Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
305th out of 554 books
—
2,366 voters
B Is for Beer
by
Tom Robbins
A Children's Book About Beer?
Yes, believe it or not—but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, inter-nationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.
Once upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants con
...moreHardcover, 128 pages
Published
April 21st 2009
by Ecco
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
I see you. Yes, you. The Tom Robbins fan. Quit making that face. Yank out the wedgie. Relax, man! This two-star rating bears no reflection on YOU. I’m not giving YOU two stars. I’m not even giving Tom Robbins two stars. It’s just that B is for Beer is terribly disappointing. I mean, you see the cover, right? Look at it! Look how totally awesome and retro it looks, right? You see the Simpson-esque largesse of the stein, with a hoard of dance-happy (overly long-armed) adults surrounding? They’re l...more
14 likes · like · see review
view all 4 comments
D is for Dumb, Desperate, and Disappointing Drivel!
You know a book is really bad when it's only 125 pages long and you can't even get halfway through it.
I gave this one a whirl just to see what ol' Tom Robbins had been doing this past couple of years. Now I know. D is for Drinking too much beer. And it's also for Dead brain cells, of which you will need a lot if you hope to enjoy this pile of Dung.
You know a book is really bad when it's only 125 pages long and you can't even get halfway through it.
I gave this one a whirl just to see what ol' Tom Robbins had been doing this past couple of years. Now I know. D is for Drinking too much beer. And it's also for Dead brain cells, of which you will need a lot if you hope to enjoy this pile of Dung.
B is for Beer is a fairy tale about beer, two things I have great fondness for. I love the idea of fairies and magic and happily ever afters. I also love beer. That said, this book was a win-win for this reader. Yes, the humor is a forced clever in a Lake Wobegon, NPR sort of way, but that shouldn't be an issue if you are choosing to read a book called B is for Beer whose main characters are a 6 year old girl, her philosopher uncle and the Beer Fairy.
2 likes · like · see review
Tom Robbins is always worth reading.
His story's tagline accurately describes it: "A Children's Book for Grown-ups" or "A Grown-up Book for Children".
Gracie Perkel is 5 going on 6. She wonders about the beer her father seems to consume incessantly. Like most children, she is perceptive enough and smart enough to realize things are tense in her home. Her parents don't really get along and her father makes many unkept promises. Unfortunately, no one acknowledges her concerns in an intelligent mann...more
His story's tagline accurately describes it: "A Children's Book for Grown-ups" or "A Grown-up Book for Children".
Gracie Perkel is 5 going on 6. She wonders about the beer her father seems to consume incessantly. Like most children, she is perceptive enough and smart enough to realize things are tense in her home. Her parents don't really get along and her father makes many unkept promises. Unfortunately, no one acknowledges her concerns in an intelligent mann...more
"I'm only labeling it an 'element,' understand, because it doesn't fall into the category of animal or vegetable or mineral. It disobeys the laws of physics and it moons the rules of logic, just as the two of us have been doing today, actually, although you seem to have taken it completely in stride. What is it? Some people call it transcendence, some used to call it magic...before that word got used up."
"He's wrong, isn't he? Because almost every child between the ages of, say, three and twelve...more
"He's wrong, isn't he? Because almost every child between the ages of, say, three and twelve...more
Don't you just love the title of the book? Especially the "A Children's Book for Grown-ups and "A Grown-up Book for Children". *sigh* Tom Robbins, you just make me weak in the knees.
B is for Beer will not disappoint if you are a Tom Robbins lover like myself. It's fanciful and still tongue-in-cheek. It's straight forward and yet hidden. Oh, and it's absolutely almost as contradictory as those two descriptors were.
The book opens with: Have you ever wondered why your daddy likes beer so much?
Thus...more
B is for Beer will not disappoint if you are a Tom Robbins lover like myself. It's fanciful and still tongue-in-cheek. It's straight forward and yet hidden. Oh, and it's absolutely almost as contradictory as those two descriptors were.
The book opens with: Have you ever wondered why your daddy likes beer so much?
