Reviewed by Curtis Lyons, Head, Special Collections and Archives
Beatnik and counter-culture icon Tom Robbins has published 8 novels and a number of popular short stories in which he irreverently looks at institutions and societies from his own enhanced perspective. You can rely on him to bring unusual issues and characters to the forefront in each and every story or book, but his first book, Another Roadside Attraction, offers the most entertaining insights into the thought-processes of some uniquely American movements. Since it was a first attempt, the book does not flow as well as his later and more polished works, especially the best-selling Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (great book, avoid the movie). But Robbins has some important, not to mention outlandish, things to say in this book, arguably to a greater extent than his other novels. If anything, the bits of rather raw writing work into the overall feeling that you are experiencing something as it takes shape instead of just being told a story. I'm not sure I would recommend this as an introduction to Robbins's work (Cowgirls is probably better there), but if you have read other Robbins works but skipped this one then you should pick it up. And if you are not familiar with his work but are in the mood to have your vision of the world expanded, try Cowgirls and then I think you'll run out to taste Another Roadside Attraction.
