(Published 2011, paperback edition 575 pages)
Bruno being compared to Nabokov's Humbert Humbert is accurate in the sense that
the chimp isn't very endearing and his observations of life are thought
provoking. Mr. Hale is clearly a gifted writer. Seeing the world through Bruno's
eyes allowed the author to describe the mundane in colorful ways. The chimp has
a child-like wonder about everything around him. In this way, Mr. Hale was able
to talk about a variety of subjects such as love, religion, science, vanity,
art, teaching, knowledge, reason, pride, evolution, animal research, jealousy
and pretty much the whole gamut of human emotions. But high adventure this big
sucker is certainly not.
The book will likely be limited in its appeal to only people who love fine, "artsy" literature. I don't know if the author was just trying to show off by using words like pinguid, pithecine, Westermarck Effect, bildungsroman and infundibuliform or if obscure tongue-twisters was supposed to be part of Bruno's personality. The book is chockfull of these words. I haven't had to utilize my iPad so much since reading something by one of my favorite columnists, H.L. Mencken. The last two hundred pages became more of a chore than anything else. Mr. Hale has a chapter towards the end of the book that is 11-pages long but written as ONE paragraph and I saw no value to it except giving me an urge to drive an ice pick into my ear out of boredom. Other reviewers said Mr. Hale's book made them laugh. The heck if I know what those passages would be. It's a morose, uncomfortable tome. If you like that sort of thing. Have at it. I'm just glad it's done.
The book will likely be limited in its appeal to only people who love fine, "artsy" literature. I don't know if the author was just trying to show off by using words like pinguid, pithecine, Westermarck Effect, bildungsroman and infundibuliform or if obscure tongue-twisters was supposed to be part of Bruno's personality. The book is chockfull of these words. I haven't had to utilize my iPad so much since reading something by one of my favorite columnists, H.L. Mencken. The last two hundred pages became more of a chore than anything else. Mr. Hale has a chapter towards the end of the book that is 11-pages long but written as ONE paragraph and I saw no value to it except giving me an urge to drive an ice pick into my ear out of boredom. Other reviewers said Mr. Hale's book made them laugh. The heck if I know what those passages would be. It's a morose, uncomfortable tome. If you like that sort of thing. Have at it. I'm just glad it's done.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing book reviews under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #287)
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