Though it doesn't quite compare to Elephants, I really enjoyed this book. Isabel Duncan is a researcher at a language lab for great apes, working closely with a group of bonobos who have learned to communicate with humans. They can understand spoken English and talk back in ASL. John Thigpen is a struggling reporter whose story on the bonobos is hijacked by a competing reporter. After a terrible event ends the lab's work, the bonobos are sold. Isabel, who considers the apes her closest family, sets off to uncover the truth and find the bonobos, while John reclaims the story to prove himself as a writer.
Much like Elephants, Ape House is meticulously researched. Though I probably wouldn't have picked this book up based only on the subject matter, that ended up being what I most liked. I appreciated the characters and the curious (though sometimes a little too serendipitous) turn of events, but the apes were the real draw. I had no idea that this kind of work was being done and how smart and human-like bonobos are. Their relationship with Isabel, and with each other, was truly touching. I'm currently reading In Defense of Food as well, and though that one's due back to the library this week, I found myself gravitating toward Ape House more and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment