

This book really inspires and cheers me up. I've often lent it to friends - both male and female, straight or gay - and haven't got it back!! I don't mind and buy it again and again... and keep lending it and spreading the word(s): HA HA HO HO AND HEE HEE.

A big THUMBS UP!, 02 Apr 2001
I loved this book. It was extremely bizarre in every way and yet I warmed to the characters and laughed and cried in all the right places. It is a wonderful hymn to the celebration of physical difference and "handicap" in all senses of the word and champions the underdog in the most wonderful way. There is a lot to take in, but buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Overrated And Overheated, 27 Aug 1999
Annoying fiction from the overrated (and overheated) Robbins.

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The spy who loved me..., 21 Mar 2007
... or more acurately, the spy whose story I loved... Robbins has many strong points: philosophically broad, theologically open-minded, able to string 300 storylines together... but i think his strongest point is in character sketching. Sissy Hankshaw, Ellen Cherry Charles, Bernard Mickey Wrangle and now Switters, who has replaced ECC as my favourite. As mentioned in the synopsis, he's a mass of contradictions, and extremely entertaining for it. I hope TR decides to break mold and write a sequel. Bond wishes he was this cool.

Superb, 06 Oct 2006
I am a relative newcomer to Tom Robbins, but thank the almighty that I came. i picked this book up, started reading it, and about 24 hours later I put it down again, with a bewildered smile on my face, having read the whole thing. As many Robbins fans will know, reading the "whole thing" actually equates to reading everything once but quite a lot of everything for a second and third time as you try to work out exactly how he does it. Magical.

Tom Robbins in top form, 17 Nov 2002
Tom Robbins in top form. A former CIA agent travels from the US to the Amazon rainforest where he is the subject of a curse that confines him to a wheelchair. Via a sojourn in a Syrian convent with renegade nuns our former agent gets caught up in the history of two religions whilst grappling with his sexuality. All this amidst the literary gymnastics and wit of Robbins prose. Outstanding.

the mosaic of life, 13 Oct 2002
I bought a second copy of this book so I could go to work underlining and dog-ear-ing the pages in an attempt to recall, for future use, the hundred or more glittering concepts I discovered here.

Our Hero, Switters, is a walking, talking, breathing, lusting, meditating symbol for the tesserae that make up the mosaic of the sort of life we all either embrace or deny in every moment. He is a pacifist CIA agent, a pragmatic mystic, a part-time adventurer and full-time romantic, and though captivated by the idea of innocence and purity, he lusts after his teenaged stepsister and ultimately finds her affection returned in the most delightful manner imaginable.

In one particularly memorable conversation, he tells her, "The more advertising I see, the less I want to buy..." Sounds simple, but taken in context of the moment, it unfolds like a rose, with just as many layers of beauty.

The freedom of parrots, a pyramid-shaped head on a South American shaman, Matisse's Blue Nude revealed, Finnegan's Wake, government intelligence policies, the art of stilt walking, renegade nuns and the price we fear we must pay for enlightenment...all these seemingly disparate concepts are not only brought together as a whole, but seamlessly dovetailed to offer an enchanting glimpse of one individual celebrating who-he-really-is by realising that the only price to pay for joy is letting go of fear.

Mr Robbins does it again, 10 Sep 2002
Tom Robbins has such a fantastically rich writing style, no metaphor is left unturned, no adjective unexplored.

We follow Switters on an amazing journey across three continents, meeting a multitude of strange and wonderful characters. The plot twists and turns and unfolds magically as each page turns (although apparently, Mr. Robbins never plans his books in advance, it comes straight out of his head and onto the page, making this story even more extraordinary).

I wanted to grab a pen and highlight all the phrases and sentences that made me chuckle but there were so many, I would have coloured in the whole book :o)

Read and enjoy...

Amazing book, 13 Nov 2007
I was amazed to find that Tom Robbins was quite famous outside his native America. His works are an offshoot of Vonnegut and the adsurdists, and if you've not delved into them, then by all means start with this novel. His "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" put him on the map years ago, but he's written so many novels now that stand up to that one, he's almost better remembered for the newer ones than the one that initially made his career. As usual, his books deal with absurd and funny situations and while you need the willing suspension of disbelief, Robbins makes it all seem real--too real--even if you can't get past that. I love each of his books, which is unusual as I'm prone to like one by an author and not another. You MUST read his "Another Roadside Attraction" if you read "Woodpecker" and like it. Great. Just great.

tom rides again, 04 Sep 2005
i have now read 5 of the 8 books in the robbins canon, and loved them all. so far, i'd recommend this as a first read to anyone embarking on the tr trip - it's just as wonderful as the others, but for a change has a (relatively!) straightforward plotline that allows you to dive straight in. 'zany' is a word frequently used about robbins's writing, and so it is - it's also gripping, hilarious, brilliant, witty, clever, erudite, wise, sexy, surprising and all round wonderful. just a lil suspension of disbelief required - the fact that improbables occur in the storylines is neither here nor there - think of 'em as fabulous. a writer whose every sentence carries a punch of one sort or another. sheer reading delight. and will make you happy - 'it's never too late to have a happy childhood'.