Thus...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
What is up with my favorite humorist authors trying their hand at
"SOMETHING NEW"
??? I attribute my love of reading today to Tom Robbins' ascerbic wit in the 80s and 90s, evidenced with terrific novels like "Still Life With Woodpecker", "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues", "Jitterbug Perfume", "Skinny Legs and All", et.al. All of his novels have been irreverent, off-kilter, thought-provoking laugh-fests (for me, anyway). Mr. Robbins has never been a prolific writer, but about every four or five yea...more
"B is for Beer" is a highly entertaining and educational book. I was in the booksore of my mall and I saw the cover og this book. Now what drew me in was of course the title and the whole "a childrens book for grownups" and a "grownups book for children" line. I came back two days later and I bought the book. First off I have to say that i love the main character Gracie. She is funny and I love how she takes whatever her uncle Mo says and applies it to her life. The Beer Fairy is also a favorite...more
I'd forgotten how much I love Tom Robbins. His quirky sense of humor is as refreshing as a cold ...Diet Coke --sorry, I'm not a beer drinker :) But the book is funny--and insightful.
There are some great quotes here. Some of my favorites:
"You know what the game of golf is, don't you? It's basketball for people who can't jump and chess for people who can't think."
"Every time a person goes to the mall, she loses a little piece of her soul."
There's a warning from the Beer Fairy to Gracie:
"When cons...more
There are some great quotes here. Some of my favorites:
"You know what the game of golf is, don't you? It's basketball for people who can't jump and chess for people who can't think."
"Every time a person goes to the mall, she loses a little piece of her soul."
There's a warning from the Beer Fairy to Gracie:
"When cons...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
1 like · like · see review
From Amazon.com
"Yes, believe it or not--but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, internationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.
Once upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it's a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all th...more
"Yes, believe it or not--but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, internationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.
Once upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it's a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all th...more
First book I think I've ever read about a 5 year old girl. She has an eccentric Uncle who explains things to her as if she were an adult. She asks him why grown ups drink beer. He explains some stuff about beer, promising to take her on a trip to a brewery. Her family doesn't seem to like her learning about beer, as she is only 5 years old.
Her uncle Moe ends up leaving for a lady he fell in love with for Costa Rica, and Gracie goes to the fridge and chugs a beer since she is so sad. She ends up...more
Her uncle Moe ends up leaving for a lady he fell in love with for Costa Rica, and Gracie goes to the fridge and chugs a beer since she is so sad. She ends up...more
This is HILARIOUS! Review in a couple days.
(several days later; actually finished it the next day, but I get a bit distracted) Quick, funny but deep read, all about, yup, BEER! All told through the eyes of a 5 - then - six-year-old girl Gracie Perkel. Her introduction to this quaff amidst the rather dysfunctional family (of which her Uncle Moe becomes the hero of the piece, although I shan't give away just how; too much fun to discover it for yourself). Well, a fairy from "the other side of the...more
(several days later; actually finished it the next day, but I get a bit distracted) Quick, funny but deep read, all about, yup, BEER! All told through the eyes of a 5 - then - six-year-old girl Gracie Perkel. Her introduction to this quaff amidst the rather dysfunctional family (of which her Uncle Moe becomes the hero of the piece, although I shan't give away just how; too much fun to discover it for yourself). Well, a fairy from "the other side of the...more
J handed me this book to read. My response was confusion. "B is for Beer... what? Tim Robbins?" The very premise of this little book is a strange one. Robbins is a really solid author (love me some "Still Life With Woodpecker"), and he has some beautifully written sentences in this strange book. I read it quickly and easily... however...
B is for But... but....
It was a little too off balance for me. It reads like an encyclopedia at times (beer history, making, etc.), oozes dread and pessimism di...more
B is for But... but....
It was a little too off balance for me. It reads like an encyclopedia at times (beer history, making, etc.), oozes dread and pessimism di...more
B is for Beer is a reasonable read. The book is listed as a children's book for adults, and an adult book for children, but the long passages of explanation make it more suitable for adults, perhaps people just getting ready to explore beer.
Robbins has a lot of fun with the story, and readers are expected to have fun too. There are some familiar Robbins shticks, but the book goes slowly at points.
If you don't know much about beer and how it is made, and you have a sense of whimsy, this is a dec...more
Robbins has a lot of fun with the story, and readers are expected to have fun too. There are some familiar Robbins shticks, but the book goes slowly at points.
