We are all Completely Beside Ourselves

The Archbishop of Canterbury is a primate, too. I don't think he has a tail, and he may not be any good at brachiating.

I meant the way the chimp's sister thought that everyone was bending over backwards to be nicer to the chimp than to her, and overdid her tears at a quarrel, saying she was afraid of her. That was just like sisters. Kittens and colobus monkeys are fair game to the chimp, but she wouldn't have hurt a sister. She realised later that it wasn't true, but too late. Her sister had been shipped off.

(Ignore any unsolicited information, jings, but if you are swimming in the Nile and someone shouts "Watch out for that frog" get out of the water pdq. They might have seen a crocodile)

Actually, a chimpanzee is a Great Ape, along with Bonobos, Gorillas, Orangutangs and Human Beings...

Monkeys have tails - apes do not.

Mind you, some languages don't make the distinction properly - the French for Ape is grand singe = Big Monkey!

If you mean the tearing apart of the kitten, I think that had its roots in animal aggression. Something a chimp would not think to conceal. Nothing sisterly or jealous-like about it.

I read a book once, called Arthur Mee's Book of One Hundred Beautiful things. A mixture of poems, proverbs, old Chinese junk etc.

One of the sayings went something like this. " Wear your knowledge as a wise man wears his pocket watch. Strike it only when asked the time. Not just to show you have one."

Oh FFS Elegran.

Take it in the manner it was posted - lightheartedly.

I agree totally with all your post AshTree, After the Fall was unputdownable.

I got a third of the way through this book and removed it from my kindle. I'd been finding it pretty hard work anyway, but once the 'surprise' was out of the closet I'm afraid I lost interest completely. I never say never, though, so may go back to it sometime.
I remember a book a couple of years ago that I nearly gave up on, but persevered and it turned out to be one of the most gripping and emotionally charged books I'd read (I still maintain the first 200 pages could have been reduced to about 50, though ). That book was After the Fall by Charity Norman. I would recommend it to anyone, just stick with it through the first 200 or so pages!

jings In the interests of accurate taxonomy, I must point out to you that a chimp is not a monkey. It is a chimp.

Both monkeys and chimps are primates, but a chimp is not a monkey and a monkey is not a chimp. They are cousins, but not siblings.

Like a lizard is a reptile and so is a boa constrictor, but a boa constrictor is not a lizard.

Just saying. I have no doubt you will continue to think of a chimp as a large monkey, but I couldn't let it pass, could I?

Even the incident that brought about the end of the experiment had roots in very sisterly feelings of jealousy - the other side to the sibling bond.

You do realise that we have now revealed the "secret" bit? We will be ostracised! No-one now needs to read it to find out!

I think in childhood she really thought of her as a sister. It was more than just love of a pet monkey. Obviously later on, she realised.

She did realise it in a biological sense but she loved her like a sister. They were brought up identically and treated the same, until it all came apart.

I have to offer apologies to the writer and to the original poster, for my disparaging remarks last week. I took it on my little holiday in Wales and I absolutely loved it! I think I must have been in a bit of a 'down' mood when I tried to read it before I went away. It made my holiday. Really enjoyed it. (let's face it - it was Wales. You need a good book)

Very strange though. SPOILER ALERT -

How would a child not realise that a chimp wasn't really her sister?

Interesting about the Kellog family having done a similar experiment. Horrific information about some of the experiments done on chimps in the past.

I read it on holiday last year and found it quite thought provoking, although once the 'big surprise' was out of the way, it did become a bit like wading through treacle at times.

I gave it to my book club as one of their books to read, on Tuesday! I really enjoyed it, in a sad sort of way. Oh well, if they don't like it, it will be good revenge for some of the ones they have made me read. I also chose 'The Miniaturist' as a contrast.

I finished this book last night. I found it hard work and kept losing interest. When a book really becomes a page turner that I can't put down, I can read for a couple of hours at a time and finish it in two or three days. This one took nearly a fortnight, sending me to sleep after a couple of pages. At least I finished it, though

I read it a few months ago, I really enjoyed it! I had read about the subject years ago, this was a very interesting take on what happens to the family.

It was so unmemorable hespian I re-read half of it still without taking it in or enjoying it, something I've never done before.

My copy is still by my bed, half read. It has been there for months now. Very unusual for me as I am a "completer". I may go back to it some day. I just hope I can remember what it was about!

I think I might go to the last few pages, and then "remove from device". (Trouble with books on Kindle. You can't even give them away)

I struggled big time too jingl, never got pass halfway. I gave it to my DD who left it on the Tube, so presumably some other soul has it now
She said she couldn't get in to it either , and she usually devours books.

I have been trying to read this this afternoon. I can't believe how hideously boring it is! I have got to part three. Can anyone tell me if there is any likelihood of it getting any better? Or shall I ditch it?

I've read the first half twice now and have lost momentum again , once I found out 'that that shall not be mentioned' my mind just switched off.
Pleased to see many of you enjoyed it, but not for me - I agree totally with you rosesarered about Donna Tartt too.

Got this for my Kindle to read on our recent holiday. I thought it was well written, was a page turner in certain sections, if not all, and made me remember a documentary on tv about this very thing ( don't want to give the plot away.) Yet, on the whole, it's not a book I would tell others to read, which is a bit like I feel about Donna Tartt's books too.Because they are a bit the same, so well written, but need a lot of editing and contain a great deal of boring bits.

Didn't it just!