A Study of Redheads, 05 Jul 2004
This is a light and entertaining book from a word-play genius. What is amazing is the way he weaves so many stories into a tidy, compact little package - almost the size of a pack of cigarettes, as a matter of fact.

This is a story about a tarnished princess, an outlaw bomber with bad teeth, a scene stealing if somewhat undomesticated loyal servant, toads - both real and plastic, an exiled King and his "Oh-Oh, spaghetti-o" Queen, a CIA not-so-secret agent, an outraged Middle Eastern playboy, blackberries, Camels, Ralph Nader, pyramids and aliens from Argon.

What more could you possibly want in a book?

Tom Robbins has a genuine talent for words and puns, and those with active funny bones will be tickled throughout. His casual use of words like "slishy" and phrases like "I have a black belt in haiku" abound, to be discovered with unbridled delight.

This is a book to be enjoyed within one lunar cycle without fear of repercussions.

all time favourite, 14 Jan 2004
This book impressed me so much that i paid a lot of money to have my original ratty paperback copy professionally bound so it wouldnt fall apart on me! The story has me laughing out loud on public transport and it can be dipped into for laughs at any time.. the story is compelling, the anti-hero and heroine more than just characters and the philosophy makes you think. i cannot recommend it highly enough.

Beautiful love story by an absolute genius, 20 Apr 2002
Tom Robbins has such a unique way of looking at the world that only he could write a love story like this. It foregoes all the usual cliches to present a simple boy-meets-girl story in a way that is enlightening, entertaining and enriching.

This is, quite simply, one of the most magical books I have ever read, and I will never make the same mistakes in love as I did before I read this (well that's the plan!).

Buy it, it will make you laugh and cry in equal measure and it will change your (love) life.

Sissy Hankshaw Rules!, 09 Nov 2007
Sissy Hankshaw is one of my favorite characters ever put on paper, right behind Ignatius in CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES and Max Perkins in McCrae's KATZENJAMMER. She's a totally off the wall chick who has her stuff together. Throw this in with a typically un-typical Tom Robbins plot and all the atmosphere you can think of and you've got a recipe for one great book. I laughed my A** off in some sections of the book. And there's no sagging middle or boring parts. This is hysterical. I also liked Robbin's STILLLIFE WITH WOODPECKER. You should read that along with the witty and urbane KATZENJAMMER (McCRae) and CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. All great laughter-like literature with education behind it.

Even Cowgirls get the Blues, 17 Oct 2003
I fell hopelessly in love with this book by about page ten. The free spirit of Sissy Hankshaw and her perception of life is intoxicating. You will sometimes find yourself looking at your thumbs during quite moments! However, about half way through I had something of a lover's tiff with the novel. The seemingly endless musings of 'the Chink' are frustrating, confusing, pretentious and , frankly, boring. I got the distinct sense that Tom Robbins was just dying to splurge all his theories into the middle of this, otherwise, wonderful American tale.
His references to anal, ill informed and soul-less book reviewers won't go un-noticed. They're only doing their job, Tom!
This doesn't change the fact that this is tremendous book that sucked me in and had me mildly obsessed for a while. It made me want to meet a girl like JellyBean, know someone like the Countess and be more like Sissy Hankshaw.

Always lifts me out of the blues!, 15 Nov 2001
One of my all-time favourite books. Don't let the film put you off - saying that, I haven't seen it so that I wouldn't be put off!

Robbins is an exceptional writer: his style is positive, uplifting, educational, honest, sensual, encapsulating joie de vivre.

In this book, Sissy Hankshaw is a typically strong, unconventional female character who follows a Jack Kerouac inspired trek, eventually meeting Jellybean Bonanza (what a name!) on a cowgirl ranch for the climax (tic), plus the usual Robbins male guru to help see the light. There is some girlie action, which makes some folks inclined to believe that it's just a 'gay' book, but there's much more to the story than that and should appeal to all with Robbins enchanting his readers to be open-minded. Even 'squares' would secretly dig it!!

