Τόσο γλυκόπικρη αίσθηση κάθε φορά που τελειώνει ένα βιβλίο του..

I wasn’t familiar with Tom Robbins when I picked up this little book, which I enjoyed in fits and bursts of reading aloud with my partner. She had read Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, but I didn’t have a whole lot of context. The premise seemed intriguing—a world of perfume, ancient gods, and an immortal man. It also had a unique structure with characters across the globe. And Robbins’s style is that of a quirky, punning humorist. Dry and sometimes darkly bleak. Also, at times, heady with that whiff of stoner-y philosophizing.

If pressed to, I would liken him to an American version of Douglas Adams—the wit and the humor is embedded into the storytelling supremely well, to the point that Robbins makes it look effortless to be so funny just as Adams’s wry style is wont, Robbins elicits hearty guffaws at every turn—perhaps, though, Robbins is a bit more “blue” in his comedic effect. The great peril of a humorist’s writing, to me, however, is when a joke doesn’t land, which this book has plenty of clunkers and groaners. But, still, the book is full of pleasure and sensory excitement.

At times, Robbins’s zaniness rivals that of Pynchon, but there’s a rigor of language and thought that exists in Pynchon that’s not on display here. Further, some of Robbins’s philosophy of the mind stuff—particularly about consciousness, and more particularly about “floral consciousness”—are prone to get a smile out of you, but don’t carry the bravado and profundity of some of the most masterful works in the zany-meta-fictional genre. The real problem comes when the last 1/3 of the book starts focusing in on this weird Irishman’s long monologues expounding said philosophies, and you get the impression that Robbins was thinking he was onto something about life and the death drive and the sex drive and immortality, but really, it was just kind of navel-gazing the topic for 100 pages. The ideas are interesting, but don’t quite go anywhere.

I’ll be back for more Robbins in the future.

Un'altra delirante avventura di questo fantastico autore...pensavo di leggerlo più velocemente, le 358 pagine mi hanno tratto in inganno, erano scritte in lillipuziano! Ciononostante è stato, come sempre, un ottimo compagno di viaggio, mai noioso, bravo con le parole e di fervida immaginazione. Un libro sull'immortalità, sul profumo perfetto, su un dio dimenticato e sulle barbabietole

Tom Robbins in this book opened my eyes to the wild, wild world of modern satire, absurdity, light-hearted comparative religious blasphemy, and BEETS.

Just ignore the stench that just entered the room... it's only my old pal and buddy, PAN.

Drunken revelries are pushed aside for the enjoyment of tons of sex, hot baths, and more sex as the keys to immortality, but if you think that's just fine for a novel like this, THINK AGAIN. A genius waitress working in a Mexican restaurant in Washington State is working on a 1000-year-old mystery perfume while a 1000-year-old sacrificial king refuses to die, working as a janitor. Add a wild cast of Tibetan monks, a low-caste ancient woman, the coming floral revolution, and more sex than you can shake your stick at, and throw it into one hell of a funny satirical soup full of great lines and beets on your doorsteps.

This book changed my life the first time I read it, but I didn't exactly fall into a quest for the perfect taco... I went on a road trip to find the perfect pizza, tho, and while I only did the homeless wandering bit after college for a month, Alobar got to do it for a millennia! I'm so jealous! Oh, yeah, and he's easily had more sex than ANYONE in the world. And baths. Sigh.

Such a wild, irreverent ride. :) I read this and then I look at what Gaiman did later. I definitely thought of Robbins when I read American Gods. :) It's a bit funnier than American Gods, too. :)

I was surprised at how much I liked this book... it's been a long time (we're talking over a decade) since I've read a Tom Robbins book and my expectations weren't terribly high for this one.

I knew absolutely nothing about the story when I began reading, so it was a pleasant surprise to find that it was the type of story I usually enjoy. It includes a "skilled underdog" story (a young female perfumer), and an immortality story, which is often pretty fascinating, and includes kings, alternate dimensions, and all sorts of craziness, but presented in such a way that it isn't as, well, kooky, as some of Robbins work can be.

Robbins is clearly a man who knows how to weave his wordage, which I usually appreciate, although in my opinion sometimes he delves a little too deeply into theorizing/explaining mode (especially noticeable towards then end when the story is wrapping up).

Overall a pretty good book- fun, smart, and sweet.

Memorability Factor 8/10

A farcical novel involving beets, the mythical Pan and immortality. I would have given it 4 stars but the ending was muddled.

Διασκεδαστικό ανάγνωσμα, μπόλικη φαντασία με φιλοσοφικές προεκτάσεις για τις ανθρώπινες απολαύσεις. Η επιμέλεια, η μετάφραση και η απαράδεκτη γραμματοσειρά με δυσκόλεψαν κατά την ανάγνωση.

