912. Great Apes

Great Apes
Will Self
1997
Around 420 pages

We just had a novel where everybody was an insect, now we get a novel of ape people. One was much more enjoyable than the other.

Simon Dykes is an addict who wakes up one morning to discover that chimpanzees are now the dominant species. You might think this was already covered by Planet of the Apes, but I guess the gross sexual aspect hadn't been fully explored yet.

I feel like the gimmick wore thin after about 100 pages, as it stood in the way of plot and character. I suppose this humor will appeal to some people, but definitely wasn't for me. This would have worked well as the premise of a Twilight Zone episode, but instead is a bloated satire.

Skippable.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Self has been shortlisted for the Booker prize.

UP NEXT: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden