"Tender and artful . . . a gently spiritual celebration of life."
--New York Times Book Review
Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Francine Prose weaves an
ingenious, darkly humorous, and brilliantly observant story that follows
the exploits and intrigue of a constellation of characters affiliated
with an off-off-off-off Broadway children's musical
Mister Monkey--a screwball children's musical about a playfully
larcenous pet chimpanzee--is the kind of family favorite that survives
far past its prime. Margot, who plays the chimp's lawyer, knows the
production is dreadful and bemoans the failure of her acting career.
She's settled into the drudgery of playing a humiliating part--until the
day she receives a mysterious letter from an anonymous admirer . . . and
later, in the middle of a performance, has a shocking encounter with
Adam, the twelve-year-old who plays the title role.
Francine Prose's effervescent comedy is told from the viewpoints of
wildly unreliable, seemingly disparate characters whose lives become
deeply connected as the madcap narrative unfolds. There is Adam, whose
looming adolescence informs his interpretation of his role; Edward, a
young audience member who is candidly unimpressed with the play; Ray,
the author of the novel on which the musical is based, who witnesses one
of the most awkward first dates in literature; and even the eponymous
Mister Monkey, the Monkey God himself.
With her trademark wit and verve, Prose delves into humanity's most
profound mysteries: art, ambition, childhood, aging, and love. Startling
and captivating, Mister Monkey is a breathtaking novel from a writer
at the height of her craft.
