So many books, so little time

TL;DR - He is another "man writes about woman" author. Most of his novels are written from a "female perspective" and it reads more like some dude's weird fantasy of women. As a woman I cannot relate to the things he writes or the way he describes women (including women he doesn't find attractive, i.e. fat women). It is impossible for me to go on reading his works without feeling a tinge of disgust. His stories are fun and whimsical and I wish he would just stick to male protagonists and not overly sexualize women the way he does in every. single. novel.

Tom Robbins holds a very special place in my heart for being the author that got me into reading. I was one of those kids who hated reading. Around 19 or 20, I was given Another Roadside Attraction and my world changed. I realized I didn't hate reading, I just wasn't picking the right books (honestly you can thank the public education system choosing the absolute worst books for youth to read). I've been a reader ever since.

After Another Roadside Attraction, I went on to read many of his books (Fierce Invalids, Still Life with Woodpecker, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues... there might be others.) Most of these I read in my early to mid-20's.

I kinda lost interest in Tom Robbins mostly because I enjoy non-fiction (plus other authors like Vonnegut stole my attention). Plus I looked back and thought some of his writing was a little cringey. Couldn't put my finger on it but something about it was almost.... uncomfortable? for me to read (I should clarify at this point that I am a woman). Uncomfortable isn't the best word but it's what I'm going to use.

Anyway.

I've been in a bit of a reading rut. I was at the library looking for a book to read when Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas caught my eye. Since I needed something to read, and since it had been so long since I had read a Robbins book, I decided fuck it, let's just go for it.

Almost immediately I found myself scrunching up my face at the things he would write. You know, things like the fact that the main character wears "panties" with "two little pink bows" on them (infantilizing much?). Here are two quotes from the book:

The smile that slices across the bony plain of his stubble jaws is as fierce as a paper cut, and his eyes are as reddened as bedsores, as probing as coat hangers. You feel their gaze on your uterus.

..