“Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates” by Tom Robbins
Finished “Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates” by Tom Robbins, as read by Keith Szarabajka. I was amused by his tale, then again I’m always amused by books from Tom Robbins or maybe I’m just always amused. I consider Mr. Robbins’ past books to be a very inventive diversion with plots filled with spirituality and sexuality. This book isn’t as inventive as his previous books. For example, his previous stories involve a love story inside a pack of Camel cigarettes (”Still Life With Woodpecker”) or a buddy road book involving a can of beans and a dessert spoon (”Skinny Legs and All”, my favorite). No this book is relatively mundane with the only bit of strangeness is having a South American witch doctor whose head is shaped like a pyramid. I don’t know about you but I run into them all the time, a little annoying when they stop by for tea unannounced.
Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates
Tom Robbins
Read by Keith Szarabajka
May 29, 2001
I consider my past reviews to be very wishy-washy. Always trying to look at the positive side of the story. Maybe now my infatuation with my iPod has reached a more mature level, the gee wiz aspect may be gone (I still love the iPod). This review is going to cut to the meat of the bone (what does that expression mean?). I’m going to dissect this book until I get bored and find something else to do. I promise to leave no stone unturned except the really dirty ones. To express cliches that boldly go where no man has gone before.
First a comment on the reading of this book. I haven’t run into a professional reader in these audiobook that I haven’t liked, except Stephen King. Keith Szarabajka is no exception to this rule. A very smooth voice capable of doing the separate characters with ease and giving the impression that someone else is reading those parts. Keith Szarabajka was very easy and enjoyable to listen to, I’ll look for more from him. Back to the book.
Tom Robbins has been a favorite writer of mine for some time. I’ve read several of his books and never been disappointed. I take that back this book disappointed me some. I hated the end, he could have done so much more. The book is a treasure trove of quotes to plagiarize and I’ve taken to the notion that since I get around with a cane and will go to a wheelchair soon (because of my MS). I’ll get a tattoo on my forehead with the words “Fierce Invalid”, I just haven’t decided on the font yet. I’m sure someone will misread that to mean fierce invalid (the English language can be so confusing sometimes). The only problem with the quotes is that you can never remember one when you need it so I make them up all the time, you can quote me on that.
The story meanders though the event that lead to… That’s the problem with the book, you think it will lead to “The Answer” but just tries to clean up loose ends and have a happy ending, sounds like a TV sitcom (American and Japanese). True there are mentions of actions that don’t take place on Friends (or at least we never see the actions). True only the Simpsons would have a pyramid shape head promoting laughter as the key. But all in all Mr. Robbins has produced much better stories then this. Read if you’re bored or are a huge fan of Tom Robbins otherwise give it a miss.
Tags
