Ape House: A Novel

After reading "Water for Elephants" I was eager to read another book by Sara Gruen. She did not disappoint me. Her characters are memorable. The story is intriguing. A research project involving bonobos and sign language is destroyed by what seems to be animal rights activists. It turns out to be another group with a completely different agenda. The bonobos were the best part of the story for me, but the human characters were well developed also.

Add my name to the long list of readers who were enamored with Sara Gruen's last novel, Water for Elephants. I could not have been more excited when I learned that her follow-up would deal with ape language experiments, as that's been a subject of great interest for years. This novel should have been a slam dunk in Sara Gruen's capable hands. But while it's undeniable that I enjoyed reading The Ape House, the word that came to mind over and over was "unworthy." In the hands of some average Joe writer, I would have been perfectly happy with this book, but Sara, you're better than this.

The novel opens with the New Year's Day visit (because apparently these people don't believe in holidays) of Philadelphia Inquirer reporter John Thigpen and two colleagues to the Great Ape Language Lab in Kansas City. John is there to talk not only to primatologist Isabel Duncan, but also to her charges--six bonobos who communicate very effectively with their human friends using American Sign Language or typing on a special computer.

The novel gets off to an absolutely charming start as we witness John's meeting with the apes. Things go reasonably well, and John is satisfied as he and his colleagues head home. Almost upon arrival, however, he learns that a shocking act of violence has taken place back in Kansas City, sending the lives of Isabel and her primate family (for that is what they are) into turmoil.

I had read this book prior to publication, and I didn't know what to expect plot-wise. Ms. Gruen certainly managed to surprise me with where she went. And it was all very interesting in a lurid, slightly sleazy way. I definitely kept turning the pages, but I felt the story being told was beneath her.

The bonobos were great, and I don't know how anyone could fail to fall in love with them, in person or on the page. Additionally, reporter Thigpen made an appealing everyman protagonist. I don't know that Isabel Duncan was his equal. I get that she's passionate. I get that she's traumatized. But I didn't feel that I ever got a sense of the woman behind her most obvious, plot-driven character traits. And while there are plenty of antagonists in this story, they're consistently painted in shades of black and white with no complexity at all.

What bugged me most of all, however, was that some of the plotting was absolutely by-the-numbers, and shockingly amateurish--nothing more so than the entire Pinegar sub-plot. Cringe-worthy. Look, there's a lot to like in this novel, but if you're expecting anything even nearly on par with Water for Elephants, you're going to be bitterly disappointed.

I should admit upfront, I did not read Water for Elephants. I am just not that interested in elephants, but I am interested in Bonobos and I was eager to read Ape House. I wanted to see what it was that made "Water" so incredibly popular.

I first learned about Bonobos when I read Lucy by Laurence Gonzales. In Ape House I hoped to learn more about them. Instead, Ape House is far more about dysfunctional families and the issues of writers trying to get published.

That said, this is an enjoyable book to read. Gruen describes things in such great detail that you can see, smell, taste whatever she is telling about. Her description of the hotel in Lizard, New Mexico was so disgusting I could just smell the place. She went into great details about the meth house and the explosion and I could never quite figure out what that had to do with the story.

There is great character development for everyone in the story, which makes this a fun read. I was fascinated by the great details about the women upstairs from John in the hotel. They became almost main characters for a while, and yet, I was never sure how they carried the story line forward. There were a lot of miscellaneous characters involved and I became confused about why they were there. I would have loved to have had lots more details about the personalities of the bonobos.

So, while this is a well written, entertaining book, it just wasn't quite up to the high expectations I had.

I had heard good things about WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, so figured that APE HOUSE would be an intriguing read, especially since I'm fascinated by great apes. The book started out well, with great interaction between apes and humans, but as soon as the apes disappeared and the unbelievable human plot started to wind up, the book went right out the window. After the fascinating first section, the apes are onstage only occasionally, and then are mostly pawns to be fought over by the various characters, 90% of whom are the stockiest of stock figures. Every male is an utter heel -- the cheating fiance scientist, the sleazy owner of the "Weekly Times," the evil TV producer, the L.A. types Amanda confronts are all cut out of fairly light cardboard. But it's not men alone: there's a Lisbeth Salander clone who's a punk gothic computer whiz, and we've even got a Russian whore with a heart of gold to help save the day.

The only man who isn't a sleazebag is our hero, John Thigpen (and Gruen has a little too much fun with *that* name) who may be her ideal man, but who I found incredibly wussy, as I watched him blubber, tear up, and bawl his way through the book. He's got a lot to cry about since he's married to one of the most annoying female characters in contemporary fiction, his wife Amanda, who jumps from one goofy lifestyle choice to another as if to see just how much John will put up with before he calls it quits. John, however, is the most uber-sensitive man in history, and willingly accepts it all, perhaps for Amanda's eggs benedict, which he romantically recalls in one vomitous scene. And speaking of vomit, that's how Isabel, our heroine, occasionally reacts to bad news. I felt the urge several times myself as I read along.

As for the plot, suffice it to say that it's utterly ridiculous (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT, if such an absurd plot can be spoiled). That the villains would run the risk of blowing up a lab to get a university to sell them the apes cheap so that they can then be exploited in a reality TV show is beyond belief. And other supposedly satiric critiques of modern society are ham-handed. The Westboro Baptist Church becomes the "Eastborough Baptist Church," the Weekly World News morphs into the "Weekly Times" -- you get the idea. Gruen makes sure you will. And I didn't even mention the grotesque series of coincidences that help to drive along the plots and subplots (a silly paternity plot and the the thrown-away fact that Isabel has, just by chance, read Amanda's flop of a first novel, when apparently no one else in the country has).

There's the germ of a really good novel here, but it's one that should have been written about realistic and fascinating animals and their interaction with living, breathing people rather than about the most artificial of human characters and their soap opera antics.

Water for Elephants was a great book. Ape House is a great follow up novel. It's not quite up to par with Water for Elephants, but I really enjoyed reading it. I found the characters and the plot engaging, if not always 100% believable. I loved reading about the bonobos and there were some very difficult scenes involving animal cruelty that I think help educate the average reader.

But mostly it was a good story with some very like-able and some very unlike-able characters that I found hard to put down.

While the plot was somewhat predictable, this feel good story was packed with true to life details about great apes and their amazing communication abilities. I commend this author for her engaging stories that i have a hard time putting down. She has a gift for bringing to life real world details about the intelligence, morality and emotional advance of a variety of members of the animal kingdom.

Sara Gruen has a way of weaving a story that flows with surprises, human interest and excitement. The subplots were like little bits of candy thrown on top of a big ice cream sundae and her characterization is written in full detail and emotion right down to the minor supporting characters. She sets the hook in the first paragraph and it doesn't let go until the very end. Ape House is not only about apes it's about people and their compassionate spirit to love and be loved.

As an animal lover, this book was as enlightening as it was disturbing. I was fascinated with the blend of truth and fiction, with the quirky nature if the humans and the human nature of the bonobos. I also appreciated the limited use of foul language.

Sara Gruen is one of my favorite authors and this book is an example of why. I love her writing style and I love that her fiction is based on fact. This story is truly amazing and will have you reading to see what happens next. I love the way that when you finish her books, she tells you what is fact and how she arrived at it. Without going into detail about it you will love it as much as I did.

