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Ape House

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 14,419 ratings · 2,959 reviews

Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn't understand people, but apes she gets - especially the bonobos Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena, who are capable of reason and communication through American Sign Language. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she's ever felt among humans - until she meets John Thigpen, a very married...more

Paperback, 371 pages

Published October 1st 2011 by Allen & Unwin Australia (first published January 1st 2010)

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Oct 27, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sara Gruen is a wonderful writer and I truly enjoyed "Ape House". I previously read "Water for Elephants" and was eager to read her newest book. I loved "Water for Elephants" as it was a very well done and I learned a great deal from the book. I thought that I might be somewhat disappointed in "Ape House" because I found "Water for Elephants" so captivating. Ape House did not disappoint me, but "Water for Elephants" continues to be my favorite of Gruen's books.

I continue to be appalled and disap...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Janelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up an advance reader's edition of this at the ALA conference this summer (2010). This is Sara Gruen's much-awaited ~~second~~ fourth! novel - her Water for Elephants did very well (and the copy I recycled at my book group's holiday book exchange was much fought over).

The "ape house" has many meanings. On the surface, it's a community of bonobos living in a university research facility. The bonobos are highly intelligent and, in the end, far more human than many of the humans in the book. I...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, indie-next-list

I started this book on the plane leaving for vacation. I only read in the evening while my husband was watching TV at night and finished it in three days/evenings. It was SO GOOD! Fascinating about bonobos and how much they resemble human beings. Quite the sexual species. Sara Gruen writes so fluidly, easy to follow and understand. I learned a bunch as I was absorbed into this wonderful story.

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Sep 09, 2010 Christopher rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The novel lacked anything resembling character development and has a bumbling, senseless plot. It reads like the manuscript of a first-time novelist; in fact, I've read better manuscripts and self-published novels than this highly-acclaimed author's third book. If you love Sara Gruen or are masochistic, pick it up and brace yourself.

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Mar 08, 2011 Timothy Hinkle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

I started this book under the impression that it was a piece of capital L Literature, but it turned out to be more along the lines of one of the earlier Anita Blake books with bonobos replacing the vampires. It took me a while to get into, but eventually I started to enjoy reading this. It's fun and silly and things explode. Despite what the jacket blurbs say, it's unlikely to change your life (unless you're the sort of person who sees an episode of Scooby-Doo and immediately starts a charitable...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

3.5 stars

Really awesome video of Gruen and the bonobos is on the blog with this review.

http://perpetualpageturner.blogspot.c...

I will admit that the only reason I wanted to read this was because I enjoyed Water for Elephants by Gruen. That book was an easy five star book for me as it was filled with such evocative characters and portrayed the gritty life of the circus during the Depression-era. I wasn't too thrilled with the subject matter when I read the description for Ape House but I vowed t...more 3.5 stars

Really awesome video of Gruen and the bonobos is on the blog with this review.

http://perpetualpageturner.blogspot.c...

I will admit that the only reason I wanted to read this was because I enjoyed Water for Elephants by Gruen. That book was an easy five star book for me as it was filled with such evocative characters and portrayed the gritty life of the circus during the Depression-era. I wasn't too thrilled with the subject matter when I read the description for Ape House but I vowed to give it a chance because I owed Gruen at least that considering what a pleasure Water for Elephants had been for me.

I will admit that this book bored me for the first chapter. I thought it was going to be too heavily about the research of the bonobos but it definitely picked up and the things you learn about the bonobos ends up being fascinating! I am not, in general, an animal person so it takes a special book to elicit strong feelings towards an animal centered book. It's not that I don't like animals. I really do. It's just that it takes some convincing for me to care about animals enough to read a whole book centered around them. Gruen's passion for animals is evident in her work and I applaud her for ability to deftly construct a compelling story, sprinkled with scientific research and contemporary issues-- such as exploitation of animals, that demands me to care about the bonobos---things I've never given a thought to in my life. What is intriguing is that a lot of the interaction with the bonobos and the reporter John were constructed from her own experience being able to visit bonobos.