This book really inspires and cheers me up. I've often lent it to friends - both male and female, straight or gay - and haven't got it back!! I don't mind and buy it again and again... and keep lending it and spreading the word(s): HA HA HO HO AND HEE HEE.

A big THUMBS UP!, 02 Apr 2001
I loved this book. It was extremely bizarre in every way and yet I warmed to the characters and laughed and cried in all the right places. It is a wonderful hymn to the celebration of physical difference and "handicap" in all senses of the word and champions the underdog in the most wonderful way. There is a lot to take in, but buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Overrated And Overheated, 27 Aug 1999
Annoying fiction from the overrated (and overheated) Robbins.

Robbins made easy, 26 Aug 2005
Tom Robbins is the absolute master of the mind tickling metaphor and of rolling up philosophy into the guise of a fun, sexy romp. At least usually. In this book, however, it's as though he has lost patience with being too clever or has forgotten that Buddhist life-flow style which allowed it to roll out as an underlying message. Here you'll get the philosophy spelt out by one of the heroes very directly. It's as if Robbins is leaving a simplified decoder for readers who lacked the sensitivity to find the same messages more subtly layered beneath the apparent action in more deeply satisfying previous works (most magnificently Jitterbug Perfume). It's Robbins for beginners - and given the backward forms of formula religious dullardism sweeping the western world he's probably wise to do this - and maybe open a few eyes for whom the 'real' Robbins is simply a whole quantum beyond their experience.

If, on the other hand you were already in tune with the mind-bendingly brilliant thoughts behind Jitterbug Perfume, this is not going to appeal quite as much.... and you might ask for those beetroots over old Tanuki.

A Spiritual Fable with Vivid Epigrams, 04 Jun 2004
"East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Mr. Robbins has taken that premise as a challenge to his ingenuity and he crafts a memorable tale to show the collision of mindsets. I particularly admired his willingness to contrast ancient religious beliefs like animism with the major established creeds. As a result, the story becomes secondary to his educational purpose . . . and that makes the book a weak one from many perspectives.

If you don't want to learn about eastern philosophies, then you will hate this book. It's taking you somewhere where you don't want to go. If you already know a lot about eastern philosophies, you will find this book is much too superficial to be interesting. If you are looking for a good story that keeps moving from page to page, you will probably be disappointed in the slow pace of describing synchronicity . . . which seems to be the author's purpose. If you want to study how to display philosophical issues in a novel, then the book is of average interest to writers and critics. I would suggest looking to Atlas Shrugged as a better way to get the point across . . . by giving the story a driving force and memorable characters.

The story develops from several perspectives, beginning with the spiritual messenger, Tanuki, embodied on earth as a tanuki, an East Asian species of wild dog with a large scrotum. Tanuki begets a child with a human woman, and impresses a seed into the child's palate. The descendant of that child becomes a circus performer who trains, what else, tanukis. From the United States, three aviators find themselves shot down and left behind in Laos. Eventually forgotten, they escape and decide to live the simple life in a mountainous region that evokes memories of James Hilton's Shangri-La in Lost Horizon. Needing to trade for the luxuries they crave, they find ways of turning the local raw materials into wealth. In the course of doing this, they find themselves ethically challenged. The circus comes to their mountain to escape the Communist purges and they meet Tanuki's descendent. Their lives intertwine in synchronous ways that suggest a Divine hand. Then the existence of the aviators is discovered by the United States. What will the authorities do?

To me the best part of the book comes in the beautiful metaphor of the cable strung across the gorge that tightrope walkers use to cross. This thin strand is the physical connection between the Villa Incognito and the "real world." Crossing the gap is safe and even entertaining when east and west combine, but can be fatal when either one takes the trip alone or in the dark.

As I finished the book, I found myself wondering why the author thought that you have to go to the East to experience it daily. Can't you simply use meditation and a changed perspective to bring the East with you in the West? He thinks not . . . but is that right?

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The spy who loved me..., 21 Mar 2007
... or more acurately, the spy whose story I loved... Robbins has many strong points: philosophically broad, theologically open-minded, able to string 300 storylines together... but i think his strongest point is in character sketching. Sissy Hankshaw, Ellen Cherry Charles, Bernard Mickey Wrangle and now Switters, who has replaced ECC as my favourite. As mentioned in the synopsis, he's a mass of contradictions, and extremely entertaining for it. I hope TR decides to break mold and write a sequel. Bond wishes he was this cool.

Superb, 06 Oct 2006
I am a relative newcomer to Tom Robbins, but thank the almighty that I came. i picked this book up, started reading it, and about 24 hours later I put it down again, with a bewildered smile on my face, having read the whole thing. As many Robbins fans will know, reading the "whole thing" actually equates to reading everything once but quite a lot of everything for a second and third time as you try to work out exactly how he does it. Magical.

Tom Robbins in top form, 17 Nov 2002
Tom Robbins in top form. A former CIA agent travels from the US to the Amazon rainforest where he is the subject of a curse that confines him to a wheelchair. Via a sojourn in a Syrian convent with renegade nuns our former agent gets caught up in the history of two religions whilst grappling with his sexuality. All this amidst the literary gymnastics and wit of Robbins prose. Outstanding.

the mosaic of life, 13 Oct 2002
I bought a second copy of this book so I could go to work underlining and dog-ear-ing the pages in an attempt to recall, for future use, the hundred or more glittering concepts I discovered here.

Our Hero, Switters, is a walking, talking, breathing, lusting, meditating symbol for the tesserae that make up the mosaic of the sort of life we all either embrace or deny in every moment. He is a pacifist CIA agent, a pragmatic mystic, a part-time adventurer and full-time romantic, and though captivated by the idea of innocence and purity, he lusts after his teenaged stepsister and ultimately finds her affection returned in the most delightful manner imaginable.

In one particularly memorable conversation, he tells her, "The more advertising I see, the less I want to buy..." Sounds simple, but taken in context of the moment, it unfolds like a rose, with just as many layers of beauty.

The freedom of parrots, a pyramid-shaped head on a South American shaman, Matisse's Blue Nude revealed, Finnegan's Wake, government intelligence policies, the art of stilt walking, renegade nuns and the price we fear we must pay for enlightenment...all these seemingly disparate concepts are not only brought together as a whole, but seamlessly dovetailed to offer an enchanting glimpse of one individual celebrating who-he-really-is by realising that the only price to pay for joy is letting go of fear.

Mr Robbins does it again, 10 Sep 2002
Tom Robbins has such a fantastically rich writing style, no metaphor is left unturned, no adjective unexplored.

We follow Switters on an amazing journey across three continents, meeting a multitude of strange and wonderful characters. The plot twists and turns and unfolds magically as each page turns (although apparently, Mr. Robbins never plans his books in advance, it comes straight out of his head and onto the page, making this story even more extraordinary).

I wanted to grab a pen and highlight all the phrases and sentences that made me chuckle but there were so many, I would have coloured in the whole book :o)

Read and enjoy...

Amazing book, 13 Nov 2007
I was amazed to find that Tom Robbins was quite famous outside his native America. His works are an offshoot of Vonnegut and the adsurdists, and if you've not delved into them, then by all means start with this novel. His "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" put him on the map years ago, but he's written so many novels now that stand up to that one, he's almost better remembered for the newer ones than the one that initially made his career. As usual, his books deal with absurd and funny situations and while you need the willing suspension of disbelief, Robbins makes it all seem real--too real--even if you can't get past that. I love each of his books, which is unusual as I'm prone to like one by an author and not another. You MUST read his "Another Roadside Attraction" if you read "Woodpecker" and like it. Great. Just great.

tom rides again, 04 Sep 2005
i have now read 5 of the 8 books in the robbins canon, and loved them all. so far, i'd recommend this as a first read to anyone embarking on the tr trip - it's just as wonderful as the others, but for a change has a (relatively!) straightforward plotline that allows you to dive straight in. 'zany' is a word frequently used about robbins's writing, and so it is - it's also gripping, hilarious, brilliant, witty, clever, erudite, wise, sexy, surprising and all round wonderful. just a lil suspension of disbelief required - the fact that improbables occur in the storylines is neither here nor there - think of 'em as fabulous. a writer whose every sentence carries a punch of one sort or another. sheer reading delight. and will make you happy - 'it's never too late to have a happy childhood'.

A Study of Redheads, 05 Jul 2004
This is a light and entertaining book from a word-play genius. What is amazing is the way he weaves so many stories into a tidy, compact little package - almost the size of a pack of cigarettes, as a matter of fact.

This is a story about a tarnished princess, an outlaw bomber with bad teeth, a scene stealing if somewhat undomesticated loyal servant, toads - both real and plastic, an exiled King and his "Oh-Oh, spaghetti-o" Queen, a CIA not-so-secret agent, an outraged Middle Eastern playboy, blackberries, Camels, Ralph Nader, pyramids and aliens from Argon.

What more could you possibly want in a book?