The bonobos are the most amazing monkeys, and this story is all about them. They're so much like humans in so many ways that it is incredible. This is an interesting read, and I read it in two sittings (and I'm a slow reader(. I felt I learned a lot from this book and was sorry when it ended. I would recommend it to everyone. Sara is a super writer!!

Highly recommend this book. I found it to be a more compelling read than Water for Elephants (which says a lot because I loved that book) and am amazed that it's not as widely promoted. I am now a huge Gruen fan and will read anything she writes. The next thing I'm going to do after writing this review is pick a new Sara Gruen book to read and promote this one on Facebook.

I was expecting so much more from Gruen, the author of the awesome book Water for Elephant. Ape House was a HUGE let down.
Ape House is the story of Isabel Duncan and the steps she takes to get back her beloved Bonobo ape's after her facility housing the apes is bombed. It also follows the story of John and his wife Amanda. John is a reporter that was at the facility with Isabel the afternoon of the bombings.
The first 150 pages are great. Gruen is a good writer, and keeps you interested in the bonobo's, and the story basically begins by page 3.
The problem is that the story goes NOWHERE. At page 150 the same things keep happening over and over again and you are starting to wonder what is going to happen, when will the story get off go. Well, it never does. In fact it takes a nose dive.
John and his wife continue to have arguements over the same things, and they fly back and forth. His wife remains flaky until the end. Gruen triest to hint that there will be some "thing" between John and Isabel, but that never goes anywhere. It's an idea in John's head, however subtle, which doesn't make sense since he really loves his wife. There is a struggle between John and Amanda over having children, so there is a wild assumption about paternity with a random character which I thought was ridiculous. The relationships are not well developed, and there is so much back and forth in this novel that it hurts the story. It's almost like Gruen could not find the clear path for where she wanted this story to go. She rushed the ending and tried to throw in little parts to try to link everything together and wrap up the story, but it just fails. Down to the scene where Isabel tells Peter he's busted. Why would she do that? Why would she let him kiss her? Gruen only threw this in to tie up the Cat Douglas story which I thought was just stupid. Don't waste your time on this book. I doubt very seriously I'll read another Gruen book. And I truly LOVED Water for Elephants.

Sorry. I loved "Water for Elephants." I can hardly believe this is the same author. The relationships between people strain belief, and after an engaging start, the book bogs down with a character I care nothing about. About a third of the way into it, I gave up. I'll donate the book to our library sale. I hope they don't charge someone very much for it.

This book grabbed my attention and did not let it go. There was a little mystery,but is the relationship between the characters and the bonobos. Sara Gruen has a way of writing about humans and animals, that is incredible. I have read Riding Lessons, Flying Changes and Water for Elephants. They are all worth reading.

Being a primatologist (someone who studies primates) I was really excited to see a fiction novel about our "forgotten" ape, the bonobos. The book seemed to start off well enough, but as soon as the main female character Isabele Duncan, says that "she is becoming more bonobo, and the bonobos are become more human" No well respected scientist would ever say something like that! Yes we are like them and they are like us but we are different and we need to understand both the differences and similarities between us.
After that it was just downhill. While its nice to see a fiction book exploring topics like the welfare of apes in captivity there is so many other story lines going on, and a ridiculous plot twist that one can see coming a mile away. I was hoping for so much more, and basically feel like I read one of those cheesy, chick-lit summer type books that you can read without needing to think too much

I have to agree with many reviewers that the premise of this book is absurd. The idea that someone would put together a TV show like Ape House is far-fetched. The idea that it would take America by storm is just plain silly. I liked the characters, but this book's conflicts and tensions were just on the surface in so many ways. This is not a horrible book, but if you are coming to it as a fan of WFE as most are, you will likely be disappointed.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I spotted this on the review table at work! Another novel by Sara Gruen, who wrote the splendid "Water for Elephants," a fave I've loved and heartily recommended! This one laid out an interesting premise, too - apes in a language lab, a blurb about teaching us about humanity, words/phrases like "charming" and "allowing us to see ourselves as we never have before" on the back cover. I was in for a treat.

It was going fine for a while - we learned about bonobos and their culture/language acquisition, met scientist Isabel Duncan, as well as a reporter who gets the story which turns sour when an apparent extremist act is perpetrated. <Spoiler Alert> But it all went south for me when I discovered that the apes are obtained as the key stars in a reality tv show because they naturally "get busy" most of the time, and that the porn mogul who runs the show makes big bucks on this trait of the bonobos. The sex, the struggling author wife of our brave reporter going unstable and remaking herself in LA (meant to be laughable), the scientist recovering and trying to get close to the apes and plotting a rescue, the reporter getting mixed up in some mafia/hooker shenanigans (the main hooker turns out to be a pretty fun character, though) and writing for a tabloid, the bonobos being in this confined environment requesting and/or being given different things to see how they act (sex toys, alcohol, weapons) and, oh, did I mention the sex of the bonobos - Klaxon horns going off each time they touched each other...sorry to say it, this book just felt cheap. I found it hard to consider it charming and I didn't think it allowed us to see ourselves as we never have before (unless in a negative way - how society absorbs reality TV, for example), and while I of course didn't expect a carbon copy of "Water for Elephants," I at least hoped for something a little more classy and literary. Something that will stand the test of time and hoped for rampant recommendations to friends and family.

I still assigned 3 stars (which, according to the store, means "It's okay") because the dialogue was well done and I liked some elements very much - the dog, some of John Thigpen's (the reporter's) experiences, and his motivation. I cared enough to want to find out what happens, but felt detached and even a little used. The author seemed to want to build up a more significant relationship between John and Isabel, and I'm unsure about how I feel about how that did or didn't materialize. Hmm...thinking again about it, that felt cheap too - how the author teased you to think something would happen and how it eventually works out. Except for Thigpen and the hookers, I really didn't bond to the characters or really like them. You're supposed to like the bonobos, but I just felt sorry for them, disgusted at their plight. It made me as a reader feel dumb and insulted - equated with the negative aspects of a society not appreciating the freedom/lives of the apes. I applaud Gruen for trying to share knowledge/appreciation of bonobos and her devotion to the ape trusts/sanctuaries that inspired development of this novel, but in the end, I feel that it contains too many "cheap thrills" that don't hold up to the literary expectations I suspect are held by much of her readership - at least by me. I see that a number of folks who've already reviewed it enjoyed it immensely. Well, more power to you - I didn't see it, though.

The bonobos are the most amazing monkeys, and this story is all about them. They're so much like humans in so many ways that it is incredible. This is an interesting read, and I read it in two sittings (and I'm a slow reader(. I felt I learned a lot from this book and was sorry when it ended. I would recommend it to everyone. Sara is a super writer!!

Highly recommend this book. I found it to be a more compelling read than Water for Elephants (which says a lot because I loved that book) and am amazed that it's not as widely promoted. I am now a huge Gruen fan and will read anything she writes. The next thing I'm going to do after writing this review is pick a new Sara Gruen book to read and promote this one on Facebook.

