![]() I wouldn't recommend it for those seeking a survival story (though, essentially, it is one), but maybe those who love books that explore all the nuances of behaviour and relationships would be as fascinated by Theory of Bastards as I was.īlog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube I think this is just a really interesting, well-researched, and unusual story. Frankie's research attempts to understand why the female bonobos seem to choose sexual partners at random - instead of being selective and finding the best mate from an evolutionary perspective - and I must say, I was so intrigued by this mystery myself! I loved reading about their behaviour, their interactions with each other and the scientists, the sign language they learned, and how readily they cooperated with each other. That being said, I also think the bonobos were just rather fascinating in themselves. It is interesting and often moving to see how her many misdiagnoses and unpleasant experiences with endometriosis have affected her theorizing on sex, sexuality and infidelity. In fact, I can't recall reading a book that has even mentioned it. ![]() I realized while reading this book that - even though endometriosis is a common disorder among women - I have never read a book that has so openly and honestly explored it. Her own personal struggles with relationships and sex, due to her endometriosis, are gradually revealed and run alongside the study of the bonobos' sex and relationship habits.įrankie's endometriosis, and the severe pain it brings, has been a defining experience for her ever since puberty. Maybe it is because of all the ways Frankie's narrative links the bonobos' behaviour back to her own experiences, and to human nature. This is where I'm a little confused myself because I don't know how to explain why this is so interesting. There are many chapters concerned almost solely with detailing monkey behaviour. But I'm not gonna lie: the study of the apes and their behaviour is a major focus of the plot. Eventually ecological disaster strikes and the story evolves into a survival tale. Theory of Bastards is about an award-winning evolutionary biologist, Francine Burke, who takes on a new research project studying the sexual behaviour of bonobos. I can't imagine I will succeed in recommending it to anyone once I've described what it is about - and maybe that's for the best - but I just found this story so unbelievably fascinating. ![]() ![]() Readers will shiver as they keep turning the pages. Audrey Schulman