Skinny Legs and All

What a world-rocking, mind-blowing journey reading Skinny Legs and All was! I read it in my twenties, and it truly was life-changing. It is imaginative and thought-provoking. It expanded my perspective on life and what might be happening right in front of my eyes that I’m missing with my limited imagination.

It’s wickedly funny and irreverent and yet addresses difficult issues that are relevant today, such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The storytelling is so unique, I’ve never read another book like it. It’s a book that leaves me envying someone else’s first read of it.

It also… show more.

Another author that I found it hard to choose which book to feature is Mr. Robbins. While Jitterbug Perfume and Another Roadside Attraction are tied for my favorite novel of his and Still Life with Woodpecker was my first (coincidentally it was recommended by my first serious boyfriend), I chose this one because it fit the theme of my list so well. How can you make an examination of prejudices, war, politics, religion, art, and the impending end of the world funny? The answer lies in Robbins’ brilliant mind.

The least “secret” of on the list, this book is still excellent. Tom Robbins is one of my favorite authors (I’ve read nearly everything he’s ever written). He has incredible freedom of language (the author version of my favorite singer-songwriter, Vic Chesnutt). Jitterbug Perfume is also one of my favorites, but in that book, Robbins gets a bit too blatant/heavy-handed in his delivery, whereas Skinny Legs and All grabbed me right out of the chute and kept me glued to the pages for the rest of the ride.