For the last book club that I actually attended, we read Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. This was my first foray into Tom Robbins books, so I guess it is not surprising that I was pretty surprised. It sort of reminded me of when I first read Christopher Moore and all of a sudden a very normal story of intrigue and oceanography turned into an epic adventure of the Whale People.
So it was a similar feeling when this medieval adventure introduced us to Pan; intermingled with modern-day characters in Paris, Seattle, and New Orleans; and tried to convince us that eternal life is achievable if you just focus on it hard enough.
In any case, this was a very interesting mix of the unbelievable, the overly-sexual, and some moral lessons about life. While it is interesting to think of the implications of a life that never ends - from the mundane business of avoiding detection to the truly deep question as to the purpose of life - it is hard to take that lesson from a guy who is also touting the sexy stinkiness of Pan and describing the nearly-lesbian adventures of two bartenders who can't seem to get it together.
A very interesting book, but it left me with more of a stunned look on my face than a smile. :?
PS: This book also made for a very interesting-tasting theme dinner!
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