Tom Robbins has a genuine talent for words and puns, and those with active funny bones will be tickled throughout. His casual use of words like "slishy" and phrases like "I have a black belt in haiku" abound, to be discovered with unbridled delight.

This is a book to be enjoyed within one lunar cycle without fear of repercussions.

all time favourite, 14 Jan 2004
This book impressed me so much that i paid a lot of money to have my original ratty paperback copy professionally bound so it wouldnt fall apart on me! The story has me laughing out loud on public transport and it can be dipped into for laughs at any time.. the story is compelling, the anti-hero and heroine more than just characters and the philosophy makes you think. i cannot recommend it highly enough.

Beautiful love story by an absolute genius, 20 Apr 2002
Tom Robbins has such a unique way of looking at the world that only he could write a love story like this. It foregoes all the usual cliches to present a simple boy-meets-girl story in a way that is enlightening, entertaining and enriching.

This is, quite simply, one of the most magical books I have ever read, and I will never make the same mistakes in love as I did before I read this (well that's the plan!).

Buy it, it will make you laugh and cry in equal measure and it will change your (love) life.

Sissy Hankshaw Rules!, 09 Nov 2007
Sissy Hankshaw is one of my favorite characters ever put on paper, right behind Ignatius in CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES and Max Perkins in McCrae's KATZENJAMMER. She's a totally off the wall chick who has her stuff together. Throw this in with a typically un-typical Tom Robbins plot and all the atmosphere you can think of and you've got a recipe for one great book. I laughed my A** off in some sections of the book. And there's no sagging middle or boring parts. This is hysterical. I also liked Robbin's STILLLIFE WITH WOODPECKER. You should read that along with the witty and urbane KATZENJAMMER (McCRae) and CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. All great laughter-like literature with education behind it.

Even Cowgirls get the Blues, 17 Oct 2003
I fell hopelessly in love with this book by about page ten. The free spirit of Sissy Hankshaw and her perception of life is intoxicating. You will sometimes find yourself looking at your thumbs during quite moments! However, about half way through I had something of a lover's tiff with the novel. The seemingly endless musings of 'the Chink' are frustrating, confusing, pretentious and , frankly, boring. I got the distinct sense that Tom Robbins was just dying to splurge all his theories into the middle of this, otherwise, wonderful American tale.
His references to anal, ill informed and soul-less book reviewers won't go un-noticed. They're only doing their job, Tom!
This doesn't change the fact that this is tremendous book that sucked me in and had me mildly obsessed for a while. It made me want to meet a girl like JellyBean, know someone like the Countess and be more like Sissy Hankshaw.

Always lifts me out of the blues!, 15 Nov 2001
One of my all-time favourite books. Don't let the film put you off - saying that, I haven't seen it so that I wouldn't be put off!

Robbins is an exceptional writer: his style is positive, uplifting, educational, honest, sensual, encapsulating joie de vivre.

In this book, Sissy Hankshaw is a typically strong, unconventional female character who follows a Jack Kerouac inspired trek, eventually meeting Jellybean Bonanza (what a name!) on a cowgirl ranch for the climax (tic), plus the usual Robbins male guru to help see the light. There is some girlie action, which makes some folks inclined to believe that it's just a 'gay' book, but there's much more to the story than that and should appeal to all with Robbins enchanting his readers to be open-minded. Even 'squares' would secretly dig it!!

This book really inspires and cheers me up. I've often lent it to friends - both male and female, straight or gay - and haven't got it back!! I don't mind and buy it again and again... and keep lending it and spreading the word(s): HA HA HO HO AND HEE HEE.

A big THUMBS UP!, 02 Apr 2001
I loved this book. It was extremely bizarre in every way and yet I warmed to the characters and laughed and cried in all the right places. It is a wonderful hymn to the celebration of physical difference and "handicap" in all senses of the word and champions the underdog in the most wonderful way. There is a lot to take in, but buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Overrated And Overheated, 27 Aug 1999
Annoying fiction from the overrated (and overheated) Robbins.

Robbins made easy, 26 Aug 2005
Tom Robbins is the absolute master of the mind tickling metaphor and of rolling up philosophy into the guise of a fun, sexy romp. At least usually. In this book, however, it's as though he has lost patience with being too clever or has forgotten that Buddhist life-flow style which allowed it to roll out as an underlying message. Here you'll get the philosophy spelt out by one of the heroes very directly. It's as if Robbins is leaving a simplified decoder for readers who lacked the sensitivity to find the same messages more subtly layered beneath the apparent action in more deeply satisfying previous works (most magnificently Jitterbug Perfume). It's Robbins for beginners - and given the backward forms of formula religious dullardism sweeping the western world he's probably wise to do this - and maybe open a few eyes for whom the 'real' Robbins is simply a whole quantum beyond their experience.