If you don't know much about beer and how it is made, and you have a sense of whimsy, this is a dec...more
Is it a children's book? Or an adult book just written in the style of a children's book? Who cares, it's the first thing I've seen from Tom Robbins in a couple years, so it was required. And it didn't disappoint. It's like a mini-TR novel with all the same humor, bad puns, general goofiness, social and political satire, and gigantic heart and soul that any Tom Robbins book contains. Five-year-old (almost six! Gracie Perkel suddenly develops a strange curiosity about the beverage of choice of he...more
This is kind of a tough one. I want to give it five stars. It is a really good book. However, I think Robbins is on his own scale. This is better than Another Roadside Attraction, but it is not as good as Villa Incognito, which is a 5 on any scale. Essentially, this is a book about a five-year-old girl who is interested in that thing her father drinks. After a disappointing sixth birthday, she chugs a beer and is visited by the Beer Fairy, who teaches her all about beer, the good and the bad. Li...more
‘B’ IS FOR BRILLIANT
[It must have been in the mid-80s (the decade, not degrees Fahrenheit) when someone at work suggested that I might like to read Tom Robbins’s ‘Jitterbug Perfume’. Wow. Were they ever right. I’ve been a fan ever since. To date, I’ve read all nine of Tom’s other novels listed on goodreads.com; and rated eight of them as 5-star, and one as 4-star, reads. Any wonder why I jumped on ‘B is for Beer’ as my second nookEread? Can he still turn a phantasmagorical-phrase like he could t...more
[It must have been in the mid-80s (the decade, not degrees Fahrenheit) when someone at work suggested that I might like to read Tom Robbins’s ‘Jitterbug Perfume’. Wow. Were they ever right. I’ve been a fan ever since. To date, I’ve read all nine of Tom’s other novels listed on goodreads.com; and rated eight of them as 5-star, and one as 4-star, reads. Any wonder why I jumped on ‘B is for Beer’ as my second nookEread? Can he still turn a phantasmagorical-phrase like he could t...more
We came across this book at a homebrew store, and it looked like the greatest thing ever. It may have more to do with my high expectations, but it was pretty disappointing.
It's advertised as an adult book for kids and a kids book for adults. In reality, it was more of book that's somewhere in the middle and not really great for everyone. The story isn't horrible, but I didn't really enjoy reading it. I also wouldn't really be comfortable reading it to my daughter. Maybe there's some age in the m...more
It's advertised as an adult book for kids and a kids book for adults. In reality, it was more of book that's somewhere in the middle and not really great for everyone. The story isn't horrible, but I didn't really enjoy reading it. I also wouldn't really be comfortable reading it to my daughter. Maybe there's some age in the m...more
This "children's book" for adults is an easy, breezy read (you'll have it done in an hour), and I must say it is one of Robbins' finer works. Not only does it outright encourage you to grab a cold one while you read it, but being a "children's book", Robbins was forced to choose his wording with the precision of a neurosurgeon. That means no extravagant lewdness simply for the shock of being so brazenly vulgar. No over-the-top descriptions of sex scenes, or entire paragraphs devoted to the smell...more
This is silly irreverent book that I think most children over the age of 8 can read and enjoy. No it's not brilliant but there are fun moments. Four stars were awarded because I think the idea is brilliant, teaching kids about alcohol in a real and playful way - the good and the not so good, as well as something related to the science of making the stuff. Sure he leaves out tons of facts but hell it's a silly little story about beer, being a kid, marital disputes, and love in very few pages. Tom...more
Tom Robbins' wordsmithing expertise has shown his dept and imagination again in this new short book created specifically as a "Grownup book for kids" and a "Kids' book for grownups." He traces the origins of beer and talks to kids in an intelligent manner that I find refreshing in our culture, so often dominated by a refusal to talk openly to kids about real world issues and the dangers/benefits of beer/alcohol. With this book, Robbins intends to take some of the allure and mystery out of alcoho...more
I went to see Tom Robbins read from his new children's book B Is for Beer last night and it was pretty hilarious. He saw a cartoon with a publisher and writer in a bar, and the publisher says something to the writer along the lines of, "No, I don't think a children's book about beer would sell." Robbins saw it as a brilliant challenge, and the resulting book is in children's book form but is definitely for adults - aside from all of the rhapsodizing about beer, a 5-year-old gets drunk and later...more
A co-worker loaned me this book when he learned A) that I love love love to read and B) that I like Tom Robbins.
I've had this book in my possession for three weeks and I have just finally read it.
