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Date Posted: 19:51:31 09/02/23 Sat
Author: Liam
Author Host/IP: 72.44.106.90
Subject: A novel EVERY smoking fetishist should read (my final post)

Hey all. I'm back again for a long absence with a final, somewhat unconventional post. Not a story or real life account but a recommendation.

A book EVERYONE on this forum, and browsing this forum, owes themselves the privilege of reading.

The book is "Still Life With Woodpecker" by American novelist Tom Robbins.

It's difficult to describe the author, and even more difficult to describe the novel, which was emphatically recommended to me by an old flame (who was, perhaps coincidentally, a smoker.) Tom Robbins' catalogue is over a dozen novels deep and his style - in terms of genre - blurs the line between romance, humor, philosophy, and surrealism. If you've ever heard his name before it was likely in association with the 1993 film 'Even Cowgirls Get The Blues,' a frankly awful film adaptation of his later (also excellent) novel of the same name. If you're familiar with that or have seen it - don't let it carry into your expectations for this novel. It isn't at all representative of his written works or what makes "Still Life With Woodpecker" so special. To be honest trying to make a film adaptation of any of Robbins' work is a fool's errand. His writing is simply too idiosyncratic.

What makes this novel essential reading for smoking enthusiasts? It isn't a work of fetish fiction - at least not in the erotic sense. And while the novel IS sexual in many ways it ISN'T erotic romance. Nor is it chiefly concerned with smoking. But the novel *understands* and *integrates* smoking into the development of it's characters, it's narrative, and it's philosophy.

The cover of the novel is immediately recognizeable as it is designed to look almost exactly like a pack of classic Camel filter cigarettes.

So - off to a good start. In its most basic of terms it is a coming-of-age romance between a young wild-minded heiress and the intellectual radical she takes as her lover. But it is considerably more than that. The book, despite being a breezy, easy, punchy, funny, raunchy, refreshing quick read is *riddled* with philopophy. Specifically the philosophies of *hedonism* and *phenomenology.*

For the uninitiated, Hedonistic doctrine rules that the most ethical and fulfilling way to live one's life is in the pursuit of pleasure. Phenomenology, on the other hand, is concerned with the psychological and philosophical practice of focusing on specific objects and sensations in order to ascertain their hidden beauties and meanings. If you think about it, you can immediately see how these philosophies can feed into the romance and beauty of anyone with a smoking fixation.

And Robbins leverages that to an incredible degree. To reiterate, the book isn't chiefly concerned with smoking, it is far from it's primary focus. But it IS undeniably an important part of the fiction. There are numerous scenes and chapters where the main character - a young woman - muses on smoking and dissects the meaning of an all-important pack of Camel cigarettes. To the point of locking herself in her room to ruminate on it and to discover it's hidden meaning. In a way the book DOES fetishize smoking - but in more of an academic sense than an erotic one. And through finding this hidden meaning and embracing it's sensations (among other things) she evolves into a dynamic person who embraces tobacco, rebellion, humor, sex, and all the pleasures of life.

For fear of spoilers I'll spare you of plot details. Also, admittedly, any attempt at digging deeper into the novel is an effort in futility. It is simply too cerebral, too bizarre, and too surreal to dissect. Don't let that scare you, though! As I mentioned earlier the book is far from a difficult read: it is riotously fun, insightful without pretention, intellectual without being overbearing, humorously human. For my fellow readers I can tell you that there are equal parts Douglas Adams, Gabriel Marquez, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman within the pages of "Still Life With Woodpecker." It is also far from obscure, despite having been absent from popular consciousness for some time now. You can pick it up at any decent book store for $10 and breeze through in a single weekend.

It is insightful, fun, human, and it understands smoking enthusiasm in a way that few works of non-fetish fiction does. I sincrely hope you are all doing well and that you all treat yourself to this wonderful reading experience.

As I mentioned earlier, this is my last post here. I stepped away from the smoking fetish world several months ago and continue to live my life apart from it. But I wanted to share this one last thought to all of you fine folks browsing here.

Wishing you well,

- Liam

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