Still Life with Woodpecker is a sort of a love story that takes place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes. It reveals the purpose of the moon, explains the difference between criminals and outlaws, examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism, and paints a portrait of contemporary society that includes powerful Arabs, exiled royalty, and pregnant cheerleaders. It also deals with the problem of redheads.
Still Life with Woodpecker
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Review
“Robbins’s comic philosophical musings reveal a flamboyant genius.—People
About the Author
Tom Robbins has been called “a vital natural resource” by The Oregonian, “one of the wildest and most entertaining novelists in the world” by the Financial Times of London, and “the most dangerous writer in the world today” by Fernanda Pivano of Italy’s Corriere della Sera. A Southerner by birth, Robbins has lived in and around Seattle since 1962.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It appears that four out of five people did not find this review helpful. That does not sit well with me because I would hope above all else to be helpful in my reviews; so I will re-write this one.
"Still Life with Woodpecker" is the only Tom Robbins novel I have read and so I cannot compare it any other work of his. But fundamentally it is a tale of love about a redheaded deposed princess living with her deposed king and queen parents just outside of Seattle. Her search for love and meaning in the world while trying to save it from the horrors of destruction, all while falling in love with another red-head who finds purpose in blowing things up, is the majority of the story.
Yet in essence "Still Life with Woodpecker" is less of a story than it is a very long aside about the nature of things and emotions. At least in the end I felt that the plot, in its outrageous plausibility, along with none of the characters being totally worth sympathy, became a side note to the appreciation I had for its wordsmithing and poignant insights, particularly how the narrative exposes its emotions out in the open for all to notice. Unfortunately at various points Tom feels the need to explain in asides what this is all about when I think the story was doing a fine job on its own doing that.
Plus, being a red head myself, it was nice to see how certain aspects of humanity and personality may or may not be embodied in the symbols of our ginger scalps.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J. Burnham
Format:Paperback
Still Life with Woodpecker changed my life the first time I read it. Always one to believe in the power of the moon and the ancient mysteries of the pyramids, I fell in love with this book. Princesses and Outlaws being my favorite heros, and red headed to boot, who could ask for more?
Appoach with your best sense of humor and a copious amount of metaphoric magnanimousness.(snicker...)
Peace, Love and Moonbeams
Appoach with your best sense of humor and a copious amount of metaphoric magnanimousness.(snicker...)
Peace, Love and Moonbeams
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I liked it for a while, but I got bored of the same theme, especially since he talks about it so directly. There's only so much you can say about how to make love stay. Actually, it's not really that, it's just that he seemed to keep saying the same thing about how to make love stay. It may not be that either. I just didn't like it all that much, on a somewhat intuitive level, if that means anything at all. I'm not sure why I bothered writing this review, but since I did I suppose I might as well submit it.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love redheads
Tom Robbins is genius. That's a fact proven time and again by his incredible stories. This book is captivating and hilarious from the very first sentence!
Published 16 months ago by David Sabine
5.0 out of 5 stars
TOm Robbins is a literary genius
This is one of my favourite books of all time. It's so, so funny, smart and beautifully written. The writing is by far its best asset, but the other aspects - the plot, characters,... Read more
Published on Sep 10 2010 by Bee
5.0 out of 5 stars
What ever happened to the golden ball?
This novel is the absolute perfect blend of comedy, romance, adventure and philosophy. Tom Robbins' masterpiece examination of objectification and love, how the two are... Read more
Published on May 10 2008 by The Rogue Ninja
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing still about this great book
*Still Life With Woodpecker* is a hilariously funny book about two insane people in love. Bernard M. Wrangle and Leigh-Cheri both move to Hawaii for two different reasons. Read more
Published on Mar 30 2005 by Ty Krupp
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Study of Redheads
This is a light and entertaining book from a word-play genius. What is amazing is the way he weaves so many stories into a tidy, compact little package - almost the size of a pack... Read more
Published on July 5 2004 by Amanda Richards
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oscar Wilde in a bong
If you're looking for a smooth romance story then move on. The plot is a drug crazed raving which serves as a meagre bookshelf for Robbins to display his mastery of the absurd... Read more
Published on July 5 2004 by R Rheaume
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy and Hilarious
Still Life With Woodpecker is a love story about an exiled princess and a crazy bomber in Hawaii. Definitely one of my top ten favorite novels of all time; it is kooky, weird,... Read more
Published on Jun 24 2004 by Melissa McCauley
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Experimental Absurdist Masterwork Of A Novel!
Tom Robbins is perhaps one of the most winsome and unforgettable novelist of the late 20th century. In a series of absurdist novels, he has memorably stretched the boundaries of... Read more
Published on Jun 3 2004 by Barron Laycock
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best In A While...
When a writer can spiderweb philosophy, comedy, romance, genius, and suspense, and make it look like an accident... he places up towards amazing in my book. Read more
Published on May 23 2004 by Lindsay Rego
2.0 out of 5 stars
Had possibilities
Tom Robbins is in need of a braver editor or a stronger writing coach. Some of what he says is truly clever, such as "I have a black belt in haiku. Read more
Published on Mar 23 2004 by A. Reader
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