My favorite of his, as I recall (though I read most of these over 30 years ago).

Not a review, but a content warning for virulent homophobia to the extent of 22 instances of "rich Queer" in 5 pages who is purely there as a figure of ridicule and to be threatened with violence. ( )

When I read this in high school I thought it was the most hilarious thing I had ever read. Maybe I was high.
Originally written in the early sixties, before the hippie movement, it seems like a narrative of hippie life. It is absurd. The humor is in the metaphors and absurd situations.
This is short and quick to read. But I don't think I will read it again. ( )

Another title I like. & I've been to Big Sur as a freak hitchhiker around the time this bk was written. Who cares, right? ( )

A sad man spends some time off the grid with his dirtbag friend.

2.5/4 (Okay).

It's not surprising Brautigan wasn't more popular, given that this book was the world's introduction to him. The "story" relies heavily on tropes that had already been worn out by Beat writers by this time. And while his weird style of writing is there, it isn't used with any of the expressive power of his better works.

Also, how can he use the Confederacy as his central metaphor without addressing racism? I know these characters are not supposed to be good people, but seriously, could he at least, like, mention that it exists? ( )