It's never been her writing that has blown me away and this holds true for this novel as well. She writes well and in a way that is highly marketable for the average reader looking for a page turner with deeper themes and issues contained within the pages. I have to say that I was a little disappointed with some of the characters in this novel. Some of them seemed so flat and cliched for me and others were quite good characters that I found believable. I have to say that my favorite characters were the bonobos which is an interesting statement coming from someone who typically isn't a big animal lover. I was really a fan of the animal characters in Water for Elephants. Gruen is able to tap into the innocence and mystique of these animals in a way that most authors cannot simply do and they become the shining stars of her novels.

These bonobos were more human than most of the characters in this book and I can't tell if that was done purposefully. I think sometimes humans act more on animal impulses than anyone would like to admit. I think it is interesting that the bonobos were more loyal and displayed genuine emotions than most of the humans in this book.

One thing that irritated me a little bit was that some of the things that happened in this book seemed SO far fetched and over the top. I know that was needed to keep this book thrilling and to make sure you were on the edge of your seat but I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention that. Sometimes the connections between some people seemed too contrived..."Oh, what a coincidence..this random person just HAPPENS to work for this person"..things along those lines.

My final thought: Despite the lack of stellar human characters and moments of being over the top, I'd recommend this book to readers who are looking for an entertaining story peppered with deeper issues and glimpses of darker truths concerning the human race. If you are an animal lover, I'd highly recommend this book to you, although you might be appalled at the treatment of animals but I'm assuming you already are so it won't surprise you. If you are a fan of Water for Elephants and are wondering if you should read this, I'll say yes, but preface it with the warning of NOT expecting Water for Elephants. For me, this novel had a lot to live up to and I don't think it wowed me the same way but I enjoyed it nonetheless. If you are on the fence as to whether you think you'd like this, wait until it comes out in paperback or get it from the library.
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May 20, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: ppl who like contemporary fiction like Jodi

Shelves: adult

I would like to thank Bridget for helping me enjoy this book. Bridget, you read this expecting quality literature, or at least a good/touching story, which it was not, so you hated it. I then read it expecting it to be awful, which it also was not, so I liked it!

It wasn't particularly well-written, well-character-developed, etc., etc. I completely agree w/Bridget's review that some of the plot twists were fairly ridic - and convenient (guy comes into the place where the neighbor works? other guy...more

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Oct 19, 2010 Sarah Pi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction_non_genre

Solid three and a half stars, but I'll round up since I read this book in less than a day (and a busy one at that), and there are very few books that make me drop everything to read these days.
I've read all three of Gruen's previous books, and enjoyed them all, though Water for Elephants was by far the most accomplished of the three. When I first heard the premise of this book, I was a little skeptical. It sounded forced. It's not. Everything about the Bonobos seems real and possible. In all of...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, genre-fiction, will-not-read-again, summer-2011

This book lacked the majesty and wonder that made Water for Elephants so enticing. There are some graphic scenes of animal cruelty, which I found hard to read. The characters are likable, but not totally engrossing or unique. The amazingly human-like behavior of the bonobo chimps in the novel was really what had me reading to the end.

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Oct 11, 2010 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nov-dec-2010

Overall, critics considered Ape House a dissatisfying follow-up to Water for Elephants. With its evocative Depression-era setting and unforgettable characters, Water continues to enthrall legions of fans. Unfortunately, some reviewers found Ape House's intriguing premise overshadowed by poor editing, a "silly story," and "trite characters" (Washington Post). Others felt that Gruen glossed over key issues. A few did enjoy Ape House, and lauded Gruen's "knack ... for creating distinctive animal ch...more

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May 06, 2013 Lyndsay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Is Ape House fun? Yup. Does it read easily? Yes. But does it read easily in a way that still has a plot? Well, yeah. Does it make a commentary on society's insatiable appetite for entertainment as well as the mistreatment of animals? It does! So it has a message.

But are the characters brief sketches, and are there way too many coincidences and does it all somehow follow a familiar formula? Is it implausible and superficial and maybe a little TOO easily read? Yes. All those things too.

The implaus...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Cecelia Hightower added it · review of another edition

Shelves: betty

I truly enjoyed reading "Water for Elephants" and was happy to see another book by this author.
It is a novel but the author did a tremendous amount of back ground work and she studied linguistics and system of lexigrams so that she could communicate directly with the bonobos living at the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa. In doing this, she did establish "real" relationships with the bonobos, especially one named "Panbanisha".

Also known as Great Apes, the bonobos have 98.7% of the DNA that "W...more I truly enjoyed reading "Water for Elephants" and was happy to see another book by this author.
It is a novel but the author did a tremendous amount of back ground work and she studied linguistics and system of lexigrams so that she could communicate directly with the bonobos living at the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa. In doing this, she did establish "real" relationships with the bonobos, especially one named "Panbanisha".

Also known as Great Apes, the bonobos have 98.7% of the DNA that "WE" have, and hence, they learn well, communicate well, express themselves competently, and enjoy sexual relationships among the whole community. A slight aside here for a moment if I may - Bob and I were in San Diego the first week of November for his grandson's graduation from book camp at the Marine Base there. Eight of us, plus Connor, went to the San Diego Zoo on Saturday from 9:30a to 4:30p. We were delivered and pick-up by a van from our hotel. Needless to say, all nine of us could not stay in one group and broke up into two or three people, agreeing to meet on the corner for the van pick-up at 4:30p.

As some of you know the San Diego Zoo is phenomenal and very large with many displays of many animals in an intertwined way. As Bob and I were trying to return to our pick up point, we had gone up and down the stairs in the Bird Sanctuary and we were in a hurry because we did not want to be late. Well, as we were making our last turn to get out of there, there was a sign for "BONOBOS". My heart stopped and I truly wanted to go find them, but we didn't think we should, and I am still so upset that I was that close and didn't know that they were there. I have made Bob promise to take me there again just so we can visit with the Bonobos.

I had not even started the "Ape House" book, but had read another book called "Bonobo Handshake" by Vanesa Woods, which is a memoir of love and adventure in the Congo, which is the only place these bonobos are located. She is a bonobo researcher at Duke University and a regular fixture at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which area is frequently in the news because of the constant warring that goes on there). Sara Gruen acknowledges her help in her book for her friendship and her unflagging devotion to bonobos. Then after reading this book, I was even more disappointed that we had not had the time to visit that exhibit.

The book, "Ape House, was very interesting to me and moved along rapidly. There are many characters involved and the author develops who they are very well. Of course, the Great Apes are the center of the book, but there is much information about relationships, responsibilities, interests, caring and not caring, intrigue, and many different views from many different sources.

I can honestly say I loved the book, just as I had "Water for Elephants" and would recommend it to anyone as a wonderful read.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: edições-asa, cláudia

