Those who read a Tom Robbins book often end up collecting the entire set of his novels. Robbins’ books are so unique in their silliness that once you’ve read one, you know for certain when you are reading another. His whimsical humor and unorthodox plots separate him from your grandfather’s favorite authors, unless you have a really rocking grandpa.
However, Robbins is not the only author to take a step into the absurd. Christopher Moore, whose first book was published in 1992, has many Robbins-like traits.
Both authors submerge the reader in a world of humor and adventure, unafraid to tackle the magical and illogical. They even look alike in their photographs; sporting beards, t-shirts, and a somewhat crazy look in their eyes.
In 1971, Robbins published Another Roadside Attraction, which questions the Second Coming with the discovery of Jesus’ mummified corpse in the basement of the Vatican Moore put out his novel Lamb in 2002, chronicling “the lost years” of Jesus’ life. The reader watches Christ grow from puberty to a man with his oaf of a best friend named Biff.
Both books seek to humanize the figure that is the basis for one of the world’s largest religions. The subject is treated with humor but also with respect. Neither author is seeking to change the world with their book or make people loose their faith; their intent is to introduce some new ideas and to get a laugh while doing it.
While religion is often seen as a dangerous topic best kept out of most polite dinner conversations, it clearly fascinates both authors. Almost every one of their books touches on the subject. Often, the conversations come down to the topic of souls. Who has them, and why? What happens to them when we’re gone? What exactly are they?
Moore supplies a possible answer in A Dirty Job, where an average man is one of the many who are suddenly assigned to the task of passing souls along once they leave one body and camp out in inanimate objects while waiting to enter another. Many of Robbins eccentric characters offer their opinion about the consistency and purpose of the soul. In Villa Incognito, Robbins offers, “hard times and funky living can season the soul, true enough, but joy is the yeast that makes it rise.”
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