The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore by
Benjamin Hale
Genre:
Fiction/Drama
Publisher:
Twelve - Hachette Book Group / Grand Central Publishing
Publication
Date: February 2011
Reviewed by Chrystal
Dorsey, FictionAddict.com
Benjamin
Hale’s award-winning first novel, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, is a relentlessly inventive coming-of-age narrative
told from the point of view of Bruno. Bruno is powerfully
complex, Bruno had a sexual relationship with his caregiver, Lydia Littlemore,
a university primatologist, Bruno murdered someone, Bruno is imprisoned for a
murder he can’t bring himself to regret
Bruno himself and the outrageous arrogance in which he narrates this,
his memoir, is comparable to that of, Humbert Humbert -the vain and vile
protagonist, in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.
There is however, a notable difference, ...
Bruno happens to be
the world's first talking chimpanzee, a highly intelligent and articulate
species, with an ever-expanding vocabulary. This stunning debut novel
chronicles the extraordinary events that lead to his imprisonment for murdering
a man... The subject matter is serious in nature yet it includes humor,
violence, heartbreak and perversion. Bruno's fictional memoir stands apart for
its brilliant and striking expression of what it feels like to be human - and
finding one's own voice.
As for the sex,
“It’s not bestiality,” said Cary Goldstein, the book’s editor at Twelve. “It’s
love.” I suspect many will consider that to be a matter of individual opinion.
There is no doubt that this will get a lot of attention and provoke a lot of
conversations throughout the literary world of publishers, readers, and authors
alike.
The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore is a compelling
and remarkable debut novel by a noteworthy and gifted young author. It is an ambitious, enjoyable, yet lengthy
debut novel; still, Hale’s skillful ability as a storyteller cannot be ignored. This is a novel that has appeal and is more appropriate for adult readers.
Review copy provided by publisher.
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