Bad Monkeys: A Novel (P.S.)
by Matt Ruff
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Book Summary Information
Author: Matt RuffEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-01
ISBN: 0061240427
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of Bad Monkeys: A Novel (P.S.)
Book Review: The thoroughbred does not finish the race. All bets lose
Summary: 2 Stars
This book begins like a thoroughbred racing from the gate with a stride and speed that indicates an easy win or, at the least, a good finish. Then somewhere in the middle of the race, the horse pulls back. You can't quite see what is happening. Was there a foul? Is the horse hurt? As the rest of the pack pulls away, it becomes clear that the horse is badly injured, has broken a leg, and the jockey is struggling to control the damaged animal. At the end, the horse has to be shot and they are calling for a tractor. The closing shot shows the owner crying in her mink coat.
What a disappointment. The first pages, read standing in the book store, got me to buy the book. But the narrative drops away, the events become more and more implausible (in terms of the rules the book itself sets, not some outside set of rules), the narrative begins to feel thin and then, at the end, plain silly. The end is not just a disappointment, it's a betrayal, but maybe "silly" is still the better word, because betrayal implies something of substance to betray, and we have gotten past that point about half way in.
The narrative turns out to be a parable of biblical good and evil presented in a simplistic way. Not simple, simplistic. The author's theological upbringing dominates the characters and the narrative, turning "show" into "tell." Thinking dominates, then eclipses, the writer's active imagination. Ultimately the book does not stand either as theology or dramatic character-driven narrative, and the hackneyed device - "I have a secret!" - that provides an end twist that has not been set up well in advance makes the reader, too, twist in his or her chair, close the book, and sigh.
It's too bad. The book begins with a promise but it isn't fulfilled.
Summary of Bad Monkeys: A Novel (P.S.)
Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder.
She says she's a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil. She says she's working with the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons-aka "Bad Monkeys."
Her confession lands her in the jail's psychiatric wing and earns her countless hours of poking, probing, and questioning by a professional. But is Jane crazy or lying?
Or is she playing a whole different game altogether?
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