AbbeyNormal

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“I've read almost all of Tom Robbins' novels and this is the worst. That said, it is brilliant. It just took me a hundred or so pages before I actually got into it. This is probably a good Robbins book to start with if you're a business-minded straight-laced kind of person with not much time or patience for flapdoodle, because then you're just like the main character who is, in fact, You (the narrative is in 2nd person). It may just blow your mind, but gently, gently. ”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Tuesday, November 28 2006. ( reply | permalink )

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“Unabashed quality literary pornography. Although you may start off a little perplexed with it, I'm sure if you stick with it you will find a happy ending.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Monday, October 23 2006. ( reply | permalink )

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“i just finished this yesterday. it's the fourth tom robbins book i've read and i'm pleased to report that i was just as blown away by this as everything else. amazing amazing. i plan to keep going and read everything he's ever written. and to his benefit, if he can continue to be consistently awesome, i vow to stalk him and love him forever.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Monday, October 23 2006. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 2 members found this review helpful.

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“"Raise High..." is one of my favorite short(ish) stories ever. It's just so well done with fantastic characters, dialogue, and narration. I love Salinger's Buddy Glass narrative. As for "Seymour"... You probably have to be a big fan of Salinger to appreciate it at all. It is a very tough one to get into. Everytime I've read it and re-read it I have to remind myself that at some point the change will occur when I'm not just muscling through; I will become riveted by it. I wouldn't say there's a payoff per se. We don't necessarily get any closer to that Glass-ghost Seymour, but we get a few more anecdotes and much closer to Buddy. Again, Buddy's voice is one of the best in literature. ”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Sunday, October 15 2006. ( reply | permalink )

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“Well written, but so painful to read. He does an excellent job of making the dysfunction uncomfortably real. Ugh.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Friday, October 13 2006. ( reply | permalink )

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“These memoir/short stories are so vivid and delectably real that when I think of them they take on the same sort of weight and aura in my mind as if they were really my own memories.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Friday, October 13 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 0 stars

“An utterly fantastic novel. Classic for a damn good reason.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Friday, October 13 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 0 stars

“This book changed my life in that it taught me how to see in order to draw. It wasn't like I was already good at it and improved... it was more like "i couldn't draw... now i can."”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Friday, October 13 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 0 stars

“While I was reading this book I couldn't stop using the word "impropriety" in my daily vocab, and generally talking like some Victorian-era twit. That language is insidious. It's so entirely different from my usual literary preferences, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Thursday, October 12 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 0 stars

“My least favorite Nicholson Baker book thus far. Sure I may have chuckled a few times while reading it, and the idea for the story seems interesting, and it's got that characteristically detailed and meticulous Baker style of writing... but it still ends up a little "blah." I barely remember anything about it and I didn't read it that long ago. I think Baker is probably just at his best when he leaves the kid stuff and indulges in his adult/sexual imagination.”

AbbeyNormal wrote this review Thursday, October 12 2006. ( reply | permalink )