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And while we are on the subject of genius, here is John Lennon dermonstrating that he is more
than merely a musician -- 'the writing Beatle' as it says on the cover. perhaps that is to distin-
guish him from the 'drawing only Beatles.' A quirky excursion into sick humour, surrealism and
the Goon show, this is the warped talent that made the beatles so special. Unfortunately for
those in the States, 'A Spaniard in the Works' is currently out of print and 'In His Own Write is
only available in hardback; UK buyers, however, get both books in one volume. Such is life.
Much more than merely a SciFi masterpiece, Frank Herbert's visionary futuristic fantasy is a
high tech 'Lord of the Rings.' Wonderfully thought out and extrapolated, Mr Herbert's vision of
the future is a scary affair full of political intrigue, plots and more plots. The tale of the rise of
the Atreides dynasty, it is a saga full of mythic figures and esoteric secret societies. The first
of five volumes of worm lore, the series gets off to a flying start with this one. Breathtaking in
the way in which the author has extrapolated the present, given it a few twists and regurgitated
it as a package of new concepts bearing only the slightest suggestions of their origins. The
second and third books in the series are pretty good; the fourth and, particularly, the fifth,
took a lot of swallowing.
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This is Tom Robbins at his best. Sparklingly original, uniquely bizarre, stunningly written and
full of philosophical insights. The main storyline concerns Salome's dance of the seven veils
which is recreated as a promotional stunt at an Arab/Israeli restaurant in New York City. With
the dance spaced over the whole book, as the erstwhile Salome removes a veil another
universal truth is revealed. As the book builds towards the removal of the seventh veil, Robbins'
skill as writer some to the fore. When the veil is finally removed the truth that comes with it is
powerful and profound. It is a climax worth waiting for. Like most of Tom Robbins' ouvre, the
sub-plots in this one compete strongly with with the main storyline. The secondary tale of a
holy journey undertaken by a spoon, a sock and a can of beans makes strange but captivating
reading. Despite its profundity, this is one of the most amusing of Tom Robbins' book.
This is a book that just about everyone loves. Very funny and easy to read, it starts off seem-
ing a little superficial but soon gets going as Robbins introduces his cast lists and starts to
produce macrame out of the strands of the plot. Before you know it you are up to your neck in
those inimitably described spiritual insights that make Tom Robbins such a good read.
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The book that brought Tom Robbins into the spotlight, 'Only Cowgirls Get the Blues' is another
rich and varied tale. Featuring a thumb with a life of its own and a wonderful feminist ranch
where everyone is having a good time, it is an everyday story of techno gurus and grunge
gurus, of the open road and open thighs. All the classic Tom Robbins ingredients are there
from the crazy to the merely perverse. And, as usual, Robbins uses his words with consider-
able care and great abandon, both at the same time. Extremely richly textured and cunningly
woven, this is an allegory of our times. Like many of Robbins' novels, this one is rampantly
feminist and anarchically libidinous. Tom Robbins is a fine writer who draws on many of the
same references as his dope-sodden readers and has much to say.
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