If, on the other hand you were already in tune with the mind-bendingly brilliant thoughts behind Jitterbug Perfume, this is not going to appeal quite as much.... and you might ask for those beetroots over old Tanuki.

A Spiritual Fable with Vivid Epigrams, 04 Jun 2004
"East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Mr. Robbins has taken that premise as a challenge to his ingenuity and he crafts a memorable tale to show the collision of mindsets. I particularly admired his willingness to contrast ancient religious beliefs like animism with the major established creeds. As a result, the story becomes secondary to his educational purpose . . . and that makes the book a weak one from many perspectives.

If you don't want to learn about eastern philosophies, then you will hate this book. It's taking you somewhere where you don't want to go. If you already know a lot about eastern philosophies, you will find this book is much too superficial to be interesting. If you are looking for a good story that keeps moving from page to page, you will probably be disappointed in the slow pace of describing synchronicity . . . which seems to be the author's purpose. If you want to study how to display philosophical issues in a novel, then the book is of average interest to writers and critics. I would suggest looking to Atlas Shrugged as a better way to get the point across . . . by giving the story a driving force and memorable characters.

The story develops from several perspectives, beginning with the spiritual messenger, Tanuki, embodied on earth as a tanuki, an East Asian species of wild dog with a large scrotum. Tanuki begets a child with a human woman, and impresses a seed into the child's palate. The descendant of that child becomes a circus performer who trains, what else, tanukis. From the United States, three aviators find themselves shot down and left behind in Laos. Eventually forgotten, they escape and decide to live the simple life in a mountainous region that evokes memories of James Hilton's Shangri-La in Lost Horizon. Needing to trade for the luxuries they crave, they find ways of turning the local raw materials into wealth. In the course of doing this, they find themselves ethically challenged. The circus comes to their mountain to escape the Communist purges and they meet Tanuki's descendent. Their lives intertwine in synchronous ways that suggest a Divine hand. Then the existence of the aviators is discovered by the United States. What will the authorities do?

To me the best part of the book comes in the beautiful metaphor of the cable strung across the gorge that tightrope walkers use to cross. This thin strand is the physical connection between the Villa Incognito and the "real world." Crossing the gap is safe and even entertaining when east and west combine, but can be fatal when either one takes the trip alone or in the dark.

As I finished the book, I found myself wondering why the author thought that you have to go to the East to experience it daily. Can't you simply use meditation and a changed perspective to bring the East with you in the West? He thinks not . . . but is that right?

Stellar book, 28 Mar 2005
An artist shouldn't be confused with their creation. Frequently the artist at work soars above their mundane self, the emerging creation transcending its creator. Nevertheless, it is tempting to ponder the author of this grand oeuvre as person too... Forget about the poor party poopers who have left their nonsense about no-sense among these reviews. They are the cousins of the agents who turned up at the roadside attraction, their souls wrapped in the worst stripe of the union flag. This book incorporates paradox, 'both-and' replaces 'either-or'; it adopts the non-linear view, the multi-dimensional take on everything. So in a sense heaven forefend that I should proceed with a dichotomy, but hey, even duality is encompassed in total unity. This book is, pace Steppenwolf's magic theatre, not for everyone. It's for the adventurous bohemian mind, with inbuilt crap detector and functioning right hemisphere, not for the straight one, inhabiting just a fraction of itself. Whatever TR-friendly type readers might seek in a novel, is here in abundance - imagination, beauty, wisdom, laughter and craft. This was my third TR read and my favourite. (Funny that, being his first write - but maybe artists peak in their first essays more often than is owned - and the rest is noodling on the initial revelation.) There are 4 main and archetypal characters (not counting Mon Cul), (pardon my French), and maybe the synthesised agglomeration of all 4 is the personality that is the author? This is partly why it's my fave. That is to say, partly because it manifests the 5 novel-attributes cited above to a fine degree, but partly because for me the marriage of magic (Z), poetry (A), robustness (P) and lucid cerebration (M) would be a delight in any one human being, and an aspirational balancing act for the rest of us. (And an acronym for TR's aim? Zap 'em!) TR is said to have spoken highly of something as banal as punctuality, and simultaneously to broadcast the maxim 'joy in spite of everything'. He is said to labour painstakingly over his words, producing a page every 3 days or so, and simultaneously advertises inspiration and spontaneity. Holy goofery.