I was expecting so much more from Gruen, the author of the awesome book Water for Elephant. Ape House was a HUGE let down.
Ape House is the story of Isabel Duncan and the steps she takes to get back her beloved Bonobo ape's after her facility housing the apes is bombed. It also follows the story of John and his wife Amanda. John is a reporter that was at the facility with Isabel the afternoon of the bombings.
The first 150 pages are great. Gruen is a good writer, and keeps you interested in the bonobo's, and the story basically begins by page 3.
The problem is that the story goes NOWHERE. At page 150 the same things keep happening over and over again and you are starting to wonder what is going to happen, when will the story get off go. Well, it never does. In fact it takes a nose dive.
John and his wife continue to have arguements over the same things, and they fly back and forth. His wife remains flaky until the end. Gruen triest to hint that there will be some "thing" between John and Isabel, but that never goes anywhere. It's an idea in John's head, however subtle, which doesn't make sense since he really loves his wife. There is a struggle between John and Amanda over having children, so there is a wild assumption about paternity with a random character which I thought was ridiculous. The relationships are not well developed, and there is so much back and forth in this novel that it hurts the story. It's almost like Gruen could not find the clear path for where she wanted this story to go. She rushed the ending and tried to throw in little parts to try to link everything together and wrap up the story, but it just fails. Down to the scene where Isabel tells Peter he's busted. Why would she do that? Why would she let him kiss her? Gruen only threw this in to tie up the Cat Douglas story which I thought was just stupid. Don't waste your time on this book. I doubt very seriously I'll read another Gruen book. And I truly LOVED Water for Elephants.

Sorry. I loved "Water for Elephants." I can hardly believe this is the same author. The relationships between people strain belief, and after an engaging start, the book bogs down with a character I care nothing about. About a third of the way into it, I gave up. I'll donate the book to our library sale. I hope they don't charge someone very much for it.

This book grabbed my attention and did not let it go. There was a little mystery,but is the relationship between the characters and the bonobos. Sara Gruen has a way of writing about humans and animals, that is incredible. I have read Riding Lessons, Flying Changes and Water for Elephants. They are all worth reading.

Being a primatologist (someone who studies primates) I was really excited to see a fiction novel about our "forgotten" ape, the bonobos. The book seemed to start off well enough, but as soon as the main female character Isabele Duncan, says that "she is becoming more bonobo, and the bonobos are become more human" No well respected scientist would ever say something like that! Yes we are like them and they are like us but we are different and we need to understand both the differences and similarities between us.
After that it was just downhill. While its nice to see a fiction book exploring topics like the welfare of apes in captivity there is so many other story lines going on, and a ridiculous plot twist that one can see coming a mile away. I was hoping for so much more, and basically feel like I read one of those cheesy, chick-lit summer type books that you can read without needing to think too much

I have to agree with many reviewers that the premise of this book is absurd. The idea that someone would put together a TV show like Ape House is far-fetched. The idea that it would take America by storm is just plain silly. I liked the characters, but this book's conflicts and tensions were just on the surface in so many ways. This is not a horrible book, but if you are coming to it as a fan of WFE as most are, you will likely be disappointed.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I spotted this on the review table at work! Another novel by Sara Gruen, who wrote the splendid "Water for Elephants," a fave I've loved and heartily recommended! This one laid out an interesting premise, too - apes in a language lab, a blurb about teaching us about humanity, words/phrases like "charming" and "allowing us to see ourselves as we never have before" on the back cover. I was in for a treat.

It was going fine for a while - we learned about bonobos and their culture/language acquisition, met scientist Isabel Duncan, as well as a reporter who gets the story which turns sour when an apparent extremist act is perpetrated. <Spoiler Alert> But it all went south for me when I discovered that the apes are obtained as the key stars in a reality tv show because they naturally "get busy" most of the time, and that the porn mogul who runs the show makes big bucks on this trait of the bonobos. The sex, the struggling author wife of our brave reporter going unstable and remaking herself in LA (meant to be laughable), the scientist recovering and trying to get close to the apes and plotting a rescue, the reporter getting mixed up in some mafia/hooker shenanigans (the main hooker turns out to be a pretty fun character, though) and writing for a tabloid, the bonobos being in this confined environment requesting and/or being given different things to see how they act (sex toys, alcohol, weapons) and, oh, did I mention the sex of the bonobos - Klaxon horns going off each time they touched each other...sorry to say it, this book just felt cheap. I found it hard to consider it charming and I didn't think it allowed us to see ourselves as we never have before (unless in a negative way - how society absorbs reality TV, for example), and while I of course didn't expect a carbon copy of "Water for Elephants," I at least hoped for something a little more classy and literary. Something that will stand the test of time and hoped for rampant recommendations to friends and family.

I still assigned 3 stars (which, according to the store, means "It's okay") because the dialogue was well done and I liked some elements very much - the dog, some of John Thigpen's (the reporter's) experiences, and his motivation. I cared enough to want to find out what happens, but felt detached and even a little used. The author seemed to want to build up a more significant relationship between John and Isabel, and I'm unsure about how I feel about how that did or didn't materialize. Hmm...thinking again about it, that felt cheap too - how the author teased you to think something would happen and how it eventually works out. Except for Thigpen and the hookers, I really didn't bond to the characters or really like them. You're supposed to like the bonobos, but I just felt sorry for them, disgusted at their plight. It made me as a reader feel dumb and insulted - equated with the negative aspects of a society not appreciating the freedom/lives of the apes. I applaud Gruen for trying to share knowledge/appreciation of bonobos and her devotion to the ape trusts/sanctuaries that inspired development of this novel, but in the end, I feel that it contains too many "cheap thrills" that don't hold up to the literary expectations I suspect are held by much of her readership - at least by me. I see that a number of folks who've already reviewed it enjoyed it immensely. Well, more power to you - I didn't see it, though.

APE HOUSE is an entertaining, engaging story, combining humor, drama, social commentary about reality TV, and some interesting facts about bonobo apes. John Thigpen, a journalist who first covers a story on the apes, is touched by the interactions he observes between scientist Isabel Duncan and the bonobos and is drawn into their lives due to a violent incident. Since other reviewers have given away some of the plot points, I won't summarize the storyline. However, I will comment on why this book is worth a read. Yes, this is different than WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, but the important similarity is Gruen's talent for writing compassionately about animals and demonstrating the strong connection possible between human and animal. Those scenes with the apes are particularly touching. Instead of comparing APE HOUSE to WFE, I allowed myself to be caught up in the rollicking plot, the characters (human and animal), and the central message about what we can learn from animals.

This was one of the most disappointing books I've ever read. Since I thoroughly enjoyed Water for Elephants, I had high expectations going into Ape House. Unfortunately, it fell flat...way beyond flat.

I loved the first few chapters and felt sucked into the world of the bonobos and the language research facility. I probably would have been content to read an entire book with just the bonobos interacting with each other and the occasional human who stopped by the lab. When the action started, I was concerned about the bonobos and had to keep reading to find out what happened to them and Isabel. But then things just got sillier and sillier, as if Sara Gruen didn't know what to do with her story and let it run wild. I kid you not, by the end of the book the story included a stripper bringing home a used condom and using a turkey baster to successfully impregnate herself. WHAT?! I was flabbergasted. This from the author who brought us Water for Elephants. And there were many other silly/weird episodes on top of that.

I've read plenty of unbelievable, escapist type books before--and enjoyed them! I just wasn't expecting it here.

I'm already a fan of Sara Gruen and this book was no exception. As always her characters are very well developed and have a lot of history and depth to them. It's an original story with a lot of fact based research which makes it all the more realistic and interesting. I personally enjoy primates and found this story to be very touching.