A Casa dos Primatas foi a minha estreia com Sara Gruen, autora do tão aclamado Água para Elefantes. Foi uma surpresa interessante que se traduziu num livro de ficção leve e fluído, mas com conteúdo. Não sou das maiores amantes de animais, mas sou contra as injustiças e sigo os valores de respeito pelo próximo, perante qualquer ser vivo. Ao longo dos anos, a National Geographic foi-me fazendo ganhar um carinho especial para com uma ou outra espécie, resultado de reportagens bem conseguidas, pelas...more A Casa dos Primatas foi a minha estreia com Sara Gruen, autora do tão aclamado Água para Elefantes. Foi uma surpresa interessante que se traduziu num livro de ficção leve e fluído, mas com conteúdo. Não sou das maiores amantes de animais, mas sou contra as injustiças e sigo os valores de respeito pelo próximo, perante qualquer ser vivo. Ao longo dos anos, a National Geographic foi-me fazendo ganhar um carinho especial para com uma ou outra espécie, resultado de reportagens bem conseguidas, pelas imagens estonteantes e pelos textos apaixonados. Sara Gruen fez o mesmo com este livro, fazendo-se sentir, de certa forma, em casa.
Todo o enredo se prende com a vida de seis primatas, mais tarde sete, e pela forma como uma série de personagens se correlacionam com a sua existência, assumindo um papel em sua defesa ou uma atitude de desprezo e crueldade capaz de levantar as maiores críticas. Isabel Ducan é investigadora no Laboratório de Pesquisa da Linguagem dos Símios e dedicou os últimos 10 anos da sua vida àqueles que considera a sua família. Contrariamente a outros primatas, estes exprimem-se numa aproximação quase humana, comunicando com a equipa que os acompanha por linguagem gestual. São sensíveis e têm uma opinião própria, criando uma empatia e dinamismo que os que se cruzam com eles pela primeira vez não podiam esperar. O mais interessante quanto a este assunto é a veracidade de alguns diálogos estabelecidos pelos bonobos com a personagem, que foram introduzidos na obra pela autora, ao contactar com uma realidade semelhante, o que muito pode surpreender o leitor.
É então que acontece o inimaginável e vemo-los a serem retirados à força do local que conhecem como lar para que se dê origem a uma exploração gananciosa por mentes menos intencionadas, de uma nova faceta dos bonobos: o seu à vontade e liberdade sexual, do qual resultam diversas interacções entre os elementos da família.
Isabel decide então partir num empreendimento do qual não saberá o resultado, mas que garanta a luta pela segurança dos seus, sejam eles os símíos que teve a cargo até recentemente, sejam as novas amizades que vão surgindo, e que irão criar elementos de suporte que a ajudam a aguentar momentos inesperados.
Por outro lado, John é um jornalista que se interessou pela história destes animais peculiares e não se consegue esquecer da força e do poder de interacção que os mesmos tiveram consigo. Quando se depara com problemas profissionais com o jornal para o qual trabalha, decide partir à aventura, e principalmente acompanhar a sua mulher que muito precisa de si, mesmo quando não o demonstra.
Gostei bastante do enredo e acompanhei rapidamente o desenrolar da história. Como pontos negativos, destaco o desenvolvimento de algumas linhas de narrativa que para mim não tiveram sentido. Se a relação de John com a mulher por vezes já me soava fora do contexto, a insinuação de um possível triângulo amoroso logo ao início começou por me desagradar. O desenvolvimento de algumas histórias do passado ou a imiscuição da família do casal também. Tirando isso, foram um par agradável, à procura de descobrir como ultrapassar as suas diferenças e continuarem pelo caminho explorado do casamento.
A exploração da temática do mau trato e abuso dos animais pode ser educativa sem pecar pelo excesso, criando uma afectividade maior entre o leitor e os simpáticos e descontraídos bonobos, que nos acompanham com as suas peripécias e teimosias ao longo de toda a obra.
É acima de tudo uma história de coragem: de não ter medo de ultrapassar obstáculos que se julgavam impossíveis de ultrapassar, de ver além do óbvio, de pedir ajuda quando necessário, e de confiar sem perder o rumo. Aconselha-se a leitura para quem gosta de animais, e para quem quer começar a gostar. - Cláudia(less)

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Oct 07, 2012 Meaghan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read all of Sara Gruen's books and so when this book came out I knew that I wanted to read it right away. Even though I went out and bought this book it still took me quite a bit of time to actually pick it up. In fact, I ended up listening to an audio version of the novel. I have to admit that it took me a little bit of time to get into the audio version of the book. I think it had something to do with the person narrating. From time to time they mispronounced words and every time it had...more I have read all of Sara Gruen's books and so when this book came out I knew that I wanted to read it right away. Even though I went out and bought this book it still took me quite a bit of time to actually pick it up. In fact, I ended up listening to an audio version of the novel. I have to admit that it took me a little bit of time to get into the audio version of the book. I think it had something to do with the person narrating. From time to time they mispronounced words and every time it had me thinking: have I been saying that word wrong this whole time? It kind of drove me a bit bonkers.

Despite the fact that I couldn't get into the narration, this is a well written novel. I just love Gruen's writing style and I love that her books always have an animal component to it. You can tell by her writing that she adores animals. In this novel, the focus is on bonobo great apes. These apes have been taught to sign and have grown quite fond of their handler Isabel. One day, a group of protesters bomb the ape's home and as a result the apes are sold to someone in the television world. This results in a reality style TV show about the bonobos.

I liked how the book weaved between the perspective of Isabel and the perspective of John, a reporter. The back and forth really helped to give a full picture of what was going on. It was also neat to read from the perspective of both a male and a female. There were plenty of serious parts to this book but Gruen also threw in a few humorous parts as well. I also really liked learning about bonobo apes. It was quite informative and it really made me want to research more.

Overall I only gave this book 3.5 stars out of 5. While it was entertaining, I wasn't as invested in the story as I have been in Sara Gruen's other novels. I am not sure this had anything to do with the writing and more to do with the fact that I have been in a reading slump. If you were a fan of Water for Elephant, then I would suggest reading this book. (less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Janie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am so excited to read this book! I loved Sara Gruen's book, Water for Elephants, so I picked this one up as soon as I saw it. I decided to look up Bonobo's since I didn't know that they were and found this information at http://www.bonobo.org/whatisabonobo.html
"Biologically speaking, bonobos are the closest you can get to being human without being human. Bonobos look more like humans than other apes, and display many behavioral similarities as well. Bonobos and people share more than 98% of t...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: unworthy-of-being-called-a-book

I was so prepared to love this book and, only 30 pages in, I thought I did. I got sucked into loving those bonobos so fast, and caring about what happening to them, Isabel, and John. Let me tell you - it didn't last long. Well... let me correct myself: My love for the PEOPLE didn't last long.

The rest of what I have to say is an extremely angry, spoilerific rant, which I pray you read if you think this was a book that was worth your time.
(view spoiler)...more I was so prepared to love this book and, only 30 pages in, I thought I did. I got sucked into loving those bonobos so fast, and caring about what happening to them, Isabel, and John. Let me tell you - it didn't last long. Well... let me correct myself: My love for the PEOPLE didn't last long.

The rest of what I have to say is an extremely angry, spoilerific rant, which I pray you read if you think this was a book that was worth your time.
(view spoiler)[For one, I was immediately angered by this author's lack of understanding about the world of academic research. She clearly has no idea what this field is like. I just finished a graduate program in psychological research, and you wouldn't believe the safeguards put in place when it comes to consenting human subjects. When it comes to children, and then animals, the guidelines increase tenfold. It's extremely difficult to get funding and, when you get it, you have to keep extensive documentation about where the funds are going and why they have to go there. To run a research facility for the bonobos described in this book, it would have required just an ungodly amount of money, limitless benefactors, and tremendous documentation and justification. It would be impossible for the bonobos - property of the university and whose care was probably paid for by a very generous grant from a research foundation - to just to be shipped off and sold quietly overnight. It's just not possible, it would never have been allowed, and that break with reality is where this book tumbled downhill for me.

Another thing that I found ridiculous was Gruen's clear dislike (and again, clear lack of knowledge) of Los Angeles. I grew up in LA, and my Dad worked at Paramount for nearly 20 years. Are the people shallow? Absolutely. Are they what Gruen makes them out to be? Absolutely NOT. I spent most of my childhood at movie studios and there are plenty of down-to-earth people who don't get pressured to get plastic surgery, especially people who have no reason to be on camera! That whole LA-bashing deal with Amanda was so fake, and came from some Hollywood-hater who has spent zero time there and has no idea what hard-working and genuine people there are behind the scenes of so much of the entertainment we enjoy. Again, her anti-Hollywood bias was pretty clear when she painted Faulkes as a villain so maniacal and desperate to make a reality TV show about bonobos that he bombed a respected research institute to get his hands on them. If they're so easy to get at other commercial research facilities, why not purchase them legally??? If Faulkes is the king of the LA porn industry, he's certainly not hurting for money, so why create the show in the first place? All of her reasoning was ass backwards.