>Long pause<
I don't get it.
This is a snarkless yawn about how beer is made. Now, prior to reading this, I didn't know how beer was made. And quite frankly, I still don't because this was a very brief tutorial at best.
One of my fave lines from Robbins was from (I believe) Villa Incognito where he...more
I've had this book in my possession for three weeks and I have just finally read it.
>Long pause<
I don't get it.
This is a snarkless yawn about how beer is made. Now, prior to reading this, I didn't know how beer was made. And quite frankly, I still don't because this was a very brief tutorial at best.
One of my fave lines from Robbins was from (I believe) Villa Incognito where he...more
i was pretty excited to learn about t. robbin's new book as years ago he pretty much change all my expectations of what reading a book should be like.
but honestly, this book was simply 'okay'. i wouldnt recommend it to anyone except the most die hard of robbins fans OR people who already think beer is awesome OR people who hate beer. maybe this encompasses everyone already....
the obvious, overused formula he uses time and time again use to not be a problem with me. and here, it does. i wish i co...more
but honestly, this book was simply 'okay'. i wouldnt recommend it to anyone except the most die hard of robbins fans OR people who already think beer is awesome OR people who hate beer. maybe this encompasses everyone already....
the obvious, overused formula he uses time and time again use to not be a problem with me. and here, it does. i wish i co...more
I picked this book up after listening to an interview with Tom Robbins on MPR. The hook -- a book about beer for both kids and adults -- definitely made me curious. It is an enjoyable read, reminding me of books I read between the ages of 10 and 15. The main character, Gracie Perkel, is coping with situations that are far beyond her five-soon-to-be-six years. On her sixth birthday, her world falls apart and she magically takes a tour of beer's commercial, historical, sociological, and psychologi...more
Robbins uses some of the most muscular and flexible language I've ever read. His sentences are so finely crafted that each gleams. His skewed vision combined with his rarefied prose can make it difficult to notice when there's something missing. It's my opinion that as beautiful as this book is, it's also pedantic at its core. In a boring way.
Also, the spacing
of the prose
reminds me of term papers
which needed to be exactly 40 pages long.
It is worth reading for the joyful, playful, ebullient goofi...more
Also, the spacing
of the prose
reminds me of term papers
which needed to be exactly 40 pages long.
It is worth reading for the joyful, playful, ebullient goofi...more
Aug 09, 2011
Jen
added it
This is a fun little nugget that will make you bellylaugh out loud. If you compare B Is for Beer to Robbins' other work, you are bound to be disappointed. But if you can accept it for what it is, it is a delight.
B Is for Beer is silly, fun, and sometimes educational. It is not Skinny Legs and All (by a long stretch!). But Robbins will tell you (again!) about the history of the can and allude to the secret lives of inanimate objects. And as always, his metaphors leave me in awe and make me terri...more
B Is for Beer is silly, fun, and sometimes educational. It is not Skinny Legs and All (by a long stretch!). But Robbins will tell you (again!) about the history of the can and allude to the secret lives of inanimate objects. And as always, his metaphors leave me in awe and make me terri...more
Mar 05, 2013
Richard Sommery-Gade
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
YA & up
Recommended to Richard by:
My Wife
5.0 out of 5 stars B is for Beer, March 5, 2013
By Nanakulikane - See all my reviews
This review is from: B Is for Beer (Hardcover)
My wife got this for our son, who is in the business, and like her, is a Tom Robbins fan. She was laughing her, you know what off, and said I should read it, glad I did. This is a short, fun, quick, whimsical look, at how beer is made, or beer making 101 for dummies. It is a riot, tongue in cheek story, that will have you rolling with Tom's wonderful descriptions and s...more
By Nanakulikane - See all my reviews
This review is from: B Is for Beer (Hardcover)
My wife got this for our son, who is in the business, and like her, is a Tom Robbins fan. She was laughing her, you know what off, and said I should read it, glad I did. This is a short, fun, quick, whimsical look, at how beer is made, or beer making 101 for dummies. It is a riot, tongue in cheek story, that will have you rolling with Tom's wonderful descriptions and s...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
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...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“Never be afraid to love, not even when there's a chance you're not being loved in return.”
—
13 people liked it
“Matters are very seldom all black or white. They can even be both at the same time - The Beer Fairy”
—
5 people liked it
More quotes…
