false 5 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Fri Nov 16 05:40:10 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 22 06:49:04 -0800 2007
While nursing the monkey back to health, it becomes clear that the shooting had flipped a switch in the monkey that allows him to remember his past life as a poet. The monkey proceeds to climb up to the typewriter and begin telling his story. Yama, the god of death, comes down and says, "Stop what you're doing, cuz I'm about to ruin the image and the style that you're used to" and tries to put an end to the monkey's ... er ...monkeying around. While Yama is dragging him from this mortal coil, the monkey prays to Hanuman (god of monkeys and poets) to save him. Hanuman kicks in the door wavin a .44 (not really, but i'm trying to keep the hip-hop/Hindu gods thing going) and talks Yama into a bet. They will assemble a crowd and the monkey will climb up to the typewriter and begin telling his story. If the crowd becomes bored at any point during his story, Yama can take the monkey with him. But if the monkey tells a good story, he gets to kick it. Deal.

The monkey starts telling his story, but because he is still recovering from being shot, he needs the young man to pick up the slack - afterall, he's the one who got the monkey in this mess. So the young man sits down and begins telling his story about life in America. This is where the book actually begins.

If you can believe it, I have only told you the first 20 pages. The rest of the book is occupied by the two stories revolving around one another in a fairly astounding fashion. This is an incredible book. I cannot recommend it enough

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