Jitterbug Perfume: A Novel

I reread Jitterbug Perfume every few years, but this is the first shared reading.Tom Robbins' fictional style is playful, deep, light, sexy, stimulating, spiritual and provocative. Finally I have a precious partner who loves this book as much as I! (Which may or may not be how I know he's "the one.")I first read this book in 1985 at the age of 37, I'm now 73 and it is just as entertaining, amusing, and delightful to a bandalooping elder! I'm sure I'll enjoy another romp with Kudra and Alobar before I'm 80.And, in the spirit of complete (though probably unwanted) transparency, my beloved and I met at the age of 71. The words used in our 30s, 40s, and50s to describe intimacy and associated precious body parts seemed to pale. In reading this book we've found the perfect words for those yummy organs: his is Alobar, mine is Kudra!

This was a very weird, quirky, highly enjoyable novel. I couldn't tell you what it is about exactly, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. The way the story was told, the different characters and viewpoints, all very well depicted. An enjoyable read.

What a fantastic book. Tom Robbins is a brilliant writer, and JITTERBUG PERFUME is his masterwork. It's a book rich with audacious language, glorious detail, expressive whims and fancy, fascinating characters, and takes one a trip through the scientific, the intellectual, and the absurd. At times romantic, confounding, heartfelt, insightful and undoubtedly poetic, Tom Robbins takes the reader to new places and dangerous heights that know no bounds. Unlike many stories told, JITTERBUG PERFUME actually gets better as it moves along...eventually saving the best for last. What's this book about? There's no no easy answer, nor adequate synopsis that justifies the beauty of this book. It is not about "a janitor with a missing bottle," as the back of the book claims. It IS, however, a "saga." That's the one thing the back of the book gets right. Yet what is it really about, you ask? Well...it's about beats. It's about death. It's about life. It's about immortality. It's about scents and smells. It's about our biological makeup and its many mysteries. It's about sex. It's about love. It's about how we choose to live, breathe, bathe and above all else...smell. JITTERBUG PERFUME will make you think. JITTERBUG PERFUME will make you want to live forever. JITTERBUG PERFUME will transform you, and force you (literally) to stop and smell the roses. This is a must-read for anyone who appreciates love, language, scents...and damn good writing.

This was a fun story that passed through a few centuries and involved some very likable characters!!It took a bit to understand who was who and what was happening. A few of the monologues got a little long, but overall it was a fun read!

Words can’t do it justice. You have to read this amazing adventure. It’s the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read. I would love to be in the author’s mind for just a moment it must be so colorful and awesome I may

This book changed my life! From the power of scent and its connection to memory to the trove of original characters and situations to the almighty beet at the center of the story, Robbins' fourth novel is just as relevant today, I imagine, as when it first published back in 1984.Robbins writes in long sentences, using a type of poetic-prose that would be off-putting as too ooey-gooey or smarmy if it weren't so brilliant. No. The writing is superb, intricate, and sensual. This book gets inside you, makes you really think about the nature of reality and how the everyday things we do to make ourselves alluring are intertwined with history that spans continents, and how we can become better people by making small adjustments to our everyday way of thinking.This book is right in line with Robbins' ouevre. I've read all his novels and rank it right up there with "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Skinny Legs and All" in terms of his best work. If you haven't already read it and you're a fan of his other books or anything in the realm of fantasy, magical realism, literary fiction, or science fiction, I highly recommend this novel.

Jitterbug Perfume is my all-time favorite book. When I received a gift certificate to amazon, I thought I'd finally get myself a hardcover copy since my paperback is falling apart. The description this seller gave was "Dust cover missing, book cover and text are pristine!". It isn't. The book doesn't close flat because the cover is warped. The pages are slightly discolored at the ends. It has an old book smell. The corners of the cover are dented. There is a drop of, perhaps, glue on the cover. And, worst of all, about 1-1/2" of the cover has been chewed as if by mice, a rat, or squirrel. I know the book left the sellers in this condition rather than being damaged in the mail because the book was carefully wrapped in cellophane and then wrapped in newspaper and taped closed. (In fact, I was worried I would damage the book when I took off the newspaper because there was so much tape and I had to cut it.) The newspaper and Saran wrap were not damaged, dented, nor chewed. This is not a pristine book.

Habe dieses Buch gebraucht gekauft für 30€, nachdem ich es auf Deutsch gelesen habe, musste ich einfach das amerikanische Original lesen. Habe zu meinem Schrecken feststellen müssen, dass es nicht nur die Erstausgabe war (was ich bereits vermutet habe), sondern auch noch eine vom Autoren Handsignierte!!! So kreischen bloß die Frauen in der Zalando-Werbung.... dachte ich. Ne, ich kann das auch... bei meinem Lieblingsbuch. :)

I’ve given this to so many people. It’s such an awesome tale. Beautifully written and an epic read…do yourself a favour and get it!

This is one of my favorite Tom Robbins' books, his way with words, the colorful characters and their story, the timeline. I lent my original copy out years ago and am looking forward to re-reading it.

Un libro che e' riuscito a stupirmi, a portarmi un'ondata di freschezza. Scritto con un'intelligente ironia, che mi ha divertito, pur affrontando tematiche esistenziali apparentemente poco adatte allo scherzo. Uno scrittore stupefacente e ardito. Felice di averlo scoperto

One of my favorite all-time books. Robbins' writing style can be a bit of an acquired taste (it was for me, the first time), but once you get into it, it is impossible to put down.