Strange on so many levels.

I *loved* this book, but I haven't read it for several years, so now isn't the proper time to do a review. All I will say is it's completely unique. It reminded me a bit of Gulliver's Travels and Lord of the Flies. The story last surviving human (Jew) stuck on an island with several talking Christian Chimpanzees. Yes. Seriously.

Remarkably stupid.

Such an intersting book. I read this for my religion minor and it is very thought provoking. Recommend.

Bizarre. Grotesque. Hated most of it. Couldn’t see any redeeming value. No hope for man?
Didn’t feel it was worth my time to read it.

too masc, and took a really unsettling turn towards b*stiality

Interesting, if a bit bizarre. Think Doctor Doolittle in the Book of Revelation.

Weird, dark... almost put it down at the halfway point... but glad I didn't!

I surprisingly liked this fable about Cohn being the last man standing trying to keep civilization alive through apes. Although I like the general story line of the book, I thought the ending that seemed to have no meaning was depressing to contemplate for this I give this book 3 stars.

After man destroyed each other through nuclear war, God decided to destroy the rest of man via a second flood except for Mr. Cohn who was stuck under the ocean during the second flood. Cohn was mad at God for destroying his dream. The old Testament God never showed His face so when He said in Genesis that man was created in God's image, he must have meant his essence was created in God's image. Only a chimp survived God's wrath with Cohn and they landed on an island. He questions why bother living and answers b/c he breathes he has to live.

On the island, Cohn succumbed to radiation sickness though he realized that someone was keeping him alive by giving him food to eat. He muses that man may have been perfectly conceived by the Creators mind but purely executed b/c of the granting of free will. Time was purely a man made construct, so Cohn did not attempt to tell time. Apparently, God spared the island to create a space for the reinvention of life. But despite the chimp, Cohn was lonely and yearned for companionship someone to talk to. The chimp had a Christian upbring thus crossed himself when Cohn read from Genesis. Cohn describe himself as a fallen rabbi who fell from religion yet was obsessed with God himself.

Miraculously, the chimp gained the ability to speak. Buz had the ability to communicate with Cohn through speech. The Christian chimp, Buz, wanted Cohn to tell Buz the story of Jesus of Nazareth who he claimed preached to the apes. Cohn conjectures that God made man imperfect in order for him to strive to forever be better. George, the gorilla, also stayed close to the Cohn when he told a story to Buz out of the bible. Cohn loneliness led him to anthropomorphized talking chimps into thinking that they are suitable human companions.

Cohn saw the coming of the 5 chimps to his island and decided to accommodate them. B/c he has no one to talk to he basically asks the meaning of things that "God" wants. Like why did God send the 5 chimps to his island? Buz gave the 5 chimps names and he also gave them faith to understand the English language much to Cohn's delight b/c so he can set up civilization and rules for the apes to live by. Buz has a crush on Mary Magdelene the female chimp. The alpha male, Eseau, and Buz were competing for Mary Magdelene's affection though Buz liked Mary Magdelene better than Eseau. Eseau told everyone that his purpose in life was to sleep with Mary since he did not fear anyone and disliked everyone. Although Buz likes Mary, he is jealous on the quick way that she has acquired language and the fact that Cohn praises her but not him. For Buz, Cohn was his white chimpanzee father. Cohn strove to be inclusive to all the apes even the gorilla as he believes any outsiders would be dangerous to the apes ecosystem. He celebrates passover with the apes as a way to celebrate the fact that they survived the flood and strove to teach the apes about civilization and the destruction of men as a way to force them to realize that men failed b/c they did not cooperate to preserve civilization. To this end, Cohn established a school tree for them. Cohn was the only man left who teaches the apes of man's failures due to hubris. He questions God in making men imperfect thus indirectly contributing to his own downfall.

Cohn's little chimp village was a successful civilization with all the chimps except Eseau contributing to its success until Mary Magdelene reached estrus and disturbed the peace. In his cave, she told Cohn that ever since she learned knowledge from Cohn she no longer presents herself to male chimps even if she is in heat. The next day Eseau smelling Mary prepared to bash Cohn but he successfully scared him off. While Cohn has growing affection toward Mary,

she is in love with him b/c she was a romantic. Cohn realized that the reason why Mary did not present herself to a male was due to the fact she was saving her virginity for him. Cohn decided to mate with Mary in order to fast forward the evolutionary natural selection process with their chimp/man child. Before they slept with each other, Cohn decided to give Mary a wedding dress.

So, Cohn and Mary had a baby girl named Rebekah. Concerns about bestiality gave way to Cohn sense of responsibility of re-populating the earth with smart responsible beings starting with his hybrid child. Cohn tells his chimps that the baboons were strangers welcomed in their land, no matter what the chimps think of them. Ever since Cohn cured Eseau from his rotten teeth, he has been Cohn's best worker. Eseau promised to be more tolerant around the baboons. But Eseau led the chimps to hunting the baboon child Sara and ate her much to Cohn's chagrin and anger. Cohn lectured the chimps on the sacredness of all life while Eseau argued he was executing what was in his nature to chase and eat the meat that he was presented with. He enjoyed the process of the hunt and the taste of meat that comes with it. When the chimps disobeyed Cohn's rules by hunting baboons, he tried to banish them. But then, Eseau was angered by Cohn's banishment and almost killed him only to be saved by Mary by hitting Eseau on the head by a hammer.

Meanwhile, Buz wanted to supplant Cohn as the educated moral leader of the chimps. His Christian faith made him preach the God is love. Rebeka was growing into a sharp baby girl. But unfortunately, the apes conspired against Cohn in undermining his civilization. Cohn retaliated by cutting Buz's voice box to which the chimps responded by reverting back to savagery away from Cohn's civilization. Although Cohn was led to be slaughter, God did allow him to live a long life; though his version of civilization was not successful as he hoped.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is by far the strangest book I have ever read. Idon't know what i expected but this was not it.

Malamud really can't write badly, but this book is troubling and strange. I read this because someone said it was probaby an influence on the writing of The Life of Pi. That seems probably but not really of any importance to the appreciation of this book, since it was written in 1982. A spiritual journey that ends in a difficult space. Short and powerful.

An allegory, a fairy story, another end of the world drama where the only question is does the human screw up paradise yet again?

Malamud's writing is so excellent, his characterisation so real, that whether or not the plot is quite 'all there', the book is thoroughly enjoyable to read.