My rating:

add to my books

Skinny Legs and All

by Tom Robbins

3.96 · rating details · 16,239 ratings · 856 reviews

SKINNY LEGS AND ALL:

An Arab and a Jew open a restaurant together across the street from the United Nations....

It sounds like the beginning of an ethnic joke, but it's the axis around which spins this gutsy, fun-loving, and alarmingly provocative novel, in which a bean can philosophizes, a dessert spoon mystifies, a young waitress takes on the New York art world, and a rowd...more

Paperback, 422 pages

Published June 17th 2003 by Bantam

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 20,406)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 30, 2007

Reba rated it

After having been recommended this book, I was really surprised at how most everything contained within it boiled down to either a simile or a stereotype. I was disturbed by the racism, not so much in the characters (he uses the racism in his archtype of most of the Southerners) but in the narration. Each of the individuals were invariably described not in terms of their personality (or even their importance within the storyline), but were mentioned only as black, palestinian, jewboy, etc. Contr...more

like 9 likes

· see review

Amy I'm pretty sure this is part of the reaction he was going for. If you're slightly offensive, you bring strong feelings to the surface. Shove it in t...more
Aug 15, 2007 11:48am

Clare It's unfortunate that you read the book this way, maybe Robbins' writing just isn't your style. I love it.

I agree with Amy, and in the cont...more
Sep 10, 2007 11:21am

Mark Desrosiers Is this the novel with the walking, talking utensils too? You're right on the money: Tom Robbins has never offered an original thought or gonged any a...more
Oct 21, 2007 03:02am

Jul 18, 2008

Austen rated it

· review of another edition

I should start by saying that I'm not a fan of Tom Robbins' novels. I don't dislike his work, but you will not find me among the legions of his fanatical fans. I just need to get that out of the way before I begin...

However, I have enjoyed reading two of his books. I almost put down Still Life With Woodpecker, but because of my admiration for the person who recommended it to me, I made it through. I feel much the same way about this novel. In fact, I did put Skinny Legs down for a...moreI should start by saying that I'm not a fan of Tom Robbins' novels. I don't dislike his work, but you will not find me among the legions of his fanatical fans. I just need to get that out of the way before I begin...

However, I have enjoyed reading two of his books. I almost put down Still Life With Woodpecker, but because of my admiration for the person who recommended it to me, I made it through. I feel much the same way about this novel. In fact, I did put Skinny Legs down for about six months, but returned to it for two reasons: because unfinished books are like splinters in my mind, and because it took me quite some time to appreciate Robbins' view of the world (as expressed through his writing).
I take life far too seriously, all the time, and to my detriment. This is initially why Robbins' didn't resonate with me. Yet, I've realized recently that life can be far too difficult to take very seriously. Levity and ease of mind are invaluable, and for this reason I finished Skinny Legs and all with renewed gusto after a six month hiatus (and after suffering through a book by William T. Vollman). I now appreciate Robbins' humor, his rebelliousness, and his sarcastic irreverence much more. They seem to make life easier and more enjoyable somehow. And what Skinny Legs (and it's philosophy) lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with humor.
Ultimately, I cannot shake or deny my way of looking at, and living in, the world--my tendency toward deep introspection, critical analysis, and intense focus of mind are my default settings. What Tom Robbins' constant comic assault allows me is a little respite, and ultimately a valuable lesson. Though it sounds a bit dramatic, it's true. Though I am not sure that I entirely agree with Robbins' way of understanding the human experience and the nature of the universe, he's pretty damn close. And that's what interesting--the ongoing meditation on the more serious philosophical questions throughout the two novels I have read. Though at times a bit juvenile and intellectually simplified (or simplistic?), he gets at something deeper through his constant rhetorical barrage that seems to seek the undoing of that which is held sacred in our culture. By making fun of the serious things in life, by exposing and making the taboo funny, and well, everything funny, we have a new, perhaps more liberated way of looking at ourselves and everything in our world, especially the ideological hang-ups that restrict and paralyze us. These things are thrown into the open, and I could be wrong, but I think we're all better for having to confront what he sets before us.
For example, (and despite the fact that I wonder about his tranparent lust for young women and girls--or maybe it's mine?) I think the way in which he humorously humanizes girls and women is important. Though, it is 2008, admittedly I read few novels that really allow women freedom of thought, freedom of sexuality, and the freedom to be human. More often women seem to exist in novels (particularly in the works of males authors) as silent, two-dimensional characters. Robbins' female characters possess all of the beauty and foibles that make humans human, and it's these taboo parts of the human experience that make us real and complex, and something more than a success or failure as measured against abstract concepts about what makes a good citizen, or person. I think that is really enjoyable in his works.
Finally, that's what this novel seems to be about: the peeling away of Dogma, and law, and forced consensus. This novel is about the way in which these concepts work as veils to obscure our vision from a truer way of knowing the world, and our place in it. And I appreciate this, because like so many others my eyes are veiled from perhaps a truer truth. But who's to say what's true, really? Perhaps being too serious is a veil that clouds my vision. And if it is, hopefully it started to fall away while I was reading this novel. (less)

like 9 likes

· see review

Jul 27, 2007

Mike rated it

I started this book at least three times. Tom Robbins is one of my favorie authors, and this was his only novel I hadn't read. However, each of the times I started it I found myself becoming very disappointed. At the beginning it was too weird, or trying to be too cute, even for Tom Robbins. Ellen Cherry and Boomer driving across country in a turkey. A talking and walking spoon, dirty sock and can of beans. It was too much. I couldn't take it seriously. He was trying to be too 'Tom Robbi...more

like 6 likes

· see review

Jul 16, 2007

Kate rated it

Shelves: fiction, own, 1945-2000, usa_canada

this book's jacket description : this book :: funny movie trailer : movie that shot its wad in the trailer

The premise sounds wild and funny and makes you wonder, briefly, how he could pull it off. And then he doesn't.

like 5 likes

· see review

Sep 04, 2007

Rob rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: pilgrims and frustrated artists; also: foot-fetishists

Shelves: own

A passage:

"You are an artist. You know that big picture at the museum midtown, that picture by that fellow Rousseau, it is called The Sleeping Gypsy?"

"Yeah. Sure. That's a very famous painting."

"It ought to be called The Sleeping Arab, that picture. An Arab lies in the desert, sleeping under the crazy-faced moon. A lion sniffs at the Arab, the Arab is unafraid..."

See the painting: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slee...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Aug 03, 2008

Greg rated it

· review of another edition

I can't think of any other book I've read very recently that left my mind as thoroughly blown as Skinny Legs and All. I'd only read one other Tom Robbins book -- Still Life With Woodpecker -- so I was prepared for his playfulness, humor, intricate (but goofy) language, and overall trippy feel that all come with just about everything he rights.

But I was not prepared for Skinny Legs. This book is so dense with literary magnificence that you could chew it like you had a whole mouth full...moreI can't think of any other book I've read very recently that left my mind as thoroughly blown as Skinny Legs and All. I'd only read one other Tom Robbins book -- Still Life With Woodpecker -- so I was prepared for his playfulness, humor, intricate (but goofy) language, and overall trippy feel that all come with just about everything he rights.

But I was not prepared for Skinny Legs. This book is so dense with literary magnificence that you could chew it like you had a whole mouth full of sticky bubble gum. I dog-eared more pages and marked more passages in this book than any other I've ever read by a long shot.

Skinny Legs deals with so many topics, many of which are classical in nature: love, sex, family, art, compassion, work, religion. But it all revolves around a more specific point of the conflicts in the Middle East, primarily between Jews and Arabs. There's lots of history, spirituality, and ridiculousness all spun together -- about the Middle East especially but also about everything else surrounding it (both geographically and more abstractly). Were I a teacher of Middle East studies or any subject that dealt with the Judaism/Islam conflict specifically, this book would be required reading if for no other reason than to lighten the tension -- but hopefully also to open some minds and spark a more creative and intelligent dialogue built not on dogma but on critical thinking and compassion.

The book says great things about all the topics it touches on, but to the topic of the Middle East specifically it is blazingly relevant and even prophetic in its own right. Even now, with the book being 18 years old, it hasn't lost a lick of power or shown its age. Nothing in the writing itself ever gave me the impression that the book was written any earlier than yesterday.

Anyway, I'm mostly just spitting out tidbits -- let me try to formulate something more concrete. It was very, very good. Long and complex, but good. Robbins is a master of language and imagery. He gives the impression of writing with very reckless abandon. It's like he scribbled down every single thing that came to his mind while writing the story, omitting nothing and not even considering apologizing for such craziness. And yet, it works. The madness all comes together without ever seeming structured hardly at all. As if there's not a method to the madness, but that the method IS the madness.

