Ms. Hen reviews Villa Incognito

 

Villa Incognito

Tom Robbins

Bantam Dell

2003

Ms. Hen decided to read this novel because she picked it up at a Little Free Library near where she lives. She has read several Tom Robbins books, but has not read one for a long time. She doesn't know why she hasn't read one for a while, but after reading this, she remembered how good his books are.

This novel is about several things: it's about tanukis, a type or raccoon dog found in Japan; it's also about the Vietnam War and some MIAs that got lost afterwards; it's about drug dealing, and it's about circus performers. A tanuki in Japan impregnates a woman, starting a chain of events that takes place over years. The woman who has the baby realizes she cannot keep it. Many years later one of the descendants is in Laos and is a tanuki trainer for different circuses. This novel is a fantasy, but it also talks about real issues.

There's something about the way Tom Robbins writes that Ms. Hen really enjoys. He has a spastic way of putting words together, with several pop culture references that might get lost on some people that are not well versed in that area. His books are strange, as is this one.

Also, his books are juicy. There is a lot of sex in this book, which a reader may or may not like, but if a reader is not prepared for it, like Ms. Hen she might become a shocked hen. But she got used to it.

A part in this book where the character Dickie reunites with his girlfriend Lisa Ko in Laos, and she brings him mayonnaise and white bread from her trip to the United States. A long description of how wonderful mayonnaise is follows, and even though Ms. Hen is not much of a fan, she liked reading this because it was so strange. The narrator extols the virtues of mayonnaise, and how it's the perfect condiment that goes with everything. Ms. Hen thought this section was hilarious.

There is always a profound message in Tom Robbins' books, and Ms. Hen feels like she walks away smarter than she was before she read the book. One of the messages in this novel is that life is fleeting and nothing is permanent, and there are no accidents. It seems like a Buddhist message to Ms. Hen, and since this novel takes place partially in Laos and Vietnam, it makes sense.

This novel is light and heavy at the same time. It's short, but it's not an easy read. Ms. Hen enjoyed this novel, and liked being shocked by it. Ms. Hen is not a hen that shocks easily, but when she is, it startles her. She has come to the point in her life when not much surprises her, because she has seen so many strange things, but she knows there are always stranger things around the corner or within the pages of an unread book.