Norman Bray in Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life.

Reilly inĪ Confederacy of Dunces and, more recently, It's worth noting that the author is 26 and eagerly flaunting all his philosophical and literary book smarts like so many noisy bonnets at an Easter Parade.)īruno himself is reminiscent of other pumped-up intellectual blowhards like Ignatius J. Pages of exhaustive detail, such as an apartment floor plan, might be interesting in the hands of master stylists like David Foster Wallace or Rick Moody, but Benjamin Hale is not a stylist. With Bruno Littlemore, Hale has crafted a truly original narrator, holding a mirror on humanity with a razor-like precision that makes this stunning novel one readers will want to discuss the minute they turn the last page.Despite an affinity for both talking animal narratives - whether for children or those of the NC-17 variety - and wordy, maximalist fiction, I found the first 200 pages of this grotesque romp both boring and annoying. Comic relief comes in the form of Leon, a boisterous subway thespian, who introduces Bruno to the stage shortly before a murderous transgression results in Bruno’s return to captivity. An unlikely narrator, Bruno is a chimpanzee trying to become a man-a process he sees as “equal parts enlightenment and imprinting your brain with taboos.” Bruno acquires a fervent love of language-and of primatologist Lydia Littlemore, with whom he develops a deep (and, yes, sexual) relationship until she falls ill. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.Īmazon Best Books of the Month, February 2011: From the first page of Benjamin Hale's exquisite novel, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, Hale’s linguistic talent locks the reader into their seat and sends them ticking up the roller coaster ride of Bruno Littlemore’s life. The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore goes beyond satire by showing us not what it means, but what it feels like be human - to love and lose, learn, aspire, grasp, and, in the end, to fail. Like its protagonist, this novel is big, loud, abrasive, witty, perverse, earnest and amazingly accomplished. His untimely outbursts ultimately cost Lydia her job, and send the unlikely pair on the road in what proves to be one of the most unforgettable journeys - and most affecting love stories - in recent literature.

But for all of his gifts, the chimpanzee has a rough time caging his more primal urges. Learning of Bruno's ability to speak, Lydia takes Bruno into her home to oversee his education and nurture his passion for painting. Precocious, self-conscious and preternaturally gifted, young Bruno, born and raised in a habitat at the local zoo, falls under the care of a university primatologist named Lydia Littlemore. Bruno Littlemore is quite unlike any chimpanzee in the world.

The evolution of bruno littlemore