In fact I wish my review of the book could be half as perfectly cohesive as the novel itself managed to be in the end. I could rant and ramble about this fantastic book for hours on end (and probably will to my poor unfortunate friends and acquaintances), but I'll just start wrapping up and say that this one is indeed highly recommended. It's not the quickest read in the world because you have to use your brain, sense of humor, and imagination rather extensively and mostly constantly -- but it's very, very worth it.

I'm not normally quite this scatterbrained in my reviewing of a book, but it really was that good!(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Aug 12, 2008

Michele rated it

· review of another edition

This is the best book I've ever read! Robbins keeps me on my toes with his vocabulary and uses unique characters to provide interesting perspectives on cultural clashes and life in general. I love this guy!

like 2 likes

· see review

Feb 17, 2008

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Laura by: Jill Z.

I believe this novel was so enjoyable because of its lighthearted mix of the absurd, the everyday, the magical, and the sexual. I consider those the four food groups of fun literature, and they each find a home in this ridiculous tale of self-awakening and revelations of truth. Robbins asserts that patriarchal society has blinded us to a heritage that recognizes and rejoices its feminine deities that embrace expressions of sexuality and the magic of nature. Blinded by “seven veils” of untruth...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Mar 14, 2010

Jess rated it

· review of another edition

Although I have determined that it is impossible for me to pick a favorite Tom Robbins novel, this one is strong in the running.

Ellen Cherry Charles isn't my favorite Robbins woman, but in many ways, she is his most sympathetic female protagonist. Caught between her art, her stupid husband, and her hypocritical uncle, she made me want to jump into the pages and help her straighten everything out. (That's saying a lot coming from me, a generally unsympathetic person and least of all t...more

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 03, 2007

Jen rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: smart, progressive types with a sense of humor

Tom Robbins is a genius. His use of the English language is so playful and dangerously intelligent that I can't belive he isn't a bigger literary celebrity.

Skinny Legs and All delves into all of life's big issues: religion, politics, love, war, money and so on, though it has a light touch; main characters include a Can 'o Beans and a Dirty Sock, for example. Seven fundamental truths are revealed as a modern day belly dancer named Salome dances The Dance of the Seven Veils - a veil d...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 27, 2008

Heather rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: eccentrics

I am a Tom Robbins fan, but I was a little disappointed in this book. Fierce Invalids is still my all-time favorite, closely followed by Jitterbug Perfume. Both are MUST-reads.

My whole theory on how Tom Robbins writes a book:
--step 1: find some random unlikely stuff to be associated-- people, places, things, or topics.
--step 2: weave them together using witty humour, a renegade main character, some sort of historical or theological revelation tied into all random people p...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Mar 30, 2007

Charles rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: patient people

Shelves: tom-robbins

this is the only fiction book i've read three times. all of the characters are thinly-veiled representations of specific ideas--a redneck, a stick, a conch shell, etc.. i am not a huge reader, so this book is kind of long for me with a lot of characters to keep straight. it also helps if you have some background about historic monuments and turmoil in jerusalem. overall, though, it's a very satisfying read. if you're looking more for witty banter and action, i recommend another tom robbins ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Mar 31, 2009

Laura Harcourt rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Perhaps, in this particularly cynical day and age, it is hardly surprising that the most philosophically bent of Tom Robbins' characters in Skinny Legs and All is a can of beans. A redneck welder-turned-artist is a close second, expressing his own brand of somewhat confused philosophies regarding art, love, and the state of the world.

Robbins uses his pontificating Can O'Beans and the can's animated inanimate friends to take the plot of Skinny Legs and All to a higher level of academ...morePerhaps, in this particularly cynical day and age, it is hardly surprising that the most philosophically bent of Tom Robbins' characters in Skinny Legs and All is a can of beans. A redneck welder-turned-artist is a close second, expressing his own brand of somewhat confused philosophies regarding art, love, and the state of the world.

Robbins uses his pontificating Can O'Beans and the can's animated inanimate friends to take the plot of Skinny Legs and All to a higher level of academic thought than it might otherwise achieve; our main link to the tangled history of the Middle East and the legendary city of Jerusalem is a Painted Stick, a Conch Shell, and Can o'Beans him/herself.

