Each of the characters is well developed and I felt as if I really understood their personalities. The plot is as zany as it sounds, but Robbins has the ability to write in such a way that the ridiculousness of the story never becomes too kitschy. Even in his most dislikable moments, however, Alobar’s character was still compelling and interesting to read.

My least favorite character was Alobar because I really disliked his views on immortality, and life in general. I loved the way she viewed the world and dealt with obstacles. Personally, I thought the best character was Kudra. Sometimes, I agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiments being expressed by the characters and other times I wanted to jump inside those pages, grab the speaker by the neck, and shake him or her until they developed some sense. Hmm… my reaction to this book varied greatly while I was reading it. The list of characters is diverse, ranging from a waitress with cash-flow issues to the goat-god Pan. There are approximately 9-10 principle characters (depending on how you define “principle”) and various other secondary characters that help flesh out the story. The tale spans centuries of time and the point-of-view changes from chapter to chapter, as each character is introduced and sent on their respective journeys. The plot centers around the idea of immortality, the crafting of a perfect perfume, and… beets. Pan encourages Alobar to continue East in search of the masters of immortality.Jitterbug Perfume is Tom Robbins’s fourth novel, published in the mid-1980s. Eventually he stumbles upon the stamping grounds of the pungent goat-god Pan, who is slowly losing his godly powers as the world turns toward Christianity.

After fleeing, no longer a king but only a man, he travels through Eurasia, on a newfound quest for the secret to longevity. The book was first published in 1984 by Bantam Books and later published by Random House.Ī powerful and chiseled 8th-century king named Alobar narrowly escapes regicide at the hands of his own subjects, from a custom of killing the leader at the first sign of aging. Orchestrated by a mysterious Irish philosopher, the past and the present collide when the characters come together and discover the unexpected path to life-everlasting. The story connects dueling perfumers in Seattle, Paris and New Orleans to a bottle of incomparable perfume created by two unlikely but defiant lovers of the past who seek immortality. The book follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day.

Jitterbug Perfume is Tom Robbins' fourth novel and was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985.

Alobar jitterbug perfume