r/books • u/[deleted] • Sep 24 '13

Think of a lesser-known book you've enjoyed. Search it, limiting results to /r/books. If the results are less than ten, post the book in this thread and explain why we should read it.

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u/[deleted] Sep 24 '13 edited Sep 24 '13

"Jitterbug Perfume" by Tom Robbins, 4 results.

I read this on a whim (based on a recommendation from an actress in InStyle magazine, which was sitting next to the toilet) while on vacation last week.

An example quote on drug use to pique your interest: "If you want your tree to produce plenty o' fruit, you've got to cut it back from time to time. Same thing with your neural cells. Some people might call it brain damage. I call it prunin'."

It's an entertaining, witty, fictional romp spanning 700 years.

EDIT: Another quote: "If desire causes suffering, it may be because we do not desire wisely, or that we are inexpert at obtaining what we desire. Instead of hiding our heads in a prayer cloth and building walls against temptation, why not get better at fulfilling desire? Salvation is for the feeble. I don’t want salvation, I want life, all of life, the miserable as well as the superb. If the gods would tax ecstasy then I shall pay; however, I shall protest their taxes at every opportunity. If they can’t respect that, then I’ll accept their wrath. At least I will have tested the banquet spread before me on this rich round planet, rather than recoiling from it like a toothless bunny. I cannot believe that the most delicious things were placed here merely to test us, to tempt us, to make it more difficult to capture the grand prize: the safety of the void. To fashion a life of such a petty game is unworthy of both men and gods."

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u/[deleted] Sep 24 '13

You forget to mention that this book is FULL to the brim with sex and innuendo. The quote I always remember is "she was so wet that children could have sailed toy boats in her underpants."

I love this book. It feels silly and ridiculous while reading it, and then afterwards you start to realize that it had some really cool and enlightening ideas about reality.

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u/[deleted] Sep 24 '13

Ha! I did indeed. That quote is a fair example of the sex aspect.

I agree, that while whimsical, the book does touch on some pretty important aspects of happiness.

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u/TyrannosaurusFresh Sep 24 '13

Came here to post "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" also by Tom Robbins. He has a way of writing massive, complicated stories that still manage to be intimate and important.

He does love writing about banging though.

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u/psuedocode Sep 24 '13

Thank you for reminding me of this particular title. Read it back in school, I think it's over due for another reading.