Product Description

An Arab and a Jew open a restaurant together across the street from the United Nations... It sounds like the beginning of an ethnic joke, but it's the axis around which spins this gutsy, fun-loving and alarmingly provocative novel, widely acclaimed as among Robbins's very best. As a dessert spoon mystifies, a waitress takes on the art world and a rowdy redneck discovers the lost god of Palestine, the illusions that obscure humanity's view of the true universe fall away, one by one. A defiant and upbeat novel that refuses to look away from the end of the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43898 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Customer Reviews

Robbins best book
In my opinion this is Mr Robbins best book to date. Though I always enjoy his crackerbox language, Skinny Legs and All is the book where he leaves his trite plot line of "lushious young vixen falls for older guru" behind and actually creates, not only mystical and surreal enchantment, but also real people. As for the plot line itself, an Arab and a Jew open up a restaurant together across from the United Nations, an artist struggles with her inner and outer demons, and a sock, a can of soup, a conchshell, a stick and last but not least a spoon, make their way to The Holy Land. As usual in Mr Robbins books, there is a good dose of the history of religion. To be taken with a grain of salt perhaps, but providing interesting insights into the background of the Middle Eastern conflict non the less. All in all, a most enjoyable and thought provoking book.

My favorite Robbins book...
I happened upon the reviews that have already been written and since this is my favourite Tom Robbins book and he is my favourite author, I felt compelled to write another review to counter the half-hearted ones. While his books are not an easy read, if you can open your mind to a challenge, you too may feel this book needs 5 stars.

After I found Tom Robbins, I gave up crack!
Somewhere I read that Tom Robbins' work has been compared to a good acid trip. When you start, everything is a little strange (and getting stranger). Inanimate objects become protangonists and reality subsides into a thick haze of enlightened confusion. Suddenly, you reach a euphoric crechendo and shake hands with Buddha as you are overcome with insight. Then of course, from that day on, nothing ever looks the same. I have read all of this lovely man's books many times and it has always been my conviction that Skinny Legs and All is the most potent. It would make a great movie, however, it may be an insurmountable challenge to cast the starring roles (although I hear that Joey Lawrence is available) of a can of beans, a conch shell, a painted stick, and a dirty sock. Everybody must read this book. There's nudity! Yay!