His Monkey Wife: Or, Married to a Chimp

This is one of those great little novels from a few decades back that you just can't believe is so little known. Being a primate myself, I loved the premise that a chimpanzee woman falls in love with a human man and, in her own subjective experience, becomes his wife when he takes her from Africa back to England. Not an easy premise to pull off, but I was delighted by it. The story could end us seeming just comical, but in fact it's touching Another reminder that there's still worlds to learn about what goes on in the minds and hearts of our kindred species.Take Me With You When You Go

I must say that despite my qualms about some of the author's "politics," not to mention his barely-simmering-below-the-surface rage toward "modern, independent" women, I'm still so taken with the prose style and the very loveable character of Emily that I've read 180 pp and am almost sad to be coming to the end. And to be fair, Collier manages to skewer the entire leisure class- though he does reserve his sharpest barbs for the women.

when you read this book. Thirty or so pages into the novel I found that I was hurrying through the description to get at the plot and getting frustrated. Then I became captivated with the language (a la Jane Austin) and I started the book over - slower this time. Emily the chimp is a dear and a terrific role model for "women" the world over. I was rooting for her all the way!

It's good to see this offbeat little classic back in print. John Collier is perhaps better known for his short stories, but this first novel was an exquisitely funny satire. It tells the story of Emily, a chimpanzee who pines for a certain Englishman, Mr. Fatigay, while he teaches school in Africa. When Fatigay returns to England, he takes the friendly chimp with him as a companion, for he realizes that she is clever... though he has no idea that the silent chimp is able to read and to recite literature in her head, nor that she loves him. Emily is handed over to Mr. Fatigay's human girlfriend in England, who will tolerate no rival of any sort and treats her new servant shabbily. Still, Emily finds time to dress up and sneak out to London and the British Museum Reading room (where she is taken for a fascinating woman of mystery!) among other absurd adventures. Though the book is lighthearted, we do feel for its protagonist and her hidden love. Collier has a keen eye for the petty foibles of humankind, and of course the big joke is that the chimp is more intelligent and sensitive than any human here. The premise is somewhat outrageous, but the good writing allows us to suspend disbelief and go along for a ride filled with subtle giggles and wicked belly laughs.

If this is not a lost treasure, I don't know what is. "His Monkey Wife" is exceptionally unique and delightful to read. I found myself identifying with and empathising with Emily (the "chimp") and rooting for her throughout.