Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
I’m afraid I did not get very far with this book, thus the two star rating. It may have ended up being engrossing and other reviewers loved it, but I struggled to make myself read it.
It catalogues some of the appalling ways humanity treats animal-and each other-through the voices of the main animal characters, including Einstein, a gorilla..
I’ve nothing against anthropomorphism-Animal Farm is one of my favourite books- but the narratives were too human. Their thought processes seemed more sophisticated than those of many humans. They could understand each other’s languages, and the language of the people In whatever country they were in. Their stories are dark and bleak and horribly depressing- and I know that may be the point of this book but it just didn’t pull me in. Sorry.

The book cover and title really leads you to believe this will be a cute little book about talking animals. It isn't. In parts it is adorable, but it is also brutal and hard to read.
It's hard to say I enjoyed the book, but it was impactful. I makes you think, I makes you see how we interact with animals and their world.
Grab this book for a weekend read with tissues..

Not one for me and I can only think that the information I read about the book before I requested it gave a false narrative because it just isn’t the sort of book I would want to read.
I will give three stars because it’s not the author’s fault the blurb was misleading.

Interviews with an Ape is a fundamentally difficult and heartbreaking book which sadly, I fear will never be read by those that should read it. Thought provoking all the same.

My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

This book feels so important, even if it is fiction - we can learn a lot from it about what humanitys greed is doing to our world and the beautiful animals we share it with.

It's not an easy read. It's heartbreaking and shameful. But I'm so glad I read it.

Evocative and timely, this book hit hard in all the right (and therefore uncomfortable) places. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives, but I think personally I would have preferred just one plot line (Einstein’s story). Though the varying points of view and range of characters did add a great deal of emotion, diversity and overall create a dynamic and intense novel, I personally would have liked to have gone a little deeper a little sooner with Einstein.


Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse UK Cornerstone Century for the ARC, it was a delight!

Polemical, Passionate, Sometimes Unremittingly Brutal : Preaching to the Converted? 3.5

The importance of the subject matter of Felice Fallon’s first book can’t be overstated : Humankind’s greed, narcissism and brutality are destroying our planet, and cruelly decimating those other feeling, sentient creatures we share this world with

Unbearable to read at times, I did however find that my critical faculties as a reader were making judgements : there is almost an unremitting ‘other animals, endlessly noble;’ repetition; human animals, almost unremittingly monstrous. At times I felt this bordered on sentimentality and might just be a preaching to the converted read – readers involved in Animal Rights movements, Vegan and Vegetarians will ‘enjoy’ this in a kind of ‘we are off the hook’ way, even as they/we weep our way through the wicked brutality of our species (but other members of it) towards non-human animals. I wondered whether meat eaters will actually read this?

However, as I got further into this book, my star rating rose – primarily because eventually there were certain more nuanced sections, where humans doing ‘bad things’ were not just portrayed as wilful sadistic psychopaths (there are rather too many of those within these pages) Sometimes we need to understand that bad things are done by people without the luxury of free choices.

I think this would have been a more interesting and possibly more hard-hitting book if there were fewer out and out aberrant people doing brutal things because of their obvious pathology. The humans within these pages are, for the most part, either those evil ones, or the few of exceptional saintliness.

Wow - what a book! It's not a fluffy, easy read but it is gritty, powerful and compelling. There are too many truths in the book that are uncomfortable, and whilst they are wrapped in fictional tales, they're important to read. I've learned valuable things from this book and really engaged with the characters. It's written in a clever way, with central roles, 'The vet', 'Billy', 'The Sow'... etc and as the book goes on you see how they interweave with each other.

It's a book that is well worth reading, even if it's not your usual genre.

Possibly the best book i've read this year. This was so thought provoking and so cleverly written.
I loved how the entire story was told not just one side of the story. Fabulous writing!

WoW this was a beautiful written book called "Interviews with an Ape" by Felice Fallon I was drawn to the cover especially as I love apes and I was not wrong......it was just amazing to read and very upsetting at times. that had a big impact on me.....
But I am so glad I read it. It is a book that Should be read and for more people to be aware on Einstein, the famous gorilla, Felice tells his story and along with other vulnerable animals stories. This made me think, Some humans can be so cruel especially to these beautiful animals. I needed tissues when I read this book and it took me a while to get through it. This book mixed with all my emotions and it should be a book that is read!

DNF

The story is about a gorilla that has learnt sign language and is able to translate the stories of other animals such as performing orcas, fox hounds, farm pigs and so on.

I know that we humans are often awful to animals to say the least but I found this too one dimensional. Every human seems incredibly cruel and I couldn't really convince myself of the animal stories. The Roma characters were also heavily stereotyped which is disappointing especially from a recent publication.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love animals, so for me to choose this book was an absolute no-brainer.

This is one of my favourite books of the year. It holds such power between its pages: the power of life and death; the (perceived) power of the human race over other species; the power of love; the power of respect and compassion for all beings; and the power to make me feel such sorrow, pain, and humiliation to be a member of this human race.

