Ape House
by Sara Gruen
Review
I first read Sara Gruen’s bestselling Water for Elephants well after most people had, but I quickly figured out why it was a bestseller. Because that book had been so good, I knew I needed to read this one, and I wasn’t let down.
Ape House is a morality tale about animal rights and the value of mothers and nonmothers in society; and a declaration about the rise of reality TV in the United States. It’s a lovely little story about some very intelligent apes and their bond with their trainer, friend and mother.
Ape House not only kept my attention, it also really made me think about how we treat animals in the US. There’s really no argument that we have a terrible history with animal testing, but we still continue to mistreat animals and test any number of disgusting things on them. I can acknowledge the wonderful innovations that have come about after animal testing, but I’m still really bothered by it all.
If animal rights seems to be a familiar topic for Gruen, you’d be correct. Animal rights, specifically the proper treatment of circus animals, was a main theme of Water for Elephants.
I highly recommend this book to any reader, whether they love animals or not.
Quotable
To be able to create life with the woman he loved was a miracle of nature, perhaps the deepest need he’d ever felt. (page 266)
Rating
Writing 4 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Character Development 4 out of 5 stars
Total 4 out of 5 stars
Have you read Ape House, Water for Elephants or any of Sara Gruen’s other novels? Have you read any other good books lately
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