For all his influence on the West Coast literary scene, author Tom Robbins has produced a relatively small output of novels--just six in over twenty-five years. The reason for this scarcity, the author told the New York Times in 1993, is based on the fact that "I try never to leave a sentence until it's as perfect as I can make it. So there isn't a word in any of my books that hasn't been gone over 40 times." Despite the long wait between new works, however, Robbins has achieved a considerable following with novels that "defy the ordinary in terms of plot, language, characterization, and theme," as Anne Boyd described them in Contemporary Popular Writers. While the author wins fans with his outrageous characters, playful plots, and mystical philosophy, Boyd added, "for most critics it is Robbins's style that stands out the most, at times stealing the show from...