I have read quite a few works recently that have pulled emotions from me, but this book, in its simplicity and spoken by Einstein, a male gorilla using sign language, just completely drained me. I sobbed like a wee child at the end.

I finished 'Interviews with an Ape' about a week ago and Einstein is still living with me in my mind and in my heart. I'm not usually at a loss for words (ask my husband!), but I'm honestly struggling to express my thoughts.

Please, read this for yourselves, your children, and your grandchildren. Read it with a heart and mind full of open honesty, and think about what we do as a race, to animals, to ourselves, to others, and to the planet.

I chose an ARC copy of this via NetGalley, which I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book a lot, though that seems bizarre to say given some of the content, it's one that will stay with me for a long time. Having various animals narrate was really interesting (their parts were definitely my favourite) and I don't know if I've come across it before. The writing was captivating...once I started reading I couldn't stop though there are some unpleasant parts, I'm sure a potential reader can imagine. There are some incredibly powerful things to take away from this book and it's one I'd recommend to anyone regardless of it being your 'thing'.

This is a hard but important book to read. It’s extremely upsetting. It was a slow read for me as I had to keep taking breaks because it was so heartbreaking. Everyone should read this book.

"Interviews with an Ape" is a great fiction (or is it non-fiction?!) book that focuses on animal related environmental issues and it really packs a punch.

The premise of the book is that a vet has built a relationship with an ape, Einstein, who can communicate with humans through sign language. The interviews with them and other animals and humans they encounter make up the content of the book.

The viewpoints of the animals feel realistic and stark. Their thoughts are really impactful. For instance, seeing the realities of elephant hunting from the perspective of a young elephant is shocking. But then the corresponding interview with the poacher is almost equally painful when you hear the reasons they did it. As with a lot of disputes, you have to understand both sides in order to find a resolution.

This book is a unique illustration of the harm that humans do to animals. I hope that it acts as another way of encouraging people to do more for the environment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow what a powerful book!
Blew me away, this book was definitely on another level! I can not recommend this book enough to everyone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a unique book, with such a profound story.

Felice Fallon has an ability to write in such an imaginative way and with so many voices that this was unlike anything I have read before, what a fantastic debut.
Interviews with an Ape had such an interesting premise, a Gorilla named Einstein that can sign with such vocabulary that he can translate the stories from animals around the world about their lives and how they came to be in captivity.

The narrative is steeped in heart-breaking stories of young taken from their mothers in such barbaric circumstances you cannot help but flinch at being associated with the same species. The book is separated into ‘Parts’, firstly meeting the animals and their backstories, and then following on by meeting their captors, and finding out their reasoning for doing what they do. It also follows the animals to see where they end up, Zoo’s, labs, Circuses, SeaWorld, nature reserves …. But never free.

The stories overlap with different perspectives, but that is what makes it even more heart-breaking to read. The destruction human’s cause. But I do believe this book with open eyes, it certainly has for me.

An exquisite book that will stay with me. Thank-you to NetGalley and RandomhouseUK for the opportunity to read this book.

Interviews with an Ape is a beautifully written and surprising book from the perspective of many misunderstood and mistreated animals, including Einstein the Gorilla who can sign, and the humans who look after them. It’s a powerful, fictional story, yet it totally feels real and true.

Something drew me to this book I cannot explain, based on the blurb it is not one I would usually pick up. Having requested this book and read very few reviews (few available), I started reading with an open and curious mind to where it would go. I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised and the more I read, the less I wanted to put it down. I really enjoyed the story and the emotional journey I travelled through while reading. Will definitely be recommending this book!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK, Cornerstone, AND Felice Fallon for this read!

Wow, I cannot believe this is the first book this author has written, it is brilliantly written.

This book is thought-provoking and well-rounded, an interesting way of getting over the information in a non-patronising way, a book that holds your interest.

I personally prefered the animals' point of view to the abusers' point of view, for me, there is no justification for animal cruelty but I do understand seeing both points of view.

I can't wait for the authors next book, well done for tackling such a difficult subject.

“…I can see in her eyes that she feels exhilarated by our contact.
Contact with a wild creature. But there’s nothing wild about me here.”

An important but devastating book. Luckily, one that’s as beautiful as it is painful. I cried multiple times at these fictional (but incredibly real) situations that these animals become trapped in.

There are stories from elephants poached for their ivory, orcas forced to perform, foxhounds donated to labs, bears farmed for bile, sows forced to milk and of course a very intelligent ape called Einstein (the main narrator) who is placed in captivity in a zoo after a mighty ordeal at a circus. An ape who can communicate with humans through sign language.

In turn, through Einstein, each animal shares their story of how humans treat them so despicably for their own gain but, more than that, these stories highlight how humans can vary greatly in their tendencies for both cruelty and kindness.

Favourite quote:

“She told me not to expect too much, because it takes a long time for people to change their ways. A single thread cannot become a chord, and a single tree does not make a forest. She said Uncle told her this, and he’s right. But it’s also true that a single spark can create a blaze.”

Interviews with an Ape will be available from 22nd of July 2021. Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc.