Monkeyface (1948)
Stephen Gilbert
With a new introduction by Andrew Doyle
Book Description
While exploring the jungles of South America, Dr. Theodore Browne stumbles upon a previously unknown species of primate that could be the “missing link” between apes and humans in the theory of evolution. He names the animal Bimbo and brings him back to Belfast for further research, but his untimely death leaves Bimbo in the hands of his brother, a callous businessman who sees him only as a resource to exploit for financial gain. One day, Bimbo surprises everyone by demonstrating that he can speak, and it soon becomes clear that he is far more intelligent than his human captors. Bimbo begins to think about his future and dreams of going in search of his family, but first he will have to escape the wiles of the wicked Mr. Browne, who has other plans in store for him....
A highly original and imaginative work that blends elements of adventure, fantasy, and science fiction and raises ethical questions about mankind’s treatment of animals, Monkeyface (1948) is one of the most enjoyable novels by Stephen Gilbert (1912-2010), author of the horror classic Ratman’s Notebooks (1968). This first-ever reprint of the novel features a new introduction by Andrew Doyle.
Stephen Gilbert
With a new introduction by Andrew Doyle
Book Description
While exploring the jungles of South America, Dr. Theodore Browne stumbles upon a previously unknown species of primate that could be the “missing link” between apes and humans in the theory of evolution. He names the animal Bimbo and brings him back to Belfast for further research, but his untimely death leaves Bimbo in the hands of his brother, a callous businessman who sees him only as a resource to exploit for financial gain. One day, Bimbo surprises everyone by demonstrating that he can speak, and it soon becomes clear that he is far more intelligent than his human captors. Bimbo begins to think about his future and dreams of going in search of his family, but first he will have to escape the wiles of the wicked Mr. Browne, who has other plans in store for him....
A highly original and imaginative work that blends elements of adventure, fantasy, and science fiction and raises ethical questions about mankind’s treatment of animals, Monkeyface (1948) is one of the most enjoyable novels by Stephen Gilbert (1912-2010), author of the horror classic Ratman’s Notebooks (1968). This first-ever reprint of the novel features a new introduction by Andrew Doyle.
reviews
“It is highly readable and offers the right combination of imaginative fantasy and reality.” – Olivia Manning, The Spectator
“A delightful book.” – Frank O'Connor, Evening News
“A writer of distinction.” – E.M. Forster
“A piece of imaginative work worthy of a genius.” – Northern Whig
“A delightful book.” – Frank O'Connor, Evening News
“A writer of distinction.” – E.M. Forster
“A piece of imaginative work worthy of a genius.” – Northern Whig
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BOOK DETAILS
ISBN: 1941147046 ISBN-13: 978-1941147047 $16.99 US, 216 pp. Trade paper Published 2014 |
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Stephen Gilbert (1912-2010) was born in Newcastle, Co. Down in 1912. He was sent to England for boarding school from age 10 to 13 and afterwards to a Scottish public school, which he left without passing any exams or obtaining a leaving certificate. He returned to Belfast, where he worked briefly as a journalist before joining his father’s tea and seed business. In 1931, just before his nineteenth birthday, Gilbert met novelist Forrest Reid, by that time in his mid-fifties. Reid’s numerous novels reflect his lifelong fascination with teenage boys, and he was quickly drawn to Gilbert; the two commenced a sometimes turbulent friendship that lasted until Reid’s death in 1947. Reid acted as mentor to Gilbert, who had literary aspirations, and ultimately depicted an idealized version of their relationship in the novel Brian Westby (1934).
Gilbert’s first novel, The Landslide (1943), a fantasy involving prehistoric creatures which appear in a remote part of Ireland after being uncovered by a landslide, appeared to generally positive reviews and was dedicated to Reid. A realistic novel, Bombardier (1944), followed, based on Gilbert’s experiences in the Second World War. Gilbert’s third novel, Monkeyface (1948), concerns what seems to be an ape, called “Bimbo,” discovered in South America and brought back to Belfast, where it learns to talk. The Burnaby Experiments appeared in 1952, five years after Reid’s death, and is a thinly disguised portrayal of their relationship from Gilbert’s point of view and a belated response to Brian Westby. His final novel, Ratman’s Notebooks (1968), the story of a loner who learns he can train rats to kill, would become his most famous, being twice filmed as Willard (1971; 2003).
Gilbert married his wife Kathleen Stevenson in 1945; the two had four children, and Gilbert devoted most of his time from the 1950s onward to family life and his seed business. He died in Northern Ireland in 2010 at age 97.
Gilbert’s first novel, The Landslide (1943), a fantasy involving prehistoric creatures which appear in a remote part of Ireland after being uncovered by a landslide, appeared to generally positive reviews and was dedicated to Reid. A realistic novel, Bombardier (1944), followed, based on Gilbert’s experiences in the Second World War. Gilbert’s third novel, Monkeyface (1948), concerns what seems to be an ape, called “Bimbo,” discovered in South America and brought back to Belfast, where it learns to talk. The Burnaby Experiments appeared in 1952, five years after Reid’s death, and is a thinly disguised portrayal of their relationship from Gilbert’s point of view and a belated response to Brian Westby. His final novel, Ratman’s Notebooks (1968), the story of a loner who learns he can train rats to kill, would become his most famous, being twice filmed as Willard (1971; 2003).
Gilbert married his wife Kathleen Stevenson in 1945; the two had four children, and Gilbert devoted most of his time from the 1950s onward to family life and his seed business. He died in Northern Ireland in 2010 at age 97.