7 / 10
İlk 200 sayfadaki akıcılığı sonrasında bulamadım. Belki de bana, gereğinden fazla uzadığını düşündüğüm için sonradan sıkıcı geldi. Ölüme, zamana ve hayata dair güzel betimlemeler içeriyor. Genel olarak benim tarzım olmadığı için çok beğenmedim.Ama "pancar" kelimesini her duyduğumda aklıma bu kitabın geleceği kesin..

"...Burada öğrettiklerine göre varoluşun çoğu ıstırap çekmek. Istırap da arzulardan geliyor. Demek ki eğer arzuları ortadan kaldırabilirsek, o zaman ıstırabı da kalfırmış oluruz. Bu tabii doğru bir bakıma. Dünyada çok ıstıtap, çok sefalet var, tamam, ama bir yığın da zevk var. Eğer bir insan ıstıraptan kurtulmak uğruna tüm zevkleri de en baştan reddediyorsa ne kazanır? İçinde ne ıstırap ne de zevk olmayan bir hayat boş bir hayattır. İsteyerek hiçliği aramak yenilgiden bile beter. Bu teslim olmak demek. Korkakça teslim olmak. Bu zavallılar acı çekmekten öylesine korkuyorlar ki hayatın en tatlı zevklerini feda edip canlarının yanmasından o sayede yakayı sıyırıyorlar. Bu tür bir zayıflığa insan nasıl saygı duyar? Bilerek yavanı, sıradanı, güvenliyi kucaklayan, bunu sırf hayal kırıklığının getireceği acıdan kurtulmak için yapan bir insanı nasıl bağrına basabilirsin?... Hayatı bu kılığa sokmak insanlara da tanrılara da yakışmaz... Eğer dünyanın gündüz kadar geceye de ihtiyacı varsa, ruhun da aydınlığı dengelemek için karanlığa ihtiyacı olması gerekmez mi ?

... tanrılara karşı dimdik ayakta durması, adları ne olursa olsun onların karşısına dikilip zevkin karşılığını acıyla ödeme sisteminin hesabını sorması, bu sistemde acıya karşı kazanılabilecek tek zaferin zor elde edilen bir unutma olduğunu söylemesi, bu sistemin ele geçirdiği kölelere oyunun süresi konusunda pek az bir seçme hakkı tanındığını ileri sürmesi inanılır gibi değildi."

Tom Robbins'i tanıma kitabım oldu bu kitap. Nedense hep karşıma çıkmış ama bitürlü okumak istememiş, hep ertelemiştim. Nihayet okuduğum kitap aslında ilgi çekici ve yüksek bir hızla başlamıştı. Kitapta Pan ile de karşılaşınca "tadından yenmez artık" diye düşünüyordum.

Bazı kitaplar vardır ortadan ikiye ayrılır ilk kısım ve son kısım. Bu kısımları terazinin kefelerine koyar ama eşitliği elde edemezsiniz. Ya başı daha iyidir ya da sonu. Bu kitabın da sonu başı kadar iyi gitmedi. Bir de Robbins'in kurgusu anlattığı ��ey benim hoşuma gitmeyince pek keyif alamadım.

Kitap ölüm- ölümsüzlük meselesini ele alırken mitolojiden, bilimden ve daha birsürü başka kaynaktan yararlanıyor. Ancak konuya getirdiği yorumu fazla dini ve postmodern bir mitoloji yorumu gibi algıladım ben. Aslında kitap sanırım bana pek uygun değildi. Kokular parfümler çok da ilgimi çekmez. Hele Pan'ı koyduğu yer de hoşuma gitmeyince sanırım pek keyif alamadım. Belki ben ıskaladım ama biraz da zevk ve beğeni meselesi olarak bakarsak; bana çok hitap etmedi diyelim.

Yazarın kendine has bir dili, değişik tasvirleri ve tempolu bir anlatımı olduğunu söyleyip hakkını teslim etmeli.
Herkese iyi okumalar.

Tom Robbins.... I think we would've gotten along rather splendidly.
"The beet is the most intense of vegetables." What an excellent start. I was curious from moment one, and have remained curious until the moment at the end. Aside from earning brownie points for setting a small fraction of the novel in Pan's homeland 'Arkadia', for me it was the genius you revealed at, possibly, all moments in the book. "... while the king was as conscious as an un-sheated knife." King Alobar. My favourite character was probably whale-mask wearer Marcel, although Bingo Pajama comes pretty close solely for the whack name.
My favourite sentence is probably not: "There's an old axiom: "A couple's first quarrel is Cupid's laxative."", but it comes pretty close. I feel like you rationalised irrational imagery and constructed a coherent narrative out of wild characters and wild circumstances, and tied it all up in a glowing red bow at the end. Brava.
I will, all my life, search for the perfect taco. Au revoir, until next time.