This novel is full of surprises. The interaction with the bonobos is so touching-it inspires you to learn more. A reader makes certain assumptions, based on a kind of cookie cutter expectation of knowing what will happen next. But MS Gruen is a more imaginative and resourceful writer than that! The one let down is that the very end is a bit pat. And I wasn't really ready for the book to end.

This isn't at all like "Water for Elephants", but it is good none the less. The premise is a little quirky (a reality show for bonobos) but the plot moves along at a good pace and the characters are well enough developed. I wouldn't recommend this for a book club read because there isn't enough in it to spark a great discussion, but it is the perfect beach/plane read.

A slick gem of a story. Bright characters facing the kind of human (and not so human) disasters that make readers squirm with the ecstasy of elated agitation. Definitely a book that would be difficult to put down. (I didn't try) Action-packed but never grim or discouraging.

Playful surprises: if a reader is literar-ily aware--shout outs to John Irving, Water for Elephants and the author's very intimate love and skill of the art/experience of writing.

"Water for elephants" was a wonderful novel. "Ape House" is very different. But different from wonderful does not mean bad.
Ape House is a modern novel of moral choices, rather than a colorful/suspenseful historical adventure. But the characters and story were very involving for me. I rate it a 4 star, a notch down from "Elephants." It will make you think, but you should enjoy the ride there as well. Give it a chance!

I picked this up in the airport before a trip recently. While I'll admit I didn't get into it right off the bat, after the first 60 or so pages, I was hooked. I disagree with the Editorial Review -- it did not come off to me as clumsy and the characters were well fleshed. Perhaps not as fanciful and visceral as Water for Elephants -- it does not compare to Water, actually -- but stands on its own as a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I read Water for Elephants when it was first published, and I enjoyed it. It was a great story and written well. What I was left with, though, is a general sadness. For some reason, the sad parts of that story stayed with me.

Ape House is no Water for Elephants, that's true, and how could it be? It's an entirely different story. I am constantly annoyed when I read a review of an author's second book and the line, "NEW BOOK is no OLD BOOK" is included. I mean, duh. How can a new story be an old story?

Anyway, I think Ape House is wonderful. Yes, Isabel's character could be fleshed out more. Yes, some of John's and Amanda's situations are a bit much. But overall, the story is so HAPPY. And the apes are awesome.

Give it a try. Form your own opinion. Don't take my word or the words of the authors of the negative reviews.

For my part, I checked Ape House out of the library because I was unsure about it. Now that I've read it, I'm buying my own copy to go on the shelf beside Water for Elephants.

I just spent the past several days listening to the audiobook and enjoyed it immensely. The characters were entertaining in so many flawed and wonderful ways and the apes - well - they made the story. I would not listen with kids, but it would be a great "listen" on a road trip with a spouse or girlfriends.

It had the makings of a good story, but seemed like it was rushed to the finish. There were hints of unhappy marriages that came to nothing. Gangsters and fires thrown in one chapter to never have any significance on the story. I was disappointed.

I feel like I need to re-read Water for Elephants to remember why I liked it. I picked this novel up at the airport the other day, intrigued by the premise/potential (scientists, humans' interactions/relationships with animals) and remembering that I had enjoyed Gruen's previous novel. I was very disappointed. It comes across as having been written very quickly and without much thought or patience. Too many cliche situations/characters and cheap action. I felt compelled to finish, to see what would happen, even though the writing deteriorated as the novel progressed. I imagine that Gruen had signed some sort of contract that required her to finish by a certain time. It felt very forced. I am not giving up on her, although I won't be purchasing any future novels of hers without reading some reviews first.

I'm a huge Sara Gruen fan, so I have really been looking forward to Ape House. I am happy to say I wasn't at all disappointed! I really loved this book and I had a hard time setting it down once I had started. It's a page turner, but it's also a great kick off for a book club discussion about what sets us apart (or doesn't) from the animals.

Ape House tells the story of a family group of Bonobos who live at the Great Ape Language Lab. It begins when a group of misguided animal rights activists try to "free" the apes by bombing the lab open, almost killing a scientist in the process. Then the apes disappear, and Isabel, the wounded scientist, embarks on a (sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious) quest to get her animal family back. And the apes truly are her family...

There is a parallel storyline running about a reporter (John) and his novelist wife (Amanda). John was writing an article about the Lab, and he visited the apes just before the bomb went off. He becomes obsessed with the story,following it even after he is "downsized." I didn't know much about Bonobos before, but they are fascinating animals and in this book they become fascinating, multi-layered characters as well. Gruen has an amazing facility for writing animals that I noticed when I read WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, and which serves her very well here. The apes read as authentically as her human characters. My favorite character, however, was probably a Russian hooker who had a bit part near the end. On the whole, I can't recommend this book strongly enough.

Having read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, I looked forward to reading another of her books. Ape House was a quick and enjoyable book that opened the door to learning of the amazing world of bonobos.

This is a good book. It has a lot of plot lines that don't really go anywhere and since it is not a mystery I am not really sure what that is about. I liked the characters but it was not one of those books where got immersed in them and really felt vested in the outcome of their lives.

Sara won me over with 'Water for Elephants'. Though I loved Rosie in that story, it was my compassion for people in retirement homes that was renewed through her writing. That was unexpected.
'Ape House' showed me a depth of animal intellect and emotion with which I had sort of lost touch. The epiphany her character John experienced in his own relationships and their possible depths - of taking it to a more meaningful level - was a wonderful surprise to me. I was, frankly, expecting a plot that turned bonobo-natured in the human characters (i.e., John and Isabel together - or even, *gasp* John and Isabel and Amanda together at some juncture...)

I loved where Sara took this story. I'm grateful, too. Her twists are so much better than where my 'twisted' mind was headed with her story. I'm already talking up this book to my friends.

I absolutely loved "Water for Elephants" so couldn't wait to read "Ape House". It's OK but simply cannot compare with "Water". I'm a little more than half way through the story and find that I may pick it up to finish but..then again....I may not. I do want to know what ultimately is the fate of the bonobo apes so I suppose, ultimately, I will at least scan to the finish.

I chose this book because I totally enjoyed reading "Water for Elephants" and I wasn't disappointed. Intriguing, well written, excellent storyline, and every element of interest included; mystery, sex, drama, wry humor, and full of heroes of the feminist, humanist, and animal variety. I am so excited that I plan on reading her suggested reads to learn more about apes. And, thanks for adding the web page of the Ape House TV. Brilliant!

When I saw that Sara Gruen was the author of this book, I was very excited. "Water for Elephants" is one of my favorite books. While this book was very good, it was a little disappointing after reading "Water for Elephants". The story is good, and the insights into the apes is very good, but the story was just not as believable as I would have liked.

If you're expecting (as I was )to find a book here on the same level as Water for Elephants, you are about to be sorely disappointed...as I was. The writing is juvenile and reliant on extraneous, unimportant details. Had the main focus been the apes and the explosion with some of the reporter's life drama as a secondary plot, it would have been better. However, somehow, the focus was switched around. Did we really have to know about the obsessive cleanliness and nosiness of the reporter's mother-in-law or how poorly they were greeted at the reporter's wife's cousin's wedding???? From that question alone, you can see how far afield Sara Gruen went to add detail to this story.

