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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Talking Animals by Joni Murphy is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late August.
Murphy builds a world that's a smart, detailed melange between Terry Pratchett, Zootopia, Aggrezuko, and Jasper Fforde, describes its failings when it's ruled by careless humans, then what led to the rise of upright, intelligent animals. From then, you follow along with the pun-loving, Jack Lemmon-esque, academic yet feckless Alfonzo the alpaca through work and leisure.
Murphy builds a world that's a smart, detailed melange between Terry Pratchett, Zootopia, Aggrezuko, and Jasper Fforde, describes its failings when it's ruled by careless humans, then what led to the rise of upright, intelligent animals. From then, you follow along with the pun-loving, Jack Lemmon-esque, academic yet feckless Alfonzo the alpaca through work and leisure.
Other a mature talking animal story...felt like seeing a human NYC society via animals beings and eyes.
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Man I wasn’t expecting this book to be an anti-capitalist novel about talking animals but man did it deliver!
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Murphy’s ability to create a novel about a New York filled with talking animals that highlights political injustices without making it feel completely comical, is astounding. I’ve never read anything like Talking Animals, even Animal Farm feels like too far of a reach. I loved the characters and the political allegories to our real world. I’m amazed.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is what I think about when I hear people say that they wished Zootopia had been more realistic. The more "realistic" you get, the more you are going to just replicate humanity, because that is what we know when considering the trajectory of the societies we have formed. Replacing humans with animals who act just the same with only minor nods here and there to their species-specific natures made me question why that decision was made in the first place. Though, to give the author credit, I do think that it added a bit more to the book rather than detracting, so I won't harp on that too much. We do like a good "animals playing out our human struggles" metaphor.
(Also, this is more of a nitpick, but I was confused on the worldbuilding rules. The animals are described as wearing clothes partway through, but the alpaca on the cover isn't wearing anything. They talk of walking, galloping, animal-like and people-like movements, and use of paws/hooves/toes as they walk, so I'm not sure if they're walking on two legs or four. Made things sort of hard to visualize sometimes.)
The plot wasn't terrible, but it didn't grab me in very many places. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's depressing to read about real issues (or a simulation of them) as I've often heard people complain; that's what was on the tin, so you get what you get and I'll judge it based on what it promised. What I will say is that this book does a good job of replicating the slow, uncertain, and hushed nature of realistic revolt in its writing style. Its main character is quite long-winded and anxious, and that definitely came through in the words. I'm struggling a bit between calling it bad and yet accurate, since that is exactly what the narrator conveys in his own writing (his dissertation), so it makes sense that it would then reflect onto the book pages. Unfortunately, it did get annoying here and there, and I found myself wanting to shake Alfonzo to get him to just stop, already!
And yet I struggle to rate this book too low, because, again, it felt like an accurate depiction of the behind-the-scenes goings-on of corrupted government and close-minded people, so it was ultimately going to be an irritating source of inspiration. There were also some pretty clever moments and a relief-inducing sense of action near the end. So, I venture to give it decent marks on writing and lower marks on my enjoyment.
i’m usually a fan of good writing, no plot books. the first half was interesting and enjoyable but the second half fell flat to me. alfonzo’s interactions became very abstract but not in an engaging way. i enjoyed the overall metaphor for our current world and the struggles we fight but the ending it just didn’t end up hitting home for me
dark
One of the wittiest books I’ve read. It’s almost impossible to read without picturing scenes from Bojack Horseman; I feel like that detracted a little from my ability to get fully lost in the story. But. So, so smart and funny.