Volume 1 (1999/2000)
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Issue 2 (Nov. 1999)
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Issue 4 (Feb. 2000)
Issue 5 (March 2000)
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Volume 2 (2000/2001)
Issue 1 (Sept. 2000)
Issue 2 (Oct. 2000)
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Issue 5 (April 2001)
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Volume 3 (2001)
Issue 1 (Sept. 2001)
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Lauren Murphy
Mater Christi SS, Dublin

When I first picked up this book, I didn't know what to expect. I had it on good authority that it would be an enjoyable read but I'll admit I was still a little apprehensive.

One of the things that threw me was the title, "Monkeys". What did it suggest? Playfulness, children, mischief; Monkeys had all of these things, and more. But the emotions also run deeper than you first think.

The book does not really have a running story. It's different, in that it chronicles the lives of one Irish-American Catholic family, and it takes us through a period of about thirteen years in their lives. That's one of the things I liked most about it - each chapter is one part, one episode, one event in the Vincent family life. And each event or chapter may affect a member of the family in a different way; it may be more relevant to one of them than another. And although it may only tell one mini-story at a time, after the first few chapters you begin to feel an affinity with these characters. You can relate to them, their problems, and their lives because more often than not, you yourself have had the same kind of problem.

The story begins by introducing the Vincent family, who live in New England, on the eastern coast of America in the 1960's. There are nine in the family in total - Gus and Rosie, the parents, and their children Caitlin, Sophie, Delilah, Gus, Sherman, Chicky and Minnie - the "monkeys" of the family, hence the title.

The story is rather difficult to explain. The style that Susan Minot uses is very different to anything I've read before. The closest style that comes to mind is J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher In The Rye". I have already mentioned that the novel follows the Vincents through their childhood, from 1966-1979. As the novel progresses, you can see how each member of the family changes through this time.

At the beginning of the novel, we can see the innocence of the children, their delight at being taken ice-skating by their mother or their playfulness when they hide from their Dad in the linen closet. However, as the story goes on, you can see how each of the children develops into their own character. The nice thing, though, is that even though they inevitably grow up, the bond of loyalty and affection between the children remains strong, especially in times of trouble, of which there are some later on in the book.

"Monkeys" can be, at times dramatic, funny, sad and happy. During one particularly emotional chapter, I found myself with a lump in my throat, which NEVER happens when I'm reading a book! It was simply the way it was written and described that made me feel as if I, myself, was experiencing the trauma.

The author, Susan Minot, has a wonderful talent for describing situations and people with the minimum amount of effort and words. She can paint a picture so vividly in the mind of the reader in a matter of moments. I loved the way she described things so easily, without complicated words or phrases, and this made the book very easy to read. A reader can open the book at practically any chapter, begin reading, and by the first few paragraphs, have the basic outline of what was happening. There are few books nowadays that can boast the same quality. I only wish that I could write as well as she does, with clear, graceful, unaffected prose, and simple, basic descriptions. And that's exactly the magic - it appears to be simple and basic, but it goes deeper, so much deeper than that.

Susan Minot was born in Boston in 1956, and she now lives in New York. "Monkeys" was her debut novel, which is an amazing feat when you consider how brilliant it is. It is, as the Sunday Times put it, "An astonishing first novel, wise, tragic, elegant and funny". It was published in 1986 and Minot won the prestigious French award, the "Prix Femina Etranger" in the same year. She has also written two other books, "Lust and Other Stories" and "Folly".

Although I haven't read either of these books, YET, I will certainly go about finding them, because if they are anything like their precursor, the reader is in for a treat. And I know one thing that I will DEFINITELY do - get a copy of "Monkeys" for my own bookshelf. I'd go bananas without it!!

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