25% into the book and I'm bored with the pedestrian exposition and disappointed with the horrendous dialogue. The human characters and their relationships are predictable and uninteresting. I'm making myself finish the book as I'm curious as to what happens to the bonobos, the only characters worth caring about. Eye-rollingly awful writing.

I was, like many, very excited to see that Sara Gruen had written another book after the wonderful Water for Elephants. That particular book is dog eared from being loaned out to everyone I know who enjoys a great read.
I assumed the space between the two books was due to the research and caliber of writing that would go into her next work as this was so apparant in her first novel.

I read it. Barely. When I was done I really thought this had to be a case where the publisher knew it would sell based on the success of the first book, but surely not on its own merit. The characters are hollow and underdeveloped. I didn't feel any sense of connection to any of them. The relationships were also superficial, twisting around in the wind without any substance of their own. This was mindless reading. I guess I kept hoping (right down to the last page) that something would evolve. How can an author turn out such a ridiculous piece of garbage after writing one of the best novels I've read in the past ten years?

I'm glad I didn't read any reviews of this book earlier. I checked it out of the library mainly because it was available on MP3 Playaway audio. I'm glad I did because I really liked it, but I have always loved apes (Jane Goodall and Diane Fosse). Even though it was fiction, I learned a lot about bonobos and was sorry when it ended. I plan to read more Sara Gruen.

Ape House is worth reading, but I wish I'd waited for the paperback because it did not meet the expectations of hard cover pricing. Water for Elephants is one of my all-time favorite books (if you have not read it, please do as you will not be disappointed). It seemed like Sara Gruen rushed the research and/or the writing with Ape House. It should have been very easy for me to feel connected to the bonobos (as I love them) yet it was difficult for me to connect to any of the characters in this book. I do look forward to her future books, but hope that she goes back to her original writing style which makes the reader feel part of the story rather than just reading a story.

Sara Gruen is known and loved for Water for Elephants, which so many people I know have recommended, so I began this novel with excitement and high expectations. It supposedly questions our sense of humanity while exposing the darkness of apes' lives in our captivity. Unfortunately, it failed to do any of those things and instead incited me to anger; I rarely want to throw a book, but I wanted to throw this one. From a moving train.

Note: There are some minor spoilers in this review.

The story is simple and focuses on three characters. A center for the study of language acquisition among bonobos is attacked the day that Isabel, head scientist of the bonobo project, meets with reporters John and Cat from the Philadelphia Inquirer. After the reporters have left, an explosion puts Isabel in critical condition. The bonobos are safe but quickly resurface in "Ape House," a reality show run by a porn mogul trying to make a profit on the bonobos' sexual proclivities. John, forced from the original bonobo story he's worked on with Cat, eventually leaves his job and begins working at a tabloid, earnestly trying for the remainder of the novel to break a story that relaunches his career as a serious journalist. His wife, Amanda, a struggling writer, leaves John to head to L.A. to work on a sitcom. She spends her time alternately adjusting her image to fit in with her crew from Hollywood and shagging her husband to make a baby. Isabel struggles to put the explosion behind her as she works toward getting the bonobos to a humane, safe location; she works with her former lab intern, Celia, and slowly uncovers the horrifying plot that led the bonobos to the ape house.

The plot suffers from its reliance on the unoriginal and trite, a graceless development with bumbling execution, and the utter unbelievability of the characters and their actions. Though Isabel's story is compelling, it isn't front-and-center. The same goes for the apes. Most of the novel describes John and Amanda's relationship, which seems doomed to end. John longs for Isabel whenever he thinks of her, which kind of makes sense when you think about the fact that their marriage has lasted seventeen years and she's a raging psychopath. After her second novel fails to enter the market because of the economic downturn and dissolution of her publisher, she sends out countless queries. All of them are rejected. This smart woman, who's described as strong-willed, enters a depression and then moves to L.A., where she constantly changes her body and spends thousands playing Hollywood dress-up. Because she's 36 and her mother wants grandchildren, she suddenly decides to get knocked up and relentlessly pursues John. The relationship between her and John, and their innermost thoughts, take up 1/3 of the novel, and only the terrible parts are mildly interesting.

John just wants his career back. We watch as he's assigned to write stories that involve sting operations on dog owners who don't clean up their pets' waste, inside scoops on hookers in the city and other unsavory actions. Maybe this is where we're supposed to see the barbarism and criminally inhumane lives of humans, but instead we're just annoyed that this reporter has to be the one to show us. We live his past and follow him into a future that culminates in a break-through story and plot arch that forces him to realize that bonobos are beautiful and that he loves Amanda and he wants to have a baby with her. But we know that it didn't just suddenly make perfect sense - his life now makes sense: He has his career back, Isabel is with someone else, and a kid he thought might be his turns out to be someone else's.

The novel is stitched together like large, ugly pieces of a quilt rather than intricately and finely woven silk. Half of it doesn't make sense or ring true, even if you're playing the believing game that you just have to play when you read fiction.

The novel does spotlight the humanity of bonobos, who are nonviolent, capable of language acquisition (they speak American Sign Language), and enjoy frequent, varied sex, but it mainly does so unartfully. Instead of showcasing the virtues that make them more humane than humans often are, the plot centered so much on the boring caricatures of people that the lasting impression of bonobos is what everyone already knows: They like sex. I suppose if you compare the lifeless, confusing, stubbornly one-dimensional characters, the apes do come out ahead. Gruen appears to have a special longing to see women's standing in the world fall, creating only three likeable, or at least interesting, women: Isabel (how can you hate someone who's life and face has been taken from her in an explosion?), the stripper Ivanka, and the ruthless, cutthroat reporter Cat. They appear for too small a fraction of the novel.

All of the women play into stereotypes. There's the earnest, overbearing mother, Fran, who tortures her daughter, Amanda, who herself is the woman-on-the-edge-of-insanity (in the end, she is furiously cleaning her apartment, talking about bacteria and the end of her relationship with John because she saw a suspicious charge on their credit card, but she didn't question it or tell him off, instead crying alone in her home because that's how weak she is). And then there's Celia, who hooks up with just about every man, including Isabel's former fiance, until she settles on a green-haired punk with no redeeming qualities because she's apparently a moron who wants nothing more for herself. Cat is the reporter whose excels only because she snipes other people's stories; she has no other role in the novel because, what, her life isn't as interesting as Amanda's? Yep, she's just a plot device. There's also the woman who's working undercover at the Evil Ape Laboratory who doesn't know the difference between bonobos and orangutans.

Because reading this book felt like being shot 9 times, I'll now throw out 9 bullets of my own:

-John catches grief when he replies with a "yes" to Amanda's question of whether or not he believes her mother said something to her. Obviously he means he believes her awful mother said some nasty things and doesn't actually agree with them. But, we are supposed to assume, Sensitive Women are like this.

-John has a nightmare, so Amanda does the only logical thing: Puts her ear to his heart so she can tell that his heart is racing really, really fast! Because when you're in your 30s, that's something you want to keep tabs on.

-The terrorist group supposedly involved in the lab's explosion releases an Al-Qaeda-like tape with a hideous script. I guess it ratchets up the horror? For me, it was out of place and shameless.

