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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
A decent book, but none of the characters had the depth of her previous work. The bonobos sure were fun, though!
I had heard that this book was "okay" and not as good as Water for Elephants so my expectations weren't very high. I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the book. I found the story engaging and full of enough twists to keep me interested without getting too hokey. The information about the apes is fascinating. The story is very much about human nature and its grotesqueness and beauty. I recommend this book, not for someone looking for another Water for Elephants, but for those of you looking for a good book.
Book #51 Read in 2012
Ape House by Sara Gruen
I recently read Water for Elephants (I know, I know, finally!) by this author and loved her writing style. I immediately requested Ape House from the library and was not disappointed. I loved this book as well.
In Ape House, Isabel works with bonobos and has taught them to communicate using Sign Language. There is a fire in the ape location and Isabel is injured in it. By the time she is on the road to recovery, the bonobos have been moved and are now used in a reality show produced by a porn producer. He is hoping to score huge ratings by capitalizing on 24 hour visuals on the bonobos. Isabel is bound and determined to reunite with her "family" and enlists the help of John Thigpen, a reporter who missed the fire by a matter of hours after interviewing Isabel and the bonobos. They unite forces, along with some others, to get the bonobos out of the "ape house".
This book has it all--great writing, great characters (including the bonobos, who have very distinct personalities, twists and turns, romance and even some humor. I was rooting for the bad guys to get theirs and for the bonobos to have a happy ending. Now I have to decide which book by Gruen to read next.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Ape House by Sara Gruen
I recently read Water for Elephants (I know, I know, finally!) by this author and loved her writing style. I immediately requested Ape House from the library and was not disappointed. I loved this book as well.
In Ape House, Isabel works with bonobos and has taught them to communicate using Sign Language. There is a fire in the ape location and Isabel is injured in it. By the time she is on the road to recovery, the bonobos have been moved and are now used in a reality show produced by a porn producer. He is hoping to score huge ratings by capitalizing on 24 hour visuals on the bonobos. Isabel is bound and determined to reunite with her "family" and enlists the help of John Thigpen, a reporter who missed the fire by a matter of hours after interviewing Isabel and the bonobos. They unite forces, along with some others, to get the bonobos out of the "ape house".
This book has it all--great writing, great characters (including the bonobos, who have very distinct personalities, twists and turns, romance and even some humor. I was rooting for the bad guys to get theirs and for the bonobos to have a happy ending. Now I have to decide which book by Gruen to read next.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
I really wanted to like this book. As an animal lover, I could relate to how strongly the author felt for the Bonobos, but the reason for the low rating is more to do with the story. It's disjointed and slow, and possibly would have worked better as a short-story with some serious editing. I really do feel bad about this, since "Water for Elephants" is probably my favourite book that I've read this year, but I suppose they can't all be gold.
The idea of communication with apes is fascinating to me, and it's an interesting premise for this book. The story centers on a primate language scientist who is injured when her lab is bombed, and a newspaper reporter following her story. The apes in the lab vanish after the bombing, only to surface later on a reality show, and of course the scientist is appalled and works to get them back. The story's a real page-turner and raises some tough issues, but a lot of the plot points are a bit contrived or overdone, and the good guys and the bad guys are almost caricatures. Regardless, I had a hard time putting it down.
Read my full review here:
http://www.kansas.com/2010/10/10/1535242/ape-house-a-mirror-for-humans.html
Read my full review here:
http://www.kansas.com/2010/10/10/1535242/ape-house-a-mirror-for-humans.html
Really have enjoyed other works by this author but couldn't get past the portrayal of the one vegan character in this book. The story in a nutshell is about being kind to animals. Certain characters are villainized for experimenting on and exploiting the apes. The main protagonist is practically made out to be saintly in how deeply she cares for the apes. Though, her and the other "good guys" tease the one vegan character who is described as a greasy green haired teen going through some rebellious phase by choosing a vegan lifestyle. Around ever corner, he's mocked for being a vegan by the same animal "lovers" trying to save the apes. Confused by this hypocrisy.
Her writing is not my style, but I didn't hate the book.
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was quite surprised to find that I actually liked this book. This was the first book I've read by Sara Gruen, having only watched the movie version of "Water for Elephants". I had a hard time getting into the book and only later started to care about the characters.
I've read another book about an ape that could communicate in sign language [book:Hurt Go Happy: A novel inspired by the true story of a chimpanzee who learned sign language|23848149], which I adored and which made me cry as well. That one was also based on a true story and it made me feel more than Ape House managed to make me feel.
I wish we would've gotten to see more of the connection between Isabel and the bonobos before the lab is blown up. Then I guess my connection to the characters would have been better. But we didn't get to see them interact often... Also, John's dislike for having children (or his panic, that would describe it better) means that he's not on the market for having kids.And the way he pivots on that later in the book is just weird. It didn't feel as though he really changed his mind but rather wants to please his wife, who desperately wants to have kids.
I've read another book about an ape that could communicate in sign language [book:Hurt Go Happy: A novel inspired by the true story of a chimpanzee who learned sign language|23848149], which I adored and which made me cry as well. That one was also based on a true story and it made me feel more than Ape House managed to make me feel.
I wish we would've gotten to see more of the connection between Isabel and the bonobos before the lab is blown up. Then I guess my connection to the characters would have been better. But we didn't get to see them interact often... Also, John's dislike for having children (or his panic, that would describe it better) means that he's not on the market for having kids.