Rating: 
Summary: Give me a break!
Review: Everyone is a critic, especially when they can't come close to other's talent. If Robbins hurried here, it is probably because many of the messages in this book are about immediate threats to us all. His finger in the eye of American Political and religious institutions ring a true and ominous "clang" of warning. If you don't "get it" you are thinking too hard.Chill out and have some champagne and moyonnaise sandwiches.
Rating: 
Summary: What a disappointment
Review: The first Tom Robbins book I read was Fierce Invalids, and really enjoyed that one (Switters is one of my favorite characters). This was my second, and it is such a horrible mess that I am stopping right in the middle. I'll try some of the other titles that are recommended here. pk
Rating:
Summary: Tom Robbins makes me want to...
Review: With this book, Tom Robbins makes me want to become an ex-pat and live a secret life. The writing is wonderful and always makes me think about my own life and if it is satisfying. The sarcasm and the ironicies (is that even a word?) always make me laugh as no other author can. I did, however, (and I hate to echo other reviews) find that some elements of the plot were just not connecting for me. I finished reading the book a week ago and some things are still puzzling me. Granted, I am usually puzzled for a little bit after finishing a Tom Robbins book, but I usually make the connections after a few days of thinking and re-reading select bits and pieces. I also, as another reviewer stated, was greatly disappointed that Tanuki didn't have a more prominent role throughout the book, and was frustrated with the lack of explanation as to what ever really happened to all of the descendants of Tanuki. The mystery was intriguing until I came to the conclusion that I would never know the answer. All this criticism would usually lead to a lower number of stars, but I still enjoyed the book immensely compared to other books I've read recently. Tom Robbins is always a pleasurable break from all other fiction available.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant but Inconsistent
Review: I would almost skip the first section of the book and get to the plot which really starts in section 2. This book has some great philosophy and is both funny and provocative. My favorite thought is that you need to have both your mental process fully engaged AND your heart fully engaged to be a player in life. One or the other is not enough. True to his other books he throws in some mystical and magical bits, and embroiders the book with[physical] content. His genius is still there and the entertainment value is still high.
Rating: 
Summary: Now is a good time to become a TR fan
Review: If you know Tom Robbins you know he likes to play. He plays with language,
he plays with structure, he plays with ideas and minds and assumptions. In
different books he plays with some things more than others. In Villa Incognito Tom Robbins opens up characters, opens up plot lines,
opens up sub-plots. And he closes none of them. If you are addicted to
resolution, this book is your treatment center. The characters and the
situations all get to stay alive and lively in the mind long after the book
finished is abandoned on the window sill. Absolutely delightful and highly recommended. I think even people who don't
usually like Tom Robbins could like this book. But then, I love Tom Robbins
so that's a prejudiced opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Tom Robbins Never Disappoints
Review: Once again Tom Robbins takes us on a journey to far away places with strange names, strange smells and even stranger characters. His musings on God, Religion and the Meaning of Life were a delight, as always. I highly recommend this book. A wonderful light-hearted, raucous romp from Asia to Seattle and back again. Lovely!
Rating: 
Summary: Warning: Review Contains the Term "up-to-snuff"
Review: I'm a big Robbins fan. But I had trouble getting into this one. I never really connected with any of the characters, except Tanuki, the mythical dog-badger, who is missing from the bulk of the story. The plot never engaged me. The ending - what exactly happened in the ending? I dunno, even after three re-reads. Even Robbins' patented loopy writing style seemed rather not up-to-snuff this time. I'll reiterate what others have said: If this is the first Robbins you've set your hands on, put it aside and go for Jitterbug Perfume or Skinny Legs and All. Don't start with this one. If you're a veteran, you're probably not even reading this review. You're probably out buying it, and you'll soon be writing a review similar to this one (and the other reviews that this one echoes).
Rating:
Summary: Villa Incognito
Review: As expected, Tom Robbins delivers a swarthy entertainment in literature. I am relieved, afterall, that my own son is not a tanuki. Tom's obvious foray into the English thesaurus demonstrates prowess, and inspires anybody lacking in similar syntactic, semantic, and otherwise eclectic devices to meet him incoginto. Loved the book, wish there were more out there who could "get it."
Rating:
Summary: Unimpressive Effort for Tom
Review: For a writer who has turned out as many brilliant books as he has, this latest one does a poor job continuing that trend. Overall, it's a fair book in terms of what others produce in today's market. But for Robbins, it's clearly well below his standards. A problem I have with this book is that I never care about the characters, nor do I care about the plot. While reading this I would wake up every morning, and maybe I would read it. Or maybe I wouldn't. The idea that there were still more pages to go did not intrigue me. Contrary to my past Robbins experiences where I had trouble putting the book down, this time I had trouble picking it up. If I'm being totally honest, I have this exasperated question to pose to Robbins: An Epilogue where we find out what happened to all the characters? I feel insulted. Seriously, this isn't a Brady Bunch book. I'm not yearning to find out who went where, how, and why. I don't read Robbins for that. I read Robbins for eye opening perspectives. I read Robbins for new stories, for new situations, for fresh looks at old topics. Robbins accomplishes none of these. His usual word play? Mundane. His dancing metaphors? Flat footed. Long winded descriptions that make your mind's eye glow with excitement? Short of breath. To boot, his messages, once cloaked in brilliant prose, are now thrown at you with the grace of a monkey throwing a piece of crap from its cage. Is this a joke of a book? Am I the punch line? I find it hard to believe this is all he has left in the tank. After so much excellence, it's hard to believe that this is where we've ended up. Robbins should have worked on this one another 2 years before it saw the light of day. Obviously, I'm disappointed. Yes, there is some standard Robbins content. But only a sliver of it. It's not a terrible book on its own. But it's not great either. It is what it is. You is what you it. Man oh man, I'm not sure if this was a mistake or not, though. Even if one claims there are no mistakes, this one will make you wonder. If you are a long time Robbins reader, you have to pick this one up for the sake of completeness. If you're new to Robbins, try Woodpecker before you read this.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed, bored, and confused...
Review: It's page 74 & I'm not going to read anymore. I've not read any of this author's materials before so I have no preconceived expectations. Is the "scrotum" a common theme of Tim Robbins? I'm also not so sure about the audience that enjoys this type of book. I'd recommend this book as a library checkout before spending $$.
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