katherine_f16's review
4.0
Wow. Well, it definitely kept me reading, but it was perverse and abrasive, as described. And yet, I couldn't stop reading. And it was really well written. So Kudos to the author, definitely an original.
lola425's review
4.0
Really lovedf this book. As a rule anthropromorphic animals piss me off, but Bruno was in a class by himself. He was not an anthropromorphic animal so much as a anthropromorphizing animal, if that makes any sense. I think that the book could have done with a little bit of editing down, but I could see how an editor would be reluctant to do so, as almost everything "has a point". This book had interesting things to say about communication, about human hubris, and what ultimately is the curse (and joy) of being human. It's funny because you would think that bestiality would be a non-starter for most people, but you come to regard Bruno as something much more than "beast" right from the beginning, that what bothered me most was that Bruno raped Lydia, not that they had a sexual relationship. Weird, but good.
asamandalouise's review
5.0
This is one of the best books I've ever read. Daring and intriguing, this story follows Bruno, a chimpanzee, through life as he learns the dangers, power and beauty of language. Heartbreaking, humorous, and lyrically composed, this book left me rooting for Bruno at every turn, feeling his sadness, happiness, joy and pain through author Benjamin Hale's choice of words. This must-read tale is guaranteed to have you slowing down your reading in the final chapters just to hold on to the magic of this story.
ashleykhoffman's review
4.0
As someone who has worked with chimps in the past, I found this book almost disturbing to the level it made me question everything I know. However, I couldn't put it down. This book is not for the faint hearted, but if you have ever question exactly what it means to be a human, this book could easily steer you toward what you're looking for. Well written. Amazing attention to detail. Questionable happenings.
mattnixon's review
1.0
ready this book was like hanging out with a stranger that seems to have something really interesting to say only to find out s/he is a pretentious asshole who is full of himself and has a shallow, pedantic worldview
showlola's review
5.0
This is a remarkable book.
The novel, mostly set in Chicago and narrated in first person by a talking chimp, is at the very least odd. But it is also unexpected and an incredible achievement in writing. The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore is Lolita meets Flowers for Algernon, in the best possible sense of what that could mean.
I'd recommend it to anybody. My favorite book of 2011 so far. Absolutely stunning debut for Hale.
The novel, mostly set in Chicago and narrated in first person by a talking chimp, is at the very least odd. But it is also unexpected and an incredible achievement in writing. The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore is Lolita meets Flowers for Algernon, in the best possible sense of what that could mean.
I'd recommend it to anybody. My favorite book of 2011 so far. Absolutely stunning debut for Hale.
sharonfalduto's review
Well, that was a weird little book. It's a memoir, right, of someone gaining language and education and having a relationship and learning about life. Except the narrator? Is a chimpanzee. A chimpanzee who has learned to talk as a human, and dresses as a human, and essentially becomes human. I guess it's meant to make us think about our lives, and our treatment of animals, and so forth, but it goes into some pretty dodgy territory that would be just fine to read about if the reader weren't thinking, "Wait a minute, Bruno is a MONKEY."
Maybe "absurd" is the word for it.
(I saw the play based on this at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City at some point between 2011-2020)
Maybe "absurd" is the word for it.
(I saw the play based on this at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City at some point between 2011-2020)
asiajane's review
1.0
Ugh. This book was simply too long. I mentioned to someone it would have made a good Shouts and Murmurs piece for the New Yorker, but 600 pages from the point of view of a chimp (undoubtedly, an exceptional chimp) was a bit much. Plus, I read the Frog Incident while eating breakfast and I almost had to put down the book for good.