Here, let me lay down a tale of Neftoon Zamora...

Thus begins Michael Nesmith's folkloric tale of the importance of respecting knowledge above ignorance - of spirituality beyond power and earthly means. The most important things in life are often the things that we overlook. Simplicity is often better than complexity - and oh so much more precious.

Nesmith's prose is like his music - beautiful in its simplicity and apt to sneak up on you with a laugh when you least expect it. Nesmith's brilliance shines through in his writing and in his insight into some of the most overlooked aspects of the human conditions.

While The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora may not change your life, it will certainly make you think a little harder. It will allow you to question some previously held tenets of - if not your life, then certainly the lives of others.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who can get their hands on it. While some elements of it come forth only after multiple readings, the basic premise and nature of the piece is well worth at least one go around. ( )

Well, it's by Michael Nesmith, and sometimes it's amusing to imagine old Wool Hat doing this or that....

But it is long on mystical proper nouns and short on emotional interactions and personal growth and such. I suppose that I should have guessed as much; it's not like I don't know what sci-fi (or whatever) is....

Although it is moderately more on music, and somewhat less on adventurism, than your average foray into this genre; it's just not the sort of thing to inspire blissful 'mania' in me, or to make me hand out extra points or whatever....

I suppose it might be worth remembering that Mike was probably the only one of the Monkees to have an inclination towards being *dead serious* at times; the "Pleasant Valley Sunday" video comes to mind, with Nesmith playing the part of the cool technician, especially in contrast to Davy and (especially) Peter, who go a little batty at the end....

I don't know if it was supposed to be like "On The Road"-- all the life-force of the wandering youth-- all I know is that it didn't make me feel jazzy, if you'll permit the expression.

It's not a terrible thing; it's just that it misses the train to greatness, and great joys.

.................................................

Perhaps I should say, Something Clever, to explain my feelings about the book. (Not that I put everything in the review.)

Proper Noun Person once told the disciples, The important thing is to make the students believe that they are far wiser than those who don't believe as we do-- that way, they will always come back.

*rolls eyes* It's a secret world that the schmucks you have dinner with will never understand; your girlfriend will never understand why you prefer the blue alien or whatever, to her.

It would have been better if it were more like "On The Road", and less like a self-conscious game of one-up-manship in terms of who has the Best Consciousness.... They went to India? Well, I went to the Southwest, and I met the *real* Indians.... from outer space!

It's not like I don't know what sci-fi is. The only thing is, I forgot it wasn't going to be about music, real instinctual music ("the blues"), this wasn't going to be about out-doing 'a hard day's night', this was gonna be about out-doing 'within you without you'. We were talking.... about the foolish people and the world.... we were talking.... about who stole the church of the American Indian....

Who do I have to blame? I should have known. It's not like I didn't know what it is.

But essentially, I am content, because I read it without taking it very seriously, and, I don't know, it wasn't funny like Douglas Adams, because it was all about the truth, man, gimme some truth-- but it wasn't frightfully disturbing, merely fanciful, and although the slightest bit self-important, a little amusing. It took up some time decently, I suppose, and it's not like you knew what odd collection of words would be waiting for you next.

Even though of course you knew what they'd mean, but I suppose that made it *easy*.

(8/10) ( )