Love in Infant Monkeys

by Lydia Millet

Book Overview

Animals and celebrities share unusual relationships in these hilarious satirical stories by an award-winning contemporary writer.

Lions, Komodo dragons, dogs, monkeys, and pheasants--all have shared spotlights and tabloid headlines with celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Thomas Edison, and David Hasselhoff. Millet hilariously tweaks these unholy communions to run a stake through the heart of our fascination with famous people and pop...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593762526
• ISBN13: 9781593762520
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Soft Skull
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Worth a following

This collection of short stories put me in mind of Jim Shepard's short works which are the current gold standard. Although not as fully realized as Shepard's odd, gem-like worlds of despair and desperation transfigured by revelation and rare redemptions; these are as close as it gets. Well worth reading and the type of work that leaves one waiting for more.

Beautiful, elegant collection

Without doubt, this is the best collection I have read so far this year. The stories are smooth and insightful, soulful and compelling. As with her novels, Millet uses historic and pop culture elements from the 20th Century as a means of creating stories that are surprisingly personal and deeply contemplative. In a sentence: Millet knows how to ransack the details of my life--especially as it relates to movies and tv I watched as a kid--and make art out of it. (As I've not yet been able how to configure my signature as my real name: Todd Pierce).

Good read from one of my favorite authors

Millet has done it again, but with some short stories. Thanks for the bedtime laughter.

Animals and celebrities take a starring role in this unique collection.

Lydia Millet has received a lot of praise for her work and is seen by many as one of the best writer's in the U.S. Stepping into her world for the first time with her collection of stories, Love in Infant Monkeys, shows a writer willing to take risks in her material. The collection revolves around animals, be they pets, circus elephants, or even the lions from the movie Born Free. Millet further layers the collection with real life celebrities or historical figures so in the course of the book we see David Hasselhoff, hear the musings of Madonna, learn of the religious leanings of Thomas Edison, and witness a confession from former President Jimmy Carter -- and there are more. Many of the stories are based on true stories of animals with famous people, although Millett takes artistic license and uses them as springboards. The result is a strong, if uneven, collection with the famous names at times proving to be a distraction and at other times an annoyance. The book opens with Madonna pondering a range of ideas as she looks over a dying pheasant she has shot in "Sexing the Pheasant." The animal here serves as a catalyst for her thoughts, but the focus is on Madonna and her musings on celebrity life, her husband's friends, and her attempts to conquer English phrases. Madonna is such an easy target to make fun of that she is hardly worth the effort; this story could be written by some talented undergrads with a sense of humor. Such entries are frustrating when you see Millet's skills in a story such as "Sir Henry," a moving tale of a dog walker who is forced beyond his dog world when he suddenly recognizes humanity which rises to the level of, well, dogs. Sir Henry, a dachshund, belongs to a famous performer, but this means nothing to the dogwalker. He likes the dog because of the dog itself, not any association. He walks the dog with "Blackie," who belongs to a dying violinist who asks the walker to take the dog after he dies, which by the violinist's own admission will be soon. The request goes against the walker's own protocol, but he is moved enough to consider it and begins to see the violinist and his caretaker in a new light. We do not hear the final decision, but it is the questioning which is enlightening. Toward the end of the story Millet reveals that Sir Henry's absent owner is David Hasselhoff, who bestows some glancing attention on the dog when he accidentally meets up with the walker in the park. The walker hears the excited reactions of those around him, but is clearly not moved by the connection. The question is, why throw this diversion in what is an otherwise strong story. Millet shifts the reader's attention in a way the dog walker himself escapes, and the rationale is not clear. Millet does better with less "celebrity" people such as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Although not as well known today, Tesla was a influential inventor who counts the radio among his creations. Millet focuses on his death as debt laden scientist