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andintothetrees's review
3.0
Ark Baby is unfortunately one of those books whose “blurb” does not accurately reflect its content, and for that reason I was initially a bit disappointed. Here’s what the back of the novel says:
“Since the year all British women became infertile, Bobby Sullivan’s London veterinary clinic has been packed with primate ‘children’ and, speaking as an alpha male, he’s sick to death of them. Hoping to reincarnate himself, he moves north, but finds there is no escape from the Darwinian imperative – or from the sexual pull of the luscious twins Rose and Blanche. As the legacy of the girls’ ancestor, Victorian freak Tobias Phelps, begins to connect with a century of history, religion, and evolutionary theory, new hope looms for the nation’s future.”
From that I was expecting a slice of speculative fiction, with a good dose of satire about child-substitute pets and some Children-Of-Men style musing on fertility rates. But what I actually got was a book with three plot strands, two of which were set in the Victorian age. Bobby (who changes his name to Buck in one of the opening chapters) moves away from London and his primate-carer clients almost as soon as the story begins, too, so even that story becomes much more about his affair with “Roseblanche” than his veterinary career.
... [Read the rest of my review here: https://whathannahread.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/ark-baby-by-liz-jensen/]
“Since the year all British women became infertile, Bobby Sullivan’s London veterinary clinic has been packed with primate ‘children’ and, speaking as an alpha male, he’s sick to death of them. Hoping to reincarnate himself, he moves north, but finds there is no escape from the Darwinian imperative – or from the sexual pull of the luscious twins Rose and Blanche. As the legacy of the girls’ ancestor, Victorian freak Tobias Phelps, begins to connect with a century of history, religion, and evolutionary theory, new hope looms for the nation’s future.”
From that I was expecting a slice of speculative fiction, with a good dose of satire about child-substitute pets and some Children-Of-Men style musing on fertility rates. But what I actually got was a book with three plot strands, two of which were set in the Victorian age. Bobby (who changes his name to Buck in one of the opening chapters) moves away from London and his primate-carer clients almost as soon as the story begins, too, so even that story becomes much more about his affair with “Roseblanche” than his veterinary career.
... [Read the rest of my review here: https://whathannahread.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/ark-baby-by-liz-jensen/]
sloatsj's review
3.0
The plot of this book pits creationism against evolution, and revolves around Tobias Phelps, an odd-looking boy unsure of his parentage, who is adopted by a parson and his wife in a town called Thunder Spit. A parallel plot unfolds in London around the same time -1845- involving a taxidermist, his daughter Violet and the family chef. One other intertwined story centered on a rather sleazy veterinarian is set in Thunder Spit in 2005, a time when England is beset by female infertility. There are a number of other key characters, and it took me some 60 pages to sort out who was who, where was where, and what was what.
Liz Jensen is a good writer and Ark Baby is told in a very amusing and colorful way, with five or six true laugh-out-loud moments. My favorite character is the taxidermist's wife, nicknamed "Laudanum Empress," who can see the future.
**
"There will be two world wars," murmurs the Laudanum Empress, yawning over her untouched cup and saucer. It is the heyday of her psychic particles. "As a result, a million skulls will be strewn all over France." She pauses, squinting sideways. "But on the more positive side, there will be something known as long-life milk."
(...)
"There will be gambling machines called one-armed bandits," says the Laudanum Empress. "And artists will display their own excrement in galleries."
**
Although I enjoyed this book, it was also silly and on the whole not really worth the time. I read another of her novels this summer,
[b:The Ninth Life of Louis Drax|118812|The Ninth Life of Louis Drax|Liz Jensen|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312063953s/118812.jpg|2233181], which I think was a better story.
Liz Jensen is a good writer and Ark Baby is told in a very amusing and colorful way, with five or six true laugh-out-loud moments. My favorite character is the taxidermist's wife, nicknamed "Laudanum Empress," who can see the future.
**
"There will be two world wars," murmurs the Laudanum Empress, yawning over her untouched cup and saucer. It is the heyday of her psychic particles. "As a result, a million skulls will be strewn all over France." She pauses, squinting sideways. "But on the more positive side, there will be something known as long-life milk."
(...)
"There will be gambling machines called one-armed bandits," says the Laudanum Empress. "And artists will display their own excrement in galleries."
**
Although I enjoyed this book, it was also silly and on the whole not really worth the time. I read another of her novels this summer,
[b:The Ninth Life of Louis Drax|118812|The Ninth Life of Louis Drax|Liz Jensen|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312063953s/118812.jpg|2233181], which I think was a better story.
nikkischeerer's review
4.0
Fantastic Book.
I found the first half of the book sort of dull, but it comes together well at the end. There are multiple story lines going at the same time and at first you cannot really guess how they will become linked, but then once you do you gain a whole new perspective on the book.
I found the first half of the book sort of dull, but it comes together well at the end. There are multiple story lines going at the same time and at first you cannot really guess how they will become linked, but then once you do you gain a whole new perspective on the book.
jpineau_k's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lsfie's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Slow and jumbled. No exposition of key character...a struggle with weird, unnecessary sexual undertones. Interesting plot idea.
arwenauthor's review
2.0
I found this book languishing on a book shelf and realised I hadn't ever read it (or even remembered obtaining it!). Poor book. So it had to be read (although I have many MANY books that I really need to be reading).
Now, this is a very strange book. It involves three different timescales which become clearly intertwined as the stories continues. The mad idea of a King wanting an ark like Noah's with one of each creature, but in stuffed form. So a key protagonist is a taxidermist. As is his disappointing daughter who is overweight from her great love of cooking exotic meats that come from this Noah's ark. Who then becomes a vegetarian.
It is such a bizarre book. The only thing I can even vaguely compare it to is 'Good Omens.' That sounds like a strange comparison, but it's oddly apt. It's not as well written, but if you enjoyed GO then I reckon you'd enjoy this.
Not really my type of book (same with GO), but I can definitely see the appeal.
Now, this is a very strange book. It involves three different timescales which become clearly intertwined as the stories continues. The mad idea of a King wanting an ark like Noah's with one of each creature, but in stuffed form. So a key protagonist is a taxidermist. As is his disappointing daughter who is overweight from her great love of cooking exotic meats that come from this Noah's ark. Who then becomes a vegetarian.
It is such a bizarre book. The only thing I can even vaguely compare it to is 'Good Omens.' That sounds like a strange comparison, but it's oddly apt. It's not as well written, but if you enjoyed GO then I reckon you'd enjoy this.
Not really my type of book (same with GO), but I can definitely see the appeal.
jar7709's review
4.0
What would happen if, for some reason, nobody could get pregnant anymore? Another fun one from Ms. Jensen.
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