-Are porn moguls this dumb? So he creates this "Ape House" but employs no one - until the end - who knows anything about bonobos? Surely one of his tech-savvy helpers is charged with Googling the basics of the apes, which would tell them that giving them beer and cap guns would produce nothing of entertaining value since one of their defining characteristics, which makes them markedly different from chimps, is that they are nonviolent. Give. Me. A. Break.

-Speaking of porn moguls, how is it that a university with a prolific bonobo program like this one sold them, within a day, to this shady character? That's just bad press, regardless of whether or not it's moral. Maybe this novel is meant to be some humorous version of a satire?

-If you run a renowned program and the person in charge dies, do you do background checks on replacements? Because the replacement, Peter, is an evil son of a bitch, and it's implausible that an animal-rights group or insider wouldn't have blown the whistle during his previous employment stint. The government can't even go for that many years without someone snitching.

-The I-cheated-because-I-was-drunk line was actually used in this novel. Enough said.

-Amanda's gay colleague with a boyfriend puts the moves on Amanda because he's drunk, or she's extremely hot, or something. Hint to authors: All plot points should have more of a purpose than to make the readers go, "Wha?"

-Characters tend to pull their knees to their chests and rock when something bad happens. Riiight. I know that's my first response to adversity.

Bottom line: If you like Sara Gruen or are masochistic, read Ape House. If not, pick up something else - it's likely to be better.

I know this review is harsh, but books require time investment, and this wasn't worth it. That's a shame, because this could have been a wonderful story if more care had been taken during its writing.

I absolutely loved Water for Elephants (mass market e-book) and thought this novel was good, but not nearly as captivating. It was at times difficult to read due to the harsh realities of animal testing, however, it had a happy ending and overall I enjoyed it.

This book, and all of Sara Gruen's books, is so full of detailed descriptions and full sentences that one has a complete sense of place. The amazing fact that she was able to have complete conversations with the Bonobos is completely beyond wonderful. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and good story telling. Water for Elephants is equally remarkable and full of a strong sense of place... Wonderful wonderful wonderful.

As a graduate student in primatology who has had the pleasure of dining and chatting with Sue Savage-Rumbaugh (the woman behind the Great Ape Trust this book is loosely based off of) I think that this book gives fantastic insight to ape language, in novel format. The other reviews adequately describe the book and the pros and cons of the story - I just wish to add that bringing these unique primates into popular culture is a plus in my book!

Whether apes or elephants, Sara Gruen makes creatures characters to remember. I especially think it's important how besides weaving drama into human relationships, she brings attention to issues of animal abuse. I hope she enjoys her research, because I enjoyed seeing it play out on the page. Don't want to drop spoilers so I'll just say the ending of APE HOUSE is quite satisfying.

Water for Elephants was a terrific read. Perhaps expecting the next book from Sara Gruen to be as satisfying as Water for Elephants was asking too much. And unfortunately it was.
While it is well written, the characters throughout are wholly uninteresting and sometimes dull. Dialogue is often poorly realized and occasionally the urge to quit the book was strong. Plot is too predictable. Characters are badly conceived. The bonobos are placed in a ridiculous setting and the urge to laugh at them happened often.
I strongly considered not buying the book because the subject matter did not appeal to me but I bought it anyway because it was Sara Gruen. Bad mistake.

I so wanted to like this book. I wanted to learn more about the intelligence of the bonobos, and less about the struggles of the characters, that should have played a more secondary role in the book. Is it the in-thing for current books to have characters who are frustrated writers? And can we have one novel that doesn't have a cheating lover? It seemed that the bonobos were just an avenue to a formatted storyline. So much more could have focused on these intelligent beings. And the ending was very predictable. Such a disappointment!

Water for Elephants was a fun book---the ending was priceless. In contrast, this book was very predictable. It ended up just as I thought it would. The characters did everything that I thought they would. What made the book enjoyable was the bonobos--they were the fascinating characters and they had all of the great lines. I just couldn't relate to the humans --- they were stock characters--- the dedicated primatologist, the crusading reporter, the evil scientist, the bad pornographer, the prostitutes with hearts of gold. I had hoped for better.

Reading aloud can enhance the writing or turn its pock marks into craters. After listening to the audio versions of Water for Elephants and Ape House, I thought Ape House was written by a completely different author: one who couldn't write. One who inserted stupefying back story. One who created incongruous situations for characters who made no sense. It was like a novice writer decided, oh I'll make my hero more heroic by having him put out the flames on a burning man. And oh, I'll make him sympathetic by scaring him with a possible love child, for whom he is willing to accept responsibility. But it turns out to be a stupid identity mistake because he hasn't asked the 17-year-old his mother's name.

I wonder if Ape House is really Sara Gruen's first novel, and she just dusted it off and stuck apes in it to get it out to press. It's really that bad, and if I hadn't been stuck in a car for 10 hours, I would have dumped it. From the experience, I concluded that behind a lot of masterpieces (like Water for Elephants) must be a really good editor. I'll never read another of her novels.

I was thoroughly charmed by Sara Gruen's Ape House. In no other work of fiction is the humanness of bonobos portrayed so compellingly and so poignantly. I kept reading and reading and reading, even though I had other things to do. If after finishing this wonderful novel, you don't feel like giving Sara Gruen a hug and a kiss, you must be a real nincompoop, a party pooper, and/or a poopie head.

This follow up novel to Water for Elephants focuses on the life and times of a group of bonobos and their caretakers. Isabel loves these apes and devotes her life to studying them. John, a married reporter, goes to cover them for a story. Shortly after he leaves, an explosion rocks the lab, leaving Isabel unconcious and the apes missing .Who could have done such a thing and why? This book was a page turner, and I truly enjoyed all of the main characters.

This story invited me along page, by page. This author is an intricate storyteller. She does not allow the reader to reach conclusions before reading the end. Just enough foreshadowing to keep one guessing. I couldn't put it down.

Whether apes or elephants, Sara Gruen makes creatures characters to remember. I especially think it's important how besides weaving drama into human relationships, she brings attention to issues of animal abuse. I hope she enjoys her research, because I enjoyed seeing it play out on the page. Don't want to drop spoilers so I'll just say the ending of APE HOUSE is quite satisfying.

Water for Elephants was a terrific read. Perhaps expecting the next book from Sara Gruen to be as satisfying as Water for Elephants was asking too much. And unfortunately it was.
While it is well written, the characters throughout are wholly uninteresting and sometimes dull. Dialogue is often poorly realized and occasionally the urge to quit the book was strong. Plot is too predictable. Characters are badly conceived. The bonobos are placed in a ridiculous setting and the urge to laugh at them happened often.
I strongly considered not buying the book because the subject matter did not appeal to me but I bought it anyway because it was Sara Gruen. Bad mistake.

I so wanted to like this book. I wanted to learn more about the intelligence of the bonobos, and less about the struggles of the characters, that should have played a more secondary role in the book. Is it the in-thing for current books to have characters who are frustrated writers? And can we have one novel that doesn't have a cheating lover? It seemed that the bonobos were just an avenue to a formatted storyline. So much more could have focused on these intelligent beings. And the ending was very predictable. Such a disappointment!

Water for Elephants was a fun book---the ending was priceless. In contrast, this book was very predictable. It ended up just as I thought it would. The characters did everything that I thought they would. What made the book enjoyable was the bonobos--they were the fascinating characters and they had all of the great lines. I just couldn't relate to the humans --- they were stock characters--- the dedicated primatologist, the crusading reporter, the evil scientist, the bad pornographer, the prostitutes with hearts of gold. I had hoped for better.

