I have a habit of reading multiple books at the same time. Never more than four, because the plots tend to get jumbled and I invariably feel like a bad parent, devoting more time to one than the others. Today I finished reading my current favorite child "Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas" by Tom Robbins.
This is the third of his books I've read ( "Jitterbug Perfume" was first, followed by" Even Cowgirls Get the Blues") and I enjoy his writing more and more every time. I've tried to describe his style to people, usually failing miserably - but the closest I've come in the simplest terms is Like Terry Pratchett with more sex, metaphors and beatnik sunglasses. Of course that only helps if you've ever read Pratchett's work - and (of course) most of the people I discuss books with haven't.
The humor is wry, and often sarcastic. The protagonists are offbeat while surprisingly sympathetic. And there's an interesting tension he builds throughout the story that doesn't end with the proverbial "bang", yet, still manages to satisfy both story and reader. The reality Robbins draws you into (in my experience thus far) is populated by lonely characters who exist is varying degrees of isolation and nihilism. And while in a summary it's a bleak description (give me a break I'm not a writer) it never left me feeling uncomfortable, or disturbed. As for what that says about me the reader, well Freud and his 8ball can go blow. ;)
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