One of my favourite books, 23 Jul 2004
I first read this book over 20 years ago,when in my early twenties. It turned me into a lifelong Tom Robbins fan, even though some of his later work in my opinion doesn't match up to this little gem of a first novel. I gave my first copy away many years ago and haven't been able to find it again since, I won't make that same mistake once I have a copy of this reprint. To this day, some of the lines in the book are still having a positive effect.
The characters you'll meet within the pages will stay with you long after you finish the story. I fell in love with Amanda, and JP Ziller inspired me to get out in the world and do my own thing. The main joy of T R's writing is brilliant, varied and many metaphors that drip from each page like lovesick tears from a young girls eye, like honey from a psychedelic beehive ( mine not TR's).
So if you want a mad cap story with brilliant characters, some radical philosophy mixed up with sharp and incisive humour, then I strongly suggest that you buy this book and don't give it away.

One of the best novels to come out of America in 20 years, 04 Feb 2002
Despite a slow start owing to its unusual style, Another Roadside Attraction rapidly shapes up to be one of the most relevant and fascinating novels by an American author in the last twenty years. Not much can be said about the story without giving the whole plot away, but it centres around the eventual establishment and short-lived history of a roadside zoo-cum-weenie-stand run by a couple of New Age Travellers who live there with their baby son, their business manager, Marx Marvellous, and a baboon named Mon Cul. It all sounds pretty ridiculous, but great literature has always required a temporary suspension of disbelief since the days of Shakespeare and it's not difficult to comply in this case. Mysticism and sensuality entwine alluringly throughout the intriguing story, which simultaneously slams organised religion - in particular, the Catholic Church - and instead affirms the simple value of living in harmony and peace. Robbins has managed to capture what many "hippies" probably believed in without (of course) trying to write a definitive ideological text, which would be fruitless and dull - the exact antithesis of Another Roadside Attraction. The book has so much to say on matters of spirituality, religion and society that it should probably be on every English literature syllabus going; the only reason it won't appear there is because we remain far too prudish about what our children should be reading, and, it must be said, Robbins isn't (his use of occasional strong language and occasionally graphic sex scenes are a stylistic tendency). This might offend some readers' sensibilities, but I would encourage them to try this great modern masterpiece anyway, and set some of their puritanism aside for the duration of the novel. There are few novels out there that really expand your mind, but this is undisputably one of them. Read it.. and think.

American Zen on Acid., 10 Aug 2001
This was the first Tom Robbins novel I read, and having since ploughed through the rest of his novels, still love the best. Robbins manages to blend deep philosophical insights and slap-stick comedy and produces an epic adventure through America's (the world's) materialistic and shallow absurdities. Robbins destroys the beliefs many people cling to as certainties, in an uncertain world. AN EXCELLENT (AND POSSIBLY LIFE CHANGING) NOVEL!!!

This is bigger than Carlos Casteneda!, 17 May 2000
I went to the States recently and met an amazing guy who introduced me to Tom Robbins. ARTA was my first TR book, and is by no means my last. I have never before come across an author who has captured my attention as dramatically as TR. He has all the answers, and he makes me laugh. If you have any questions about life and what to do with it, read this book. It will send you on a fabulous journey. Thanks Matt, I owe you big time....

Ticks all the boxes, 23 Oct 2008
Makes a change to find a practical guide book which has such a good feel to it that it can just as easily be a coffee table book. Lovely quality with matt print and top photos. Suits the armchair skier as much as the hardcore! Will be giving this as an Xmas present to many keen skier friends who have everything!

An enjoyable romp, 26 Apr 2008
I bought this on the back of the frankly stunningly good amazon reviews. On the positive side it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with some entertaining characters and interestingly presented ideas. On the downside it isn't, IMHO the masterpiece some deem it to be.

If you are looking for a book to read on holiday, or on a long journey, I would definitely recommend this book to pass the time. If you are looking for a masterpiece to illuminate the human condition sadly this book isn't it. The characters are too two dimensional, the style too self conciously quirky and the philosphy a disturbing mixture of new age nonsense and Reaganistic individulalism.

The story is that of Alobar and Kudra, ancients who wish to live for ever, of the God Pan, and of a Seattle waitress, and perfumiers in New Orleans and Paris who live with their legacy.

The first two thirds of the book are worthy of four stars, the story cracks along , the characters are engaging, and the ideas entertaining. Sadly the last third is a bit of a mess. Wiggs Dannyboy (the name says it all) is one of the most irritatingly twee characters I've come across for some time, and plot lines are either allowed to peter out, or are tied off with little conviction. The adolescent/male lid-life crisis (probably the same thing) sexulaity is also rather dull.

