Finished Tu 11/1/11
This is a very short work by Tom Robbins, and not nearly as good as his wild, sprawling, and picaresque novels for which he is known.
Gracie Perkel is five, soon to be six years old, and is a bright and precocious child who wonders why her daddy drinks beer. Her uncle Moe agrees to take her to tour a brewery on her sixth birthday, but he drops a full can of Sapporo beer on his foot, and is unable to take her. Moe falls in love with his podiatrist, and leaves with her to go and live in Costa Rica. In despair(?) Gracie chugs a can of beer, has a visit from a beer fairy, learns about the making of beer, tours a brewery, and learns of Love, Life, and how the intoxicating properties of beer fit into the Cosmic Scheme. Her parents divorce, and through a short, yet convoluted plot, Moe marries her mother, and they all live happily in sunny Central America.
If you want to experience the beauty of Tom Robbin's writing, check any of his novels. But, if you just want to learn about the production of beer, hit Wikipedia. "B" IS FOR BEER can easily be read in one sitting, so it doesn't require a large investment on the part of the reader, but if you were expecting a silly, trippy, audacious delight, you will not find it in this innocuous book.
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