PETER VERHELST

An impressively entertaining tale about the frailty of human civilisation by the leading Flemish writer Peter Verhelst, now for the first time in English.Warning: This story is narrated by a gorilla. He is plucked from the jungle. He learns to chat and passes the ultimate test: a cocktail party. Eventually he is moved to an amusement park, where he acts in a play about the history of civilisation. But as the gorilla becomes increasingly aware of human frailties, he must choose between his instincts and his training, between principles and self-preservation.Why Peirene chose to publish this book: This is Peirenes first book narrated by an ape. Animal fables are usually not my thing. It needed Belgian deadpan humour to convince me otherwise. Mixing Huxleys Brave New Worldwith Orwells Animal Farm, the fast-paced plot leaves behind images that play in your mind long after you have closed the book.Meike ZiervogelSimple, but wonderful and impassioned.De Standaard.A heart-warming novella in bleak times. Humo

No es de extrañar que en su primer libro para niños Peter Verhelst reescriba un cuento, pues su obra está imbuida de ellos. A primera vista parece tratarse de una adaptación poco significativa de "El ruiseñor": el argumento resulta perfectamente reconocible, los principales personajes se mantienen y hasta se respeta la moraleja de Andersen. Sin embargo, las apariencias engañan. Bajo la superficie se esconden un sinfín de elementos novedosos y sugerentes. No cabe duda de que una lectura asociativa y creativa aportará mucho más al lector que la mera búsqueda de sentido.