A Bowl For the Soul

SHORT STORY REVIEW: MONKEY TALK

Hello bookworms! We were approached to review a book by T. Lucas Earle so here is our first short-story review. 

  

Book blurb:

Monkey Talk is loosely based on the Chinese myth, the Monkey King, a timeless story about who belongs, and who doesn’t. In a future in which Chimps can give lectures on cybernetics, Mr. Towry is a Chimp with an attitude. Unfortunately, the rules are still “No shirt, no shoes, no service.”

The fact that the author could develop the characters in the story very well has made me very partial to this book. Especially considering it is only 16 pages long! In fact, while Mr Towry was quite a stubborn chimp, I find myself liking this character. He voices his mind outrightly with no malice intention which makes most of his conversations (internal and with other people) quite hilarious. It's not a full-blown humour but you can find yourself smile when Mr. Towry acts up and demand to be treated more equally by humans. His uses of canes was ingenious- since Towry is an ape, he has a short stature so he has to carry a cane everywhere to press the buttons on elevators and hits people that mistreated him on occasions. Then, he has to make an argument with his new assistant, Ms Liu, regarding the difference between beef and other animal meat (refer to monkey meat). It's an exceptionally heavy notion as Mr. Towry indicates that if all animals could voice their opinions, none of them wants to be cooked and eaten as delicacies for anyone.

After reading Monkey Talk, I can see exactly what the book blurb means. In the story, even though chimps are evolved and as capable (maybe even more so) than humans, they do not belong with the norms of the society. If you don't wear any shoes to a banquet, you can't enter. Unfortunately, Mr. Towry is not human therefore he has hands instead of feet. This actually makes a valid reason for him to be shoeless (how could you wear shoes on hands?!). Nonetheless, this was unacceptable by human standards. Ergo, the point of who belongs, and who doesn't. 

Thumbs up to the author for such a brilliantly executed story with enlightenment of some serious issues in the society. It's a very well-laid storyline with clear thoughts of the characters and being a unique story that does more than just a short story. I do wish that Earle would write more about the adventures of Mr. Towry, as I would love to know more about this particular chimp!

Author's Profile: 

T. Lucas Earle is a writer, filmmaker, and amateur statistician  He lives in LA, a comfortable 60 meters above sea level, where only three out of every 100,000 people are murdered. 

T. Lucas has a degree from Emerson College, which makes for a terrific placemat. He spends his days reading terrible scripts - a job for which he receives  nominal remuneration. Like many slightly brain-damaged children of hypoxic former left-wing political cult members of the 1970s , he will review almost anything. I once caught him writing a review for a Hamilton Beach toaster oven  instruction manual.

When T. Lucas is not reading and groaning quietly to himself, he writes and groans much louder.  He has written several short stories, a screenplay or two, and is working up the courage to write a note to the fetching young lady who works at the Starbucks on Glendale Ave. He's been published in Electric Spec, The Colored Lens, and on Amazon, where you can find his short stories. Find out more at his official website.

Reviewer Notes: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own and do not reflect those of the author, my clients or tour companies I work with. This is not a paid review. To form your own opinion please support the author and acquire your own legal copy of the book.