On wanting or not wanting to have children: Seeing a bonobo hold her newborn baby on TV is not going to make someone who just doesn't want kids suddenly want to have kids. That's a really cute idea, but it's laughable. John and Amanda were clearly idiots for not discussing the whole "having kids" thing earlier, and John clearly didn't want them. Ever. That whole Pinegar deal... a) It was unnecessary and I never cared, despite Gruen trying to hint that it was important and b) it seemed thrown in at the very last minute just to make it seem like John would plausibly want to be a father, and to just make his life even shittier before it was suddenly wrapped up with a neat bow and made wonderful at the end (since he really really deserved it after all he went through!). As if. Guy didn't want kids, his wife does. They should split and live the lives they actually want.

John and Amanda's extremely unhealthy relationship was another thing that confused and upset me. I'm not sure there was one reason I could see that Amanda and John would want to have kids together or even be together (except that, I guess, Amanda is a fox in bed and is still super hot and gorgeous and makes other men look at her, despite being almost 40. Oh, and is willing to cook him whatever he wants, no matter how much of a jerk he is). The whole deal where Amanda made an amazing dinner in a HOTEL ROOM and all John did was say that his "favorite part" was missing... I would SLAP HIM if I were her. And all that going on and on about their terrible parents, which really only served to be frustrating and didn't actually impact the story in an way... just... GAG ME. Did anyone see a point in mentioning how extremely messed up their parents and their relationships with their parents were? Did that serve one single purpose, except to make both of them look ever more spineless and pathetic?

Another thing: Why blow up the meth lab across from John's hotel? Well, as you can see from John's critique of his wife's writing, a good novel has explosions. So I guess Gruen thought she should take some of her own advice and add an extra explosion, since the one explosion that had zero basis in reality or logic wasn't enough.

It was AWFUL. I am truly baffled by the praise this book has received. I finished it because I wanted to see the bonobos get a happy ending, which thankfully they did, but it wasn't even worth it. In the end, I was so sickened by the plot that came from a writer with zero real-world experience with the subject matter and setting and was filled with "twists" and "life-is-hardness" for no other reason than to show that people, as a species, suck. But then, OF COURSE, it got wrapped up with a neat bow and everyone got a happy ending. Because life is only sucky and people only have problems until Gruen gets to her Epilogue. (hide spoiler)](less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Booknblues rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are so many little things wrong with the story that it adds up to alot wrong and that is truly unfortunate. If an editor had taken the time to work with Sara Gruen and made her tell a story that was focused with language and prose that was elevated above a cheap pulp fiction this would have been an excellent book.

Many of the characters have been reduced to cartoonish portraits instead of a person you would believe is real. This is unfortunate because again, there is an opportunity to eleva...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Andrea Mullarkey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Remember when I read and loved Water for Elephants? Imagine my delight to learn Gruen had written another book, this time about bonobos. This book is structured very much like the first with a mystery including lots of plot twists, nefarious bad guys, good guys who overcome the efforts of others to thwart them and animals as the ultimate heroes of the story. Unfortunately, there was one key difference: Ape House is contemporary realistic fiction. What worked for Elephants is that it took place i...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Gena rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Listening to an audio book is a different experience from reading, but I thought as a literary effort Ape House was charmless and formulaic. It has none of the offbeat appeal of Gruen's abused elephant, orphan veterinarian and raffish circus types in Water for Elephants. Here the protagonist calls his wife "baby," rhapsodizes about her eggs benedict, and worries she won't be able to fend off the wolves when she takes a job in LA. The wife is just as bad, dressing in her best lingerie and serving...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Book Concierge rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Audio book read by Paul Boehmer

Isabel Duncan and her fiancé Peter Benton head a university research facility studying language in great apes. The specific apes they are studying are bonobos, and Isabel, in particular, has developed a very close personal relationship with the family of apes. The day after journalist John Thigpen comes for an interview, the center is bombed by an animal rights activist group, and Isabel is seriously injured. To avoid any additional public outcry, the university s...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ape House is the eloquent story of the intersection of several different lives, all brought together by a group of astonishing great apes.