Τα παντζαρια,δηλαδη οι βολβοι,δεν μου αρεσουν.Προτιμώ να βραζω τα παντζαροφυλλα και υστερα να τα ραντιζω με ξυδακι και λαδι δικής μου παραγωγης.Βεβαιως αυτο δεν ενδιαφέρει εσας που έρχεστε εδώ για κριτικές βιβλιων και οχι για να ενημέρωθειτε για τις γαστρονομικές μου ορέξεις.Αλλα αν θέλετε να διαβάσετε αυτο το βιβλιο θα πρεπει να συνηθιζετε σιγα-σιγα την λεξη ΠΑΝΤΖΑΡΙ.Διοτι το ζαρζαβατικο αυτο δεν ειναι ενα απλο λαχανικο.Κρυβει περιεργες ιδιότητες και αθανατες..

Αν δεν εχετε διαβασει ποτε Τομ Ρομπινς να είστε έτοιμοι για ενα λογοτεχνικο ταξίδι με σουρεαλ γεύση,ρομαντική διαθεση και φιλοσοφικές τασεις.Σαν συγγραφεας,οταν δεν το παρακανει με τις φιλοσοφικες τασεις,ειναι εξαιρετικος και ενω δεν εχω διαβασει ποτε κατι δικο του στα Αγγλικα,το ταλεντο του να φτιαχνει ομορφες προτασεις δεν χανεται στην μετραφραση.


Σε τουτο το βιβλιο ο συγγραφεας μας μιλαει για τον θανατο,την αθανασια and everything in between.Ενας αντρας με την πιο “δυνατη” και ευαισθητη μυτη ζει στο Παρισι οπου του αρεσει να αγναντευει απο το παραθυρο φορωντας μια μασκα ελεφαντα,μια εξυπνη σερβιτορα που ζει στο μονιμως γκριζο Σιατλ,δυο θερμες γυναικες που δουλεουν σε ενα αρωατοποιο στην Νεα Ορλεανη,ενας τρελος επιστημονας και ενα ζευγαρι αιωνοβιων συνθετουν μια πολυ ομορφη ιστορια περιεπετιας/φιλοσοφιας/ερωτα.Α!Και ο Πανας,φυσικα.

Σεξ.Πολυ σεξ.Πολλα σωματικα υγρα.Αν καποιο απο αυτα σας ενοχλει,τοτε θα τριζετε τα δοντια σας κατα την διαρκεια του βιβλιου αυτου.Αν οχι,τοτε για κοπιαστε διοτι ο Ρομπινς διαβαζεται απο ακρως ερωτικα πλασματα που αγαπουν εντονα συναισθηματα.Και την ζωη,φυσικα.Και ομορφες μυρωδιες.

Κατι περιεργο συνεβει με αυτο το βιβλιο.Ενω μου αρεσε,και πολυ μαλιστα,δεν μπορουσα να το τελειωσω με τιποτα.Μου πηρε δυο εβδομαδες και πολυ εσωτερικη πιεση.Απλα δεν κυλουσε,και δεν μπορω να καταλαβω γιατι.Σκεφτομαι οτι μπορει να φταινε ολοι αυτοι που μου ελεγαν οτι ειναι υπεροχο,καταπληκτικο και καλυτερο απο τον Τρυποκαρυδο,as if.Τιποτα δεν θα παρει την θεση του Τρυποκαρυδου στην καρδια μου.Αλλα ηταν αρκετα καλο,τοσο καλο που θελω να διαβασω και αλλα δικα του.

Οι χαρακτηρες μου αρεσαν ολοι.Ειχαν κατι να σου δωσουν και να σου πουν,αν και μερικες φορες εγερναν προς την μερια του απιστετου,μπορω να πω οτι ειδα στις φωνες τους κατι απο την αληθινη ζωη.Αυτα που προσπαθησε ο συγγραφεας να μου περασει,περασαν και εκατσαν στο σβερκο μου.Και φυσικα αγαπησα το ταξιδι ανα τους αιωνες και των ερωτα των δυο χαρακτηρων και τον αγωνα τους εναντια στην ληθη και τον θανατο,την ελλειψη της..συνειδησης.

Βασικα οσο πιο πολυ καθεται μεσα στο κεφαλι μου,τοσο πιο πολυ αναγνωριζω την ομορφια του.

Το “Ακομα και η καομποισες μελαγχολουν” ειναι το επομενο μου,αλλα νομιζω δεν ειναι και το πιο αγαπημενο του κοσμου.

ΔΙΑΒΑΣΕ ΤΟΝ ΤΡΥΠΟΚΑΡΥΔΟ.

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Δεν θα σχολιάσω την ιστορία, ειναι για λίγους. Πολλοί θα μισήσουν το βιβλίο. Αυτο όμως που μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ ήταν το χιούμορ και οι παρομοιώσεις του συγγραφέα σε συνδυασμό με τη γλώσσα που χρησιμοποιεί, όπως και η άνεση να συστήνεται ξεδιάντροπα στον αναγνώστη και να επικοινωνεί μαζι του, να του μιλάει. Κι εσύ απο την πλευρά σου να θες να ανοίξεις διάλογο μαζί του.