So, as a piece of light reading, an enjoyable romp, this is perfectly fine and worth reading. More than that it is not.

In a similar vein, certainly to the first two thirds, but to my mind better, are Umberto Eco's "Baudolino" and Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".

Superb, 09 Nov 2006
Well, no surprise that after 53 reviews the average reviewer gives this book 5 stars out of 5. The first 3 (short) chapters are so good I had to read them several times before progressing to the 4th. If anyone reads a more enjoyable novel than this in their lifetime I'd like to know about it.

My favourite book ever!, 03 Sep 2003
This has everything you could possibly want from a novel. It also made me see beetroot in an entirely different light.

I urge anyone who hasn't done so to read this - it may change your life!

Boof!, 13 Oct 2002
At its most basic, this book is a celebration of the sense of smell, and all the heart memories attached to scent. It is also a joyous romp, encompassing the rampant eroticism of a greek god suffering the blues, the surprising secret ingredient of the most popular perfume in the world, and the quest for eternal youth through proper breathing techniques and long, hot baths.

A host of some of the most unforgettable entities ever assembled in fiction all find their seemingly different agendas coalescing around a mutual search for personal joy. The forward momentum of the story is as unflagging as a heartbeat and carries the reader along with it, effortlessly.

Robbin's technique of scattering surprising insights like so many sparkling jewels provide the only pause to the pace of the story as the reader is tempted to stop...and think...and learn a little bit more about themselves and what they most desire.

This book was an altogether life-enhancing experience. It is also an excellent guidebook for discovering, or, more to the point, re-discovering the capacity for passion.

My bible, 19 Apr 2002
If you've started to take life to seriously, to the point that you might even think yourself mortal, this book is the antedote. Wrapped up in all the fizzing metaphors, sexy romps, historical beetroots and throwaway gags, you'll find Buddhism with a sense of humour, spirituality with human warmth and everything you need to inspire you once conventional religion proves insufficient. And it's a good story too.

The spy who loved me..., 21 Mar 2007
... or more acurately, the spy whose story I loved... Robbins has many strong points: philosophically broad, theologically open-minded, able to string 300 storylines together... but i think his strongest point is in character sketching. Sissy Hankshaw, Ellen Cherry Charles, Bernard Mickey Wrangle and now Switters, who has replaced ECC as my favourite. As mentioned in the synopsis, he's a mass of contradictions, and extremely entertaining for it. I hope TR decides to break mold and write a sequel. Bond wishes he was this cool.

Superb, 06 Oct 2006
I am a relative newcomer to Tom Robbins, but thank the almighty that I came. i picked this book up, started reading it, and about 24 hours later I put it down again, with a bewildered smile on my face, having read the whole thing. As many Robbins fans will know, reading the "whole thing" actually equates to reading everything once but quite a lot of everything for a second and third time as you try to work out exactly how he does it. Magical.

Tom Robbins in top form, 17 Nov 2002
Tom Robbins in top form. A former CIA agent travels from the US to the Amazon rainforest where he is the subject of a curse that confines him to a wheelchair. Via a sojourn in a Syrian convent with renegade nuns our former agent gets caught up in the history of two religions whilst grappling with his sexuality. All this amidst the literary gymnastics and wit of Robbins prose. Outstanding.

the mosaic of life, 13 Oct 2002
I bought a second copy of this book so I could go to work underlining and dog-ear-ing the pages in an attempt to recall, for future use, the hundred or more glittering concepts I discovered here.

Our Hero, Switters, is a walking, talking, breathing, lusting, meditating symbol for the tesserae that make up the mosaic of the sort of life we all either embrace or deny in every moment. He is a pacifist CIA agent, a pragmatic mystic, a part-time adventurer and full-time romantic, and though captivated by the idea of innocence and purity, he lusts after his teenaged stepsister and ultimately finds her affection returned in the most delightful manner imaginable.

In one particularly memorable conversation, he tells her, "The more advertising I see, the less I want to buy..." Sounds simple, but taken in context of the moment, it unfolds like a rose, with just as many layers of beauty.

The freedom of parrots, a pyramid-shaped head on a South American shaman, Matisse's Blue Nude revealed, Finnegan's Wake, government intelligence policies, the art of stilt walking, renegade nuns and the price we fear we must pay for enlightenment...all these seemingly disparate concepts are not only brought together as a whole, but seamlessly dovetailed to offer an enchanting glimpse of one individual celebrating who-he-really-is by realising that the only p