Reading aloud can enhance the writing or turn its pock marks into craters. After listening to the audio versions of Water for Elephants and Ape House, I thought Ape House was written by a completely different author: one who couldn't write. One who inserted stupefying back story. One who created incongruous situations for characters who made no sense. It was like a novice writer decided, oh I'll make my hero more heroic by having him put out the flames on a burning man. And oh, I'll make him sympathetic by scaring him with a possible love child, for whom he is willing to accept responsibility. But it turns out to be a stupid identity mistake because he hasn't asked the 17-year-old his mother's name.

I wonder if Ape House is really Sara Gruen's first novel, and she just dusted it off and stuck apes in it to get it out to press. It's really that bad, and if I hadn't been stuck in a car for 10 hours, I would have dumped it. From the experience, I concluded that behind a lot of masterpieces (like Water for Elephants) must be a really good editor. I'll never read another of her novels.

I was thoroughly charmed by Sara Gruen's Ape House. In no other work of fiction is the humanness of bonobos portrayed so compellingly and so poignantly. I kept reading and reading and reading, even though I had other things to do. If after finishing this wonderful novel, you don't feel like giving Sara Gruen a hug and a kiss, you must be a real nincompoop, a party pooper, and/or a poopie head.

This follow up novel to Water for Elephants focuses on the life and times of a group of bonobos and their caretakers. Isabel loves these apes and devotes her life to studying them. John, a married reporter, goes to cover them for a story. Shortly after he leaves, an explosion rocks the lab, leaving Isabel unconcious and the apes missing .Who could have done such a thing and why? This book was a page turner, and I truly enjoyed all of the main characters.

This story invited me along page, by page. This author is an intricate storyteller. She does not allow the reader to reach conclusions before reading the end. Just enough foreshadowing to keep one guessing. I couldn't put it down.

This novel is a distinct disappointment after Water For Elephants. The characters and situations largely lack depth and believability. Indeed, the characters are more caricatures than real people. I did not enjoy the book at all, and abandoned it about half way through. The portions on the apes are interesting, but that's about it.

In 2007, Sara visited the real-life language-competent bonobos in a language laboratory at Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa. "Four years ago," she says, "it would never have occurred to me that I would ever be able to say that I have great apes as personal friends, and now I can say that. "That's an amazing life change."
Water for Elephants has become an immensely popular novel. Ape House seems destined to follow.

A masterful storyteller with a penchant for detailed research, Sara has produced yet another great book.

Needless to waste time on writing a long review; others have covered it far better than I could. I enjoyed this book but Water for Elephants is a better example of the literature this author can produce. Nonetheless, it is easy to read and enjoyable.

In turns breath-taking, frightening, intriguing, heart-breaking, heart warming and one heck of a fast moving can't put down story. I no longer reread books the way I did as a youth. This one I need to. Perhaps more then once more. Have enjoyed Gruen's books. This one surpasses all.

"Water For Elephants" was a magical read. That book had the capacity to bring together humans, animals and history and transport the reader into an unfamiliar world. Obviously, I'm going to compare every elephant and circus book to "Water" and I'm pretty sure most will fall short. Sadly, I'm going to have to compare "Ape House" to "Water" as well and come to the same verdict.

What happened here? Well, to start with, the book's titled "Ape House" but we don't get to the apes for 100 pages. Our introduction is to the human characters: of the four, the one least influencing the apes is the most interesting; however, I suspect many writing coaches would consider 'Amanda' a darling that Ms. Gruen probably should have killed in favor of the story.

When we finally get to the apes, we learn that animal rights activists have bombed their research facility. The apes are running free. Unfortunately, they get captured by sold to reality television creators who decide to make a television show about their activities. Doing what's natural to the animals becomes pornography to the prurient-oriented viewers.

The primary quartet of human characters fall short of their potential. Isabel, the ape researcher, is badly damaged by the bomb blast and is forced to undergo extensive plastic surgery. A fascinating storyline about character identity is sacrificed so we can see how Amanda is attractive to men. John, the ape reporter and Amanda's husband, spends his time divided between trying to follow the apes' story and hopefully recover them and staking his territory with his overly-attractive wife. Peter, the man who dumped Isabel is about as unnecessary as Amanda.

The story does pick up as John and Isabel desperately try to find the apes. A lot of fascinating character studies straight from the pages of the papers. But, do we have to have the 'Eastborough' Baptist Church picketing the apes because they are touching each other and thus, potentially bisexual?

In contrast to the humans, the apes come off as the more compassionate and 'evolved' species. Their conversations and plight are amusing and touching. The small interactions with the apes are the portions of the story that had me riveted to the page while the remainder of the story left me hurrying to return to the animals.

Now, in conclusion, I'm going to mention the fictional work that I consider the "Water For Elephants" of the ape world. It's "Captivity" by Debbie Wesselmann. This is the story of a South Carolina ape research institute with strong human and ape characters.

Captivity

Rebecca Kyle, September 2010

I loved Water For Elephants, but this second book of Sara Gruen's was horrible. It just felt like she was trying too hard; felt pretentious. Like once she was done writing it, she went back with a thesaurus and replaced a bunch of words. Who uses the phrase 'Schadenfreudic glee' in a normal conversation? Annoying.

Water for Elephants is one of the best books of this decade. Does Sara Gruen have another great book in her? The answer is yes as she proves with her newest book Ape House where a lab is bombed and the animals wind up on a reality television show using sign language. Forget "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol." Ape House is the real thing - at least symbolically.

Great story, exposing the treatment of non-human intelligent beings,
that understand a complex language and can communicate with us at
a sophisticated level. Although displaying most of the attributes
that make us human, these creatures are treated as property by our society.
The book explores these issues through a very suspenseful and suprising
plot.

Water for Elephants was a wonderful book but Ape House is shallow and one-dimensional. Almost everyone in the book is a ridiculous crying, vomiting, whining wuss. Amanda should have been poisoned early. And a major reporter getting undercut,oh please. The characters seemed sterotyped from evil producer,bad,unfaithful scientist, to hollywood sleaze bags. There should have been more depth and time put into the ape characters and their drama as well as a history of their plight rather than unsympathic characters stumbling through their weenie lives. Celia and the Russion Whore had the only backbone in the book. What should have been a wonderful book about Apes was more about all the surrounding characters and their lives which utterly bored me to death. I had no emphathy for any of them. And John putting up with a mother in law like Fran and Amanda letting her ride over her life, going through personal draws is too much. Fran should have been told to leave on day one. The characters in Water for Elephants had moxy and depth and history. Did Sara have to write a quick book to fulfill a contract? That is how it reads to me. Really sad after Water for Elephants was a sensational book.

After Sara Gruen's wonderful Water for Elephants, I was disappointed in this novel. I felt that the characters, except Isabel (and the bonobo's) were contrived. Isabel was nearly the only likable character. If there were half-stars, I would have given this book 2 1/2.

Having loved Water for Elephants, I've been eagerly awaiting Sara Gruen's next book, and Ape House more than delivers. Gruen creates funny, complex characters--both human and bonobo--and spins a story that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. My book club has already moved it to the top of the list!