If I could give half points, I would bump this book up to 3.5 stars. I did enjoy the book, and it was very well written. I think I was left slightly disappointed merely because I was expecting something of the caliber of Water for Elephants, and while this story was decent, it lacked a certain life that Ms. Gruen brought to her previous work. It is unfair to j...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Brennan Molina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't know what I expected reading this, but I didn't expect what I got. Ape House reads like a trashy romance novel based on a half-baked pop political philosophy. The cover says something to the effect of "How different are we from animals?" To give you an idea of what to expect, thats the least subtle correlation in the text. prepare to have this hackneyed connection shoved in your face, mixed in with your dinner, and beat over your head.

While the idea could have had stronger legs, it rea...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, book-group

Isabel is a scientist whose relationship with the apes in her linguistic study is as near and dear as family -- in no small measure because their real affection is in stark contrast to the neglected and dysfunctional home of her childhood. John is a reporter who meets Isabel and the remarkable bonobos shortly before their lab is viciously attacked, adding drama to an already challenging personal and professional life. Although I had a hard time putting the book down, there were also times when I...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Jill Paulson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I LOVED Water for Elephants and honestly, was looking forward to reading Ape House. Same author...it should be just as good, if not better, right?

Not right. And now that I've read a few reviews from others, it seems I'm not the only one who was more than a little disappointed.

I'm sure that Gruen was trying to keep the plot line moving with all her twists and turns, but it all ended up feeling trite and some of the 'coincidences' that she used to connect characters (like a contrived paternity pl...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Genevieve rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This would be a solid 3.5 stars if we could do half-stars on GoodReads. I read it quickly and enjoyed the ride, but ultimately didn't find it overly moving, heartfelt, insightful or otherwise unforgettable. However it's an interesting premise and the plot pulls you in, and there's nothing more satisfying than a good page-turner.

The central plotline focuses on a group of lab bonobos with the capability of understanding spoken English and speaking in ASL - and author Sara Gruen paints an almost n...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Lauren1012 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scrolling through the reviews, I find it interesting that most people seem to feel this book was a disappointment after Water for Elephants. I guess I'm in the minority; I didn't really like Water for Elephants that much (it was ok, but not something I'd rave about as others have), so I wasn't sure I'd like this book. But, my friend insisted that I read it and just had to trust her. I'm glad I did. At first I thought I was going to be disappointed; it seemed like the author was laying the ground...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I can't remember the last novel I read in one sitting. But this past week, on a plane from Atlanta to San Diego, I read Sara Gruen's Ape House. And I liked it a lot.

Sara Gruen wrote Water for Elephants , which is now a movie. I read Water for Elephants when it was new, in hardback, because I happened to pick it up at the library and was curious about the title. I love, love, loved it. So, when I was browsing at the airport Borders and saw her name on Ape House, I picked it up without even readin...more I can't remember the last novel I read in one sitting. But this past week, on a plane from Atlanta to San Diego, I read Sara Gruen's Ape House. And I liked it a lot.

Sara Gruen wrote Water for Elephants , which is now a movie. I read Water for Elephants when it was new, in hardback, because I happened to pick it up at the library and was curious about the title. I love, love, loved it. So, when I was browsing at the airport Borders and saw her name on Ape House, I picked it up without even reading the back cover.

Ape House didn't move me in the way Water for Elephants did. It lacked the magical quality and the visual description wasn't as lush. I wasn't able to watch the scenes unfold in my imagination the same way. That said, it's a very good story and it was a fun read. The story is about a primate linguist and a reporter, both of whom are at difficult crossroads in their own lives, who meet by chance and work together in order to undercover a conspiracy that has removed six bonobos from a research facility and is exploiting them. The bonobos themselves are characters in the novel, though only through the eyes of the human characters (i.e. there is no attempt to get inside their heads as narrators), and they are compelling ones. The human protagonists, too, are sympathetic, particularly Isabel, the scientist. I had a bit of trouble relating to the journalist, John, early on, but warmed up to him as the book progressed.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the book, for me, was the afterward, in which Sara Gruen briefly described the factual basis of some of the books events. Primate research is something I try very hard not to think about, because I find it too upsetting. However, reading a fictionalized account of some of the issues made it a little more bearable to think about. The afterward, however, drove the truth and seriousness of the issue right back home. It's heavy stuff.