We start the story sitting with Boomer and Ellen Cherry in their honeymoon getaway vehicle: a gigantic welded roast turkey on wheels. This is the physical expression of Boomer's love for his brand-new wife. The story only gets stranger from there.

The book follows the structure of the legendary Dance of Seven Veils, a dance so enchanting that John the Baptist was murdered because of it--so the story says. It creates a spiritual and philosophical journey for the reader as well as each character, and flawlessly mixes modern motivations with ancient traditions. In New York City, a Jew and an Arab start a restaurant together, the welder becomes an artist and travels to Jerusalem, an Evangelical preacher believes he can create the Apocalypse, Ellen Cherry just wants to get laid, and Can O'Beans fulfills his/her greatest dreams despite enormous odds.

One of the first comments Robbins makes in the novel is that art is the rearrangement of reality. He's talking about mockingbirds, but the same can be applied the the entirety of Skinny Legs and All. Robbins recklessly pushes his characters into a strange version of our world, one where a bellydancer named Salome out-performs the SuperBowl, one where the ancient god of Palestine is rediscovered by a guy named 'Boomer.' And the characters themselves: they not only go along for the ride, they're aware that they're on a sort of pilgramage, particularly Boomer, who, grasped by the unforgiving Muse, delves deeply into art. His erstwhile bride, however, digs her heels into New York and stays put, stubbornly trying to stop the inexorable enlightening movement...in her defense, however, it's through Ellen Cherry's eyes that we watch the veils drop, and she is by far the most entertaining of the various narrators. Unlike Can o'Beans, who, seeming to regard him/herself as self-nominated historian, translates at length Painted Stick and Conch Shell's history of Jerusalem, Ellen Cherry does her best to keep out of the whole mess. Her stubborn belief that she is neither interested nor involved in the Middle East is jarring next to the other characters' obsession with the place: Abu and Spike wax lyrical about Jerusalem, Can o'Beans and the other inanimates do their best to make it to that famed city, and even Boomer finds himself totally fascinated by the combination of violence and religion that is that citadel, Jerusalem.

One of my favorite aspects of Robbins' writing is his love of women, and that comes to the forefront in Skinny Legs and All with his portrayal of Ellen Cherry Charles. With her obsession with Jezebel, her love of girlish shoes, and the way she clings to a feminine ideal, Ellen Cherry is voluptuously feminine. Even her temperment--quick to anger, quick to compassion, quick to leaps of logic--is practically a stereotypically female one. Robbins needs Ellen Cherry's strength of character to discuss the book's main motive: the feminine pagan religion of Astarte vs. the patriarchal organized religion of Yahweh. Let me put it this way: if you are a fan of Robbins' soliloques on feminist religions vs. masculine ones; if you enjoy his unabashed Whitman-esque worship of bodies, nature, love and sex; if you prefer unexpected metaphors to straightforward prose, you will enjoy this book.

it is impossible to describe Robbins as a purely feminist writer, or Skinny Legs and All as a purely feminist book. In fact, I'm not sure I would call it "feminist" at all. Skinny Legs and All is simply, in my opinion, the finest example of Robbins' ecletic ideas and ideals, his bizarre and alliterative imagery, and his love of people and the world at large. Not even in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, a novel whose main character is famous for her hitch-hiking, is the breadth and width of the U.S. so lovingly described, or its place in the world studied. It's a strange mix of modernism and romanticism, of mythology and street performers. Robbins spins us through the story with breath-taking ease and familiarity. No one who is familiar with Robbins' past work will be surprised to find that Skinny Legs and All evolves into a treatise on religions: ancient, organized and defunct, Robbins considers them all. His main beef is with Christianity, so if you're a bit edgy on that subject, I'd suggest keeping an open mind or avoiding the book altogether. The good news? He's already used the Corpse of Christ in one novel, so it doesn't pop up again. The bad news: two of the Bibles most famous tramps are, welll--unveiled. But that's not so bad.

(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 27, 2010

Barry rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Oct 26, 2009

Leah rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Sean Ferguson

Recommended to Leah by: Viluna Jennings

Shelves: favorites

I've heard about how good Tom Robbins is for quite a long time, and finally picked up one of his novels at the insistence of a friend. I'm so glad I did. Skinny Legs and All is now officially making it onto my "best reads of '09" list (yes, I do actually keep lists).

I'm not sure where to begin with this one... the book is funny, controversial, and relevant. It can be confusing, but it's the sort of thing the reader has to let slide. I speak from experience when I say that i...moreI've heard about how good Tom Robbins is for quite a long time, and finally picked up one of his novels at the insistence of a friend. I'm so glad I did. Skinny Legs and All is now officially making it onto my "best reads of '09" list (yes, I do actually keep lists).

I'm not sure where to begin with this one... the book is funny, controversial, and relevant. It can be confusing, but it's the sort of thing the reader has to let slide. I speak from experience when I say that if you accept the oddness instead of try to fight it the reading goes a lot smoother. And at some point it may even start to make some sort of weird sense.

In my case, I tried to start the book once or twice before I actually made it past the first few pages. I mean really, what am I supposed to think when the book starts off by saying, "It was a bright, defrosted, pussy-willow day at the onset of spring, and the newlyweds were driving cross-country in a large roast turkey."? Beyond that the reading got a easier and I found a book that I consider to be magical realism at its best (some of the main characters include an old can of pork 'n' beans, a little dessert spoon, and a dirty sock). Through its quirkiness the book delivers some powerful messages about art, sex, religion, politics, and war in the Middle East. With such hefty subjects as that, I am inclined to think that if it weren't for its insane quirkiness, the book would have been too depressing, dull, and possibly even more confusing than talking spoons and mobile roast turkeys.

Throughout the book Tom Robbins uses the metaphor of veils covering people's eyes, or rather, their consciousness. Then, at the end of the book, a belly dancer performs an ancient dance in which literal veils covering her body are dropped one by one until she is nude. For everyone watching, universal/spiritual truths are revealed as each veil drops. I would let the book speak for itself and include a passage but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who intends to read it. Suffice to say that I found these truths to be real and powerful.

I think that mostly, Robbins is trying to shake the perception that high-standing figures of authority in the government and in many churches have answers and solutions to our questions and problems. He makes the argument that in many cases they are actually deceiving us or leading us down a dangerous path; that everyone has got to figure out life for themselves; that intelligent and spiritual people can give us clues, but in the end, we already hold the key, not the other way around.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 06, 2009

Guy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-reviewed

I was into my second or third Tom Robbins book before I realized that the guy is more or less a one-trick pony: in each of his books (or at least each of the ones I’ve read), the human race is on the verge of a religious/social/political/sexual awakening that is to be witnessed and/or (to some extent) carried out by his offbeat, usually horny protagonists.

Fortunately for Robbins (and for his readers), it’s a pretty damned good trick. Whether you buy into his thoughts (or his characte...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 03, 2011

Sunshine rated it

· review of another edition

A guy I briefly dated first introduced me to Tom Robbins. I knew that my seminal interest in his books was genuine when I continued reading him after I stopped seeing the guy. However, there was a catch: it was becoming increasingly necessary for me to be aware of my physical location when reading Robbins. Why? It's impossible to not cry, guffaw, laugh, snort, and generally cause arched eyebrows to be directed your way when reading him in public. After I tried suppressing my reactions, to little...moreA guy I briefly dated first introduced me to Tom Robbins. I knew that my seminal interest in his books was genuine when I continued reading him after I stopped seeing the guy. However, there was a catch: it was becoming increasingly necessary for me to be aware of my physical location when reading Robbins. Why? It's impossible to not cry, guffaw, laugh, snort, and generally cause arched eyebrows to be directed your way when reading him in public. After I tried suppressing my reactions, to little success, I stopped caring when mothers silently pulled their children away from me in frozen yogurt shops, the gym, the doctor's office and other place where I brought Mr. Robbins.

So, to summarize: if you've got a quirky sense of humor and don't mind a bit of philosophizing, then puh-leeze take a hearty bite of Robbins. You'll fly away on an anthropomorphic beast, I promise.

Skinny Legs and All is focused on the question of religion, spirituality, and society. However, it's not a Sunday morning of yawns. It's a triple shot of espresso finished off with two shots of vodka. Robbins is a deep thinker, and yes, he's very wary of institutionalized religion (of any sort). He grew up the son of a ....Baptist preacher, I think. I'd have to check Wikipedia again. Ha. So be prepared for some peripheral thinking *outside* of the catechism, the Canon, or perhaps the Koran.

He also is not afraid to talk about a woman's "dot" - or menstruation. In fact, he's one of the few male writers I know who engages and uplifts the sacredness (the secrecy as well) of life as formed through woman. In other words, he'll challenge your patriarchal centered notions of God, faith, and life. He takes phallus-centered worldviews seriously enough to lighten their hubris. He celebrates the complexities of the XX chromosome, while taking care to not gloss over stereotypical female weaknesses such as emotional and illogical. He also takes care to show characters with characteristics outside of their gender norm.

Anyway, that's just one of the reasons why I like Robbins. I don't agree with everything he purports in Skinny Legs and All. At times, he sounds overly cynical about God. I think he may be an agnostic, but he's also a mystic, and so I find him intriguing, refreshing, and honest. Those are qualities which I attribute to God as well, even though Robbins would probably disagree with my personalized concept of the Divine Oh, well. He's a hoot to read and I don't think he needs to short circuit his whimsical afflatus. (less)

· see review

Jun 15, 2011

Martha added it · review of another edition

Shelves: f-novel, l-american, read-2011-12

No doubt fun to read; rollicks along, and for each wacky metaphor that fails, there's several delightful ones. The non-stop verbal circus is bit overly flashy and self-indulgent for me, but I guess that's his thing and he rocks it. I wouldn't want every book to be written like this, but I'm glad one is. Still I do have some gripes.

First, for a book whose message is 'think for yourself!' it's awfully preachy. It's odd; some of the most interesting ideas revolved around the need for p...moreNo doubt fun to read; rollicks along, and for each wacky metaphor that fails, there's several delightful ones. The non-stop verbal circus is bit overly flashy and self-indulgent for me, but I guess that's his thing and he rocks it. I wouldn't want every book to be written like this, but I'm glad one is. Still I do have some gripes.

First, for a book whose message is 'think for yourself!' it's awfully preachy. It's odd; some of the most interesting ideas revolved around the need for purely beautiful art as opposed to conceptual art 'fraught, simply fraught with commentary.' Yet, the book itself is loaded with commentary, is arguably nothing but a very colorful vehicle for same. Each time a veil drops, we should supposedly be shedding harmful dogma and drawing ever nearer to the natural world as it really is. In fact though, each time a veil drops, we get a big chunk of propaganda -- the world according to Robbins. I guess if you already agree with his point of view, then the whole thing could be really satisfying. I, however, think that he himself is dogmatically devoted to the myth that one should encounter the world as an individual in order to perceive it truly. I am pretty sure that, to the contrary, sometimes the fullest encounters with the world can be through groups - a community and its structures (such as political and economic processes and religious traditions) can actually lead to a deeper and truer experience of reality than one lone ranger all isolated and proud. Whether I or Robbins is right, there's no question that he does torture his art into a soapy mouthpiece (or a mouthy soapbox), particularly in the wildly disappointing Dance of the Seven Veils at the end. He needed a dash of Ellen Cherry's abstract aesthetic!

Gripe number two: Why must the objects be so human-like? There's cool scifi type reflections on how objects move, but the exploration of this imaginative conceit end there; the objects might just as well be oddly named humans. That's a huge missed opportunity. Also, conch shell was way too bland and I don't at all get why the panties would be giggly ditzes into gossiping about celebrities of all things, which brings me to the third and final gripe, the exploration of the old goddess religion struck me as totally inadequate. What is this female energy and why do the patriarchal religions fear it? Robbins mentioned a nurturing energy and a large sexual appetite, but he needed to give something a bit meatier here, since so much of the book rides on it. Again, this weakness glared worst in his wimpy descriptions of Salome.

Despite these problems, I always looked forward to picking the book up again and am kinda sad it's over. I may indeed just have to read another Robbins one o' these days...(less)

· see review

May 15, 2010

Joseph rated it

In another version of my life where I'm out playing the academic field, one of the courses I'd be aiming to teach would have a tile something like "1989 to 2001: Literature and Cinema from the Fall of the Wall to the Rise of Terror," and this book would go somewhere between Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and DeLillo's Mao II. Now, when I say that Skinny Legs and All is the perfect primer to Mao II its to the benefit of both novels. For having been published only a year ap...more

· see review

Aug 19, 2009

Mferg912 Ferguson rated it

· review of another edition

This is quintessential Robbins. His metaphors and similes are incredibly distinctive and constantly surprising, and the story itself is pretty satisfying. The book is about an artist and her crude, cowboyish fiancee escaping the rural south for New York city. The plot takes you through the art world, Israel, the apocalypse, an Israeli-Palestinian owned restaurant, the Christian right, and the adventures of a conch shell, a stick, a can of beans, a spoon, and a sock, all anthropomorphic and on...more

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 17, 2008

Cherise rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Slightly eccentric folk looking for a laugh

Recommended to Cherise by: Michelle Peters

Inanimate Objects... make me laugh out of my skin! My 11th grade English teacher recommended this to me because she believed I could appreciate it with her. It became my favorite instantly and held that title for years. I enjoy stories that stem from someone's wildly fascinating imagination-- they're always funnier and more entertaining to me. This was an easy, fun read that inspired my continuation in quirkiness in general, and in my own writing.