Could not put this book down! I liked Water for Elephants, but I LOVED this book. I keep thinking about it weeks after I've read it.Ape House: A Novel

I got to page 132 of this book, and I'm done. I'm not sure what the author is trying to prove here, but there's the Great Ape Language Lab (the 'Goodies') who provide space, social housing, and basically any indulgence you can think of to the bonobos; and there's the biomedical lab (the 'Baddies') who stuff sick chimps into small cages with no enrichment for who-knows-what cruel procedures. While the author may have visited the Iowa Great Ape trust, clearly she has never been to a biomedical research facility that is run as it should be run - following the regulations outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Unfortunately there may be black sheep who don't take care of their research animals, but they are few and far between and no one within the biomed community condones these conditions. The stereotype of 'typical' cruel biomed lab that is portrayed here is outdated, completely inaccurate, and it's dangerous - it's exactly that kind of portrayal that may fuel animal rights terrorism. So what's the point here? Animal research is bad, unless you treat bonobos like humans in which case it's the best thing ever? Well guess what, those bonobos came from somewhere and it sure isn't a captive breeding facility (because they don't exist), and more likely than not they too were wrestled as babies from the arms of their dead mothers. Think about that.
I can't even say anything else about this book, this point alone got me too annoyed. Thank you. Rant over.

That I loved Water for Elephants so much (I did), that I would be so eager to read her next book (I was), I would
shell out fifteen bucks for the hardback even (which I also did)? I feel like a chump- what a disappointing read. I'd give it zero stars if I could. All bonobos everywhere are signing gimme book book bad dirty toilet book.

This was one of the worst books I have ever finished. I'm giving it 1 star simply because it made me aware of the work being done at The Great Ape Trust. The bonobos in Ape House are the only interesting characters in the book. The humans, especially the women, are mostly caricatures, from the Russian "hooker with a heart of gold" to the neurotic, basket-case, fragile reporter's wife. There's not much plot to speak of, and literally no suspense. I loved Water for Elephants, and I was seriously disappointed in this tripe.

I loved Water for Elephants and enjoyed Gruen's previous two books so this was a major disappointment. While I was fascinated by the bonobos, many of the characters didn't seem real and parts of the story were far-fetched.

Ok, I found the book not to be as enchanting as WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, but still I kept turning the pages. There were some disconnects for me, as well. Like Amanda and John at the swimming pool and she looks up at the umbrella before taking off her cover-up. Huh? But the main puzzler for me was in Chapter 37 where John "gives Cecil a few minutes..."

Which character was this in the book?

What a disappointment after Water for Elephants. Not only is the story plodding and the characters unrealistic, but the book is also poorly written - any writer who uses the phrase 'one year anniversary' should have their license revoked!

I absolutely loved "Water for Elephants", and couldn't wait to read "Ape House". Wow, was I disappointed. A decent book, but a big letdown from WFE. The humans problems and their poor relationship with the parents was boring soap opera. I skipped through lots of the book. The Bonobos were very compelling which kept me reading.

What a disappointment. At least the price has been established: $5,000,000.00. That's how much Ms. Gruen took to ditch her "Water for Elephants" editor and publisher apparently for bigger players. The result, unfortunately, is so inferior in every respect to "Water" as to leave this reader wondering if even Ms. Gruen is embarrassed. It is almost as if two entirely different people named Sara Gruen wrote these two books.

"Ape House" is riddled with hackneyed devices, "stick" (and "stock") figure characters, heavy-handed foreshadowing, cliche dialogue, trite metaphors and way over-the-top plot strands bending every which way, as to almost leave one wondering (considering the exquisiteness of "Water") if the whole book is a put-on, and it is intended we should laugh at it.

Alas, such is not the case. The author's afterword and jacket info hammer hard on the first-hand knowledge and sincere appreciation she has gained of bonobos. Indeed, the bonobos are the only empathetic characters here; the only ones for whom a reader could care.

Ms. Gruen clearly wants to convey to her many readers the majesty of bonobos, and how vital they are to scientific understanding of the human condition. If you work real hard at the reading, it is possible to come away with the surface of the message, but little if any substance. Slap-dash, phoned-in pulp fiction, incessant unreal coincidences, the absence of any "guiding hands" by a capable editor--all muck up the message.

Fortunately, the very talented Ms. Gruen is capable of so much more, and has many writing years ahead of her. Every professional is capable of slipping. Her next book HAS to be better.

I absolutely loved Water for Elephants and I greatly anticipated this book but ended up putting it down with 20% of the book left. The premise started great but then turned first weird, then ridiculous. Save your pennies

Water for Elephants was a masterful debut. Gruen spun a period tale, a richly textured plot with great character development weaving in and out. Ape House is very pedestrian effort. A nice story, not particularly suspenseful, few twists, fairly predictable. I would certainly read Gruen again. But we may never see another WFE from her.

I knew I was in for a treat when in the second chapter a question was asked by one of the characters in the novel and I literaly had to pause and gird myself for the answer, I was already that invested in the story. I found the novel moving and well written. A page turner I recommend to anyone.

Sadly not even close to Water. Page 216 gives a lying toss, slamming hero Pres. Bush then the liberal whining slathers into ruining the remaining book. Sara clearly has never set foot in Kansas nor a real ape lab but I loved Bonzi so grade C.

I was so looking forward to reading this book after thoroughly enjoying Water for Elephants. Unfortunately, after forcing my way to the very end, my assumption is that once you write one bestseller like Water, you can get ANYTHING published. Others have already outlined the many deficiencies of this book. Those who gave the book five stars must be profiting somehow...

Like most of the other reviewers, I was very excited to read this new book by Sarah Gruen. So you can understand my disappointment in the lackluster storyline and characters presented here. Three-fourths of the way through the book, I stopped and thought, wait, I can't be this far...the story hasn't even started yet! I felt like I didn't get to know any of the characters enough to feel empathy or joy for them. I was most let down by the lack of depth in the apes themselves. I was really hoping that some of the POV would be through them. The whole book felt like a summary of a story, rather than a novel itself. DO NOT waste money or time on this book.

If this is your subject, read Debbie Lee Wesselmann's Captivity! It's a richer book. Both great reads though. Important topic.

As an animal lover, I enjoyed the book. There is no question that the author cares for animals, as well. However, I found her depiction of Christian characters in the book to be unfair and totally inaccurate. Also, when she was referring to John and Amanda producing a child, she poignantly pointed out that birth is a "miracle of nature." As a Christian, I have never read a book that has expressed the anger and obvious resentment that this author has consciously or unconsciously directed toward my religion and the one true God. I enjoyed Water for Elephants and did not pick up on any such resentments, but I will have to think carefully before I read another of her books.

The book is well-reviewed in The New York Times Book Review on September 3rd. Check it out for content (not immensely favorable, by the way). I am reviewing the Kindle version and I feel compelled to express concern over the rise in pricing... the dramatic rise in pricing on popular new releases (like Freedom, Skippy Dies, Ape House, etc.). While publisher may influence price, it is troubling when an electronic version sells for as much or more as a printed hardcover. I think the trend is one to be wary of. I guess I still prefer to read a physical book and prior purchases have been influenced by a balance betwixt cost and format. For others cost may be secondary to format so this buyer may be the target for increased ebook pricing. I am concerned and this development has delayed my Kindle purchase, though I do have another eReader for books at other vendors and/or books priced at a level I feel is fair.