Finally, a note on Sara Gruen. I looked at her bio on Amazon when I was finding a picture for this post, and learned she tried her hand at writing fiction when she was laid off from a technical writing job. I totally feel like she's a kindred spirit. She's got two other books besides Water for Elephants (2006) and Ape House (2011): Riding Lessons (2004) and Flying Changes (2005). I'll be buying those.(less)

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Jul 21, 2011 Karen Hansen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sara Gruen wrote one of my favorite novels, “Water For Elephants”, so I was really hoping that I would enjoy her latest novel, “Ape House.” Unfortunately, it completely fell flat. The story was clunky with cliché characters and absurd plot lines.

On the positive, it started with a great idea. What if Bonobos who could speak ASL fell into the hands of the wrong people, specifically a sleazy porn/reality TV producer? The story brings up many valid moral questions and puts forth some interesting ide...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel captivated me from the beginning with the descriptive narrative about the Bonobo apes. Gruen not only described their physical attributes and behaviors, but gave each of the apes a personality. They were so realistic and it felt as it they were human beings with their comprehensive language skills and attitudes. Gruen did an amazing job describing the little things such as their favorite foods (like m&ms and pizza) and activities. As far as the characters went in this novel I love...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Sherri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Written from the perspective of John Thigpen, a reporter first for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and then later after a dispute with another writer, for the much maligned LA Weekly Times; this story takes you from the hallowed scientific laboratory to the scorned reality t.v. show.

Thigpen's adventure starts out at the laboratory as he is being introduced to some Bonobo apes who have learned to communicate through sign language and lexigrams. Amazed at the conversation he has with the Bonobos, he go...more

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About Sara Gruen

Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants has become one of the most beloved and bestselling novels of our time. Readers fell in love with Water for Elephants and its story of Jacob, a young man tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, and Rosie, the untrainable elephant. This instant #1 New York Times bestseller is now available in 44 langua...more Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants has become one of the most beloved and bestselling novels of our time. Readers fell in love with Water for Elephants and its story of Jacob, a young man tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, and Rosie, the untrainable elephant. This instant #1 New York Times bestseller is now available in 44 languages and has over 3 million copies in print worldwide. The movie version is in the works, starring Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, and Robert Pattinson (2011 release).

Sara Gruen moved to the United States from Canada in 1999 for a technical writing job. When she got laid off two years later, she decided to try her hand at writing fiction. A devoted animal lover, her first novel, Riding Lessons, explored the intimate and often healing spaces between people and animals and was a USA Today bestseller. She wrote a second novel, Flying Changes, also about horses.

Sara Gruen’s most recent book is Ape House, which features the amazing Bonobo ape. When a number of apes are kidnapped from a language laboratory, their mysterious appearance on a reality TV show calls into question our assumptions about these animals who share 99.4% of our DNA. Gruen has had a life-long fascination with human-ape discourse, with a particular interest in Bonobo apes. In bringing her experience and research to bear on this novel, she opens the animal world to us as few novelists have done. Ape House is a riveting, funny, compassionate, and, finally, deeply moving new novel that secures Sara Gruen’s place as a master storyteller who allows us to see ourselves as we never have before.

Sara Gruen’s awards include the 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Award, the Cosmo Fun Fearless Fiction Award, the Bookbrowse Diamond Award for Most Popular Book, the Friends of American Literature Adult Fiction Award and the ALA/Alex Award 2007. Sara Gruen lives in the south with her husband, sons, horses, dogs, cats and a goat.(less)

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“At this moment, the story in his head was perfect. He also knew from experience that it would degenerate the second he started typing, because such was the nature of writing.” — 7 people liked it

“He only had the imperfect medium of words.” — 5 people liked it

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