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 28, 2011

Aaron rated it

· review of another edition

Skinny Legs and All is only the second Tom Robbins novel I've read, and I think it's pretty safe to say that I probably don't need to read any more. All the charm and magic that was Still Life With Woodpecker is just obnoxious here. The weirdness of Robbins' writing style is still funny and entertaining, and I enjoyed if not loved the majority of the characters (major, minor and inanimate objects). Skinny Legs and All showcases a hefty amount of magical realism and absurdism, which is fine by me...more

· see review

Nov 04, 2009

elisa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

i hope to live for many, many more years and read each and every day of my life, but i never expect to read anyone remotely like tom robbins. i think it is safe to say that there is no one out there that writes like this man. he's quirky, funny, cerebral, bizarre. but mostly, and most importantly, he's exciting. it's exciting to turn the pages of his book because you know you're guaranteed to read something different than what you've ever read before. he has such a unique way of looking at ...morei hope to live for many, many more years and read each and every day of my life, but i never expect to read anyone remotely like tom robbins. i think it is safe to say that there is no one out there that writes like this man. he's quirky, funny, cerebral, bizarre. but mostly, and most importantly, he's exciting. it's exciting to turn the pages of his book because you know you're guaranteed to read something different than what you've ever read before. he has such a unique way of looking at things and of phrasing them. you never know what is going to come next with him. i love reading him. i love the excitement that reading his books gives me.

that said, this man is weird. i love it, but i understand that not everyone would be into it at all. (as an example, he has a couple of 'normal' main characters like you'd expect in a book, but also a few that are out of the ordinary - characters that feature prominently or briefly include a conch shell, a painted stick, a silver spoon, a dirty purple sock, a can of pork and beans, a drawer full of underwear, and a vibrator.) but seriously, i remain so impressed by his vision and his writing. and i said this before (i think about even cowgirls get the blues) but i'll say it again - i love reading a book written by a man who genuinely seems to understand (and use the terms) misogyny and patriarchy. i just don't feel like i have found that with anyone else under the 'general fiction' heading.

in this one he (as always) hits upon a lot of different themes, but a few are more highlighted than the others: politics, art, religion (and history), and the intersection of those 3 things. the politics he focuses on is the middle east and the arab-israeli conflict, but his message is more global.

as always, i really love reading him. here are a few of my favorite of his passages, some more weird than others:

"What is politics, after all, but the compulsion to preside over property and make other people's decisions for them? Liberty, the very opposite of ownership and control, cannot, then, result from political action, either at the polls or the barricades, but rather evolves out of attitude."

"Early religions were like muddy ponds with lots of foliage. Concealed there, the fish of the soul could splash and feed. Eventually, however, religions became aquariums. Then, hatcheries. From farm fingerling to frozen fish stick is a short swim."

"The next morning started up like a fine German car. It was Ellen Cherry's day off, and she slumbered late. When, at last, she was fully awake, motor purring, she wiped the vibrator with a damp cloth, kissed it, and secreted it in a drawer where cotton underpants lived simply but proudly, without envy of satin or lace."

"'Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver. In fact, the person who maintains absolute standards of good and evil usually is the maniac with the revolver.'"

"Information about time cannot be imparted in a straightforward way. Like furniture, it has to be tipped and tilted to get it through the door. If the past is a solid oak buffet whose legs must be unscrewed and whose drawers must be removed before, in an altered state, it can be upended into the entryway of our minds, then the future is a king-size waterbed that hardly stands a chance, especially if it needs to be brought up in an elevator. / Those billions who persist in perceiving time as the pursuit of the future are continually buying waterbeds that will never make it beyond the front porch or the lobby. And if man's mission is to reside in the fullness of the present, then he's got no space for the waterbed, anyhow, not even if he could lower it through a skylight."(less)

· see review

Mar 21, 2009

Millicent rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Millicent by: Katie

Shelves: brain-candy

The thing that makes Tom Robbins thrilling is the way he declares absolute truths, bestows significance to the overlooked, and dismisses everything else with complete and unarguable disdain. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues was so right on that my best friend tattooed the pin-up on its cover to her arm. Still Life with Woodpecker caused me to collect empty Camel cigarette boxes for years (the secret to life: choice tobacco). His philosophizing and sexualizing were an essential part of my formati...more

like 1 like

· see review

Dec 12, 2009

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Artists, Jews, Arabs, Belly Dancers, Spoons

Recommended to Adam by: Kristin

Shelves: fiction, art

HA!!

What a literary trip this story is! Tom Robbins at his absolute best, whatever that means! Each page is filled with such beautiful prose that I felt as though I were examining a piece or art, not simply reading a book. Ironic in that the book is primarily about the importance of art and the pursuit of all things, well, non-tangible.

Tom Robbins simply has a way with words that I have never come across in any other reading. With each new book I am forced to read wit...more

· see review

Sep 11, 2009

John Servilio rated it

· review of another edition

This has to be one of the smartest, most creative works of fiction I've ever read. Add to that funny, poignant, deeply philosophical. And for all its frenetic energy, none of it is superfluous.

I honestly don't understand the criticisms of the work. They seem to be either from people who don't understand it, missed its point completely, or were looking for something to criticize. Racist? Please, this is the last book you'd want to play the race card on. Excessive metaphor? It's the s...more

· see review

Dec 02, 2010

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

This read a lot like an unfocused, ADD-addled Kurt Vonnegut novel. But the fact that it reminded me of Vonnegut in any way means it's worth a read, if nothing else. The wacky, over-strung cast of characters includes a talking stick, a talking can of beans, and a talking sock. Oh, there are people there too. Kind of.
Robbins' prose is evocative, full of similes and ripe description that sometimes means something. Everything kept happening and little of it meant much to me. The revelations co...more

· see review

Sep 29, 2007

brian tanabe rated it

· review of another edition

This book will always have a place in my heart because it is the first Robbins book I read. I've read everything since and know of very few authors who can turn a phrase like Robbins. To say the very least, everything he writes is a true feast in word usage and story.

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 12, 2011

Candace rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-more-than-once

The funniest, yet deepest book I've ever read in my life! I started reading it, got through the first five or so chapters, and started over - this time with the hubs. Sometimes we'll pick a book and read it to each other, and I knew that this one had to be shared! We laughed 'til tears streamed down our faces, laughed so hard we couldn't finish the sentence and had to hand the book over so the other one could read it for him/herself. We laughed until we were gasping for breath while realizing it...more

· see review

Jan 28, 2008

Cody rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: those about to rock (i would also salute you).

his best book, in my opinion. spiritually themed, richly philosophical, a little dirty and not afraid to be silly. robbins' language is reliably lush and off-beat. oh, and i loved the commentary about art and art scenes.

like 2 likes

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 680 681 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
"inanimate objects"	4	48	Feb 08, 2012 04:08pm

combine
Other Editions (15)

More editions...

Genres

Humor

60 users

Literature

42 users

Novels

27 users

Literature > American

17 users

Contemporary

14 users

Fantasy

14 users

Humor > Comedy

9 users

Book Club

9 users

Philosophy

7 users

Adult Fiction

7 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Tom Robbins

Thomas Eugene Robbins (born July 22, 1936 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina) is an American author. His novels are complex, often wild stories with strong social undercurrents, a satirical bent, and obscure details. His novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) was made into a movie in 1993 directed by Gus Van Sant.

More about Tom Robbins...

Books by Tom Robbins

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About Skinny Legs and All

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Skinny Legs and All

“In the haunted house of life, art is the only stair that doesn’t squeak.” — 151 people liked it

“Ellen Cherry was from the south and had good manners. She didn´t have any panties on, but she had good manners.” — 72 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved Skinny Legs and All

Fishers Book Club

10 members

last activity Jan 30, 2012 12:25pm

shelf: read

title link	preview: Skinny Legs and All
avg rating	preview: Skinny Legs and All Goodreads rating: 3.96 (16239 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/118049.Skinny_Legs_and_All?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320466851m/118049.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/118049.Skinny_Legs_and_All?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins[/url]

Skinny Legs and All

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website