A review by jcr610
Love in Infant Monkeys by Lydia Millet

4.0

A lovely and innovative little collection of stories, each focused on an actual notable person (Madonna, Thomas Edison, Noam Chomsky, etc.) and a more-or-less fictionalized encounter with an animal. I really enjoy conceptually-driven collections and fictional interpretations of real people and events. These stories worked especially well because of Millet's flowing, compulsively readable writing style. I read the book in a single day, which I don't often do. I enjoyed the sub-themes woven through--divinity, motherhood. There's a thoughtful balance of humor and philosophical musing. There were a few times when I wished for even more commitment to the concept. The Madonna story, for example, felt like it didn't take itself as seriously as it could've. But, of course, more playfulness is way better than less.