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Summary: You need to read this book.
Review: I read it in 1975. I have given it to many people as a gift. You will too.
Rating: 
Summary: Just awful
Review: This book made absolutely no sense to me. To be fair, I only read the first 20 pages, but what I read was chaotic, messy, and NOT entertaining. I could not follow the plot at all (if there even WAS one). I should have learned my lesson with EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES, but I was persuaded to give Robbins another chance. Not going to happen again.
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Summary: I ache when I think of this book!
Review: I read this book a couple years ago, my first Tom Robbins book, and it literally changed my life! This book is magic - I don't care to break it down too much, just need to testify to the aching longing and sense of urgent possibility it left burning inside of me ...
The characters and Robbins' literary voice are rays of brilliance through a smoky dive - this book is a revelation! Absolutely brilliant.
Rating: 
Summary: No Juice
Review: Having read a couple of previous books by TR I am very disappointed by ARA. There is no story here and while Robbins tries to mask his lack of inspiration by inserting little divertiments such as catholic ninja monks, chariot-driving fleas and the corpse of Jesus Christ, the tricks do not really work; to me they simply appear crude and uninspired. The plot is disorganized, the writing is sloppy and the ideas tired. The only redeeming feature is the Amanda character, which continues the long line of spunky desirable females in Rs oeuvre.
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Summary: Best book ever.
Review: This is the best book I have ever read. That is all I'm going to say.
Rating:
Summary: the enlightenment
Review: If you are looking for a book that will broaden your mind and simultaneously entertain you to no end, Another Roadside
Attraction is a must for you. Tom Robbins is amazingly insightful and will lead you to be ever so closer to ultimate enlightenment. Enjoy and be mesmerized!
Rating:
Summary: Candy for the Dissident in YOU!
Review: Funny... yeah. Intelligent... most definitely. Incredible metaphor and zany thought... you bet. Kooky.... Tom Robbins. But most importantly... (Q) does this book bring you back to your roots and confirm that which you have always been certain of about modern society and mankind's havoc??? (A) Did an extremely stoned, blues-laden, harmonica-playin' Tarzan teach ole Jesus a lesson while he was meditating in the desert? Find out fer yerself.
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Summary: many people miss all that is wrong with this book
Review: This book came to me highly recommended and I was excited to read it. However its sloppy, hypcritical philosophy and amateurish writing style immediately turned me off to it. The characters all had things that were superficially clever, but if one were to look into what they meant behind their observations, not much was there. His discriptions are also guilty of being superficial. Robbins overuses metaphors and often when using them compares things to whatever impressive string of gibberish he comes up with next. I can see how someone might get up in the book if they aren't used to things of a contraversial nature, but most of his ideas are either ridiculous or obvious. While he tears apart Catholicism, he tries to replace it with an illogical mysticism. This world could do without either.
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Summary: A trip back to the beginning
Review: Tom Robbins' first novel, Another Roadside Attraction, reads like a first novel by Tom Robbins would. It's full of mind-bending metaphors and squishy similes, like you'd expect. It's a bit sloppy - immature, a more thoughtful reviewer might say. I wonder what he had been doing before writing this. Composing goofy-witty short stories? Collecting insane metaphors in stacks of spiral notebooks? Building up his mind with recreational drugs?Though this book is nearly as fulfilling as anything you'll pick up, the ending was not as dramatically significant as expected. It built up nicely, but the final act didn't satisfy like I had hoped. Still, it's a book that will have you chuckling under your breath on the bus, and reading portions to your loved ones.
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Summary: Outstanding! The funniest book I have ever read.
Review: Truly the funniest book I have ever read! Twenty or so years ago when I read it I could not stop laughing. I have over the years bought over 50 copies of this book to give to friends. ENJOY! BUT if you are really sensitive (can I use the word uptight?) to humor that pokes fun at cultural and religious norms you might only chuckle through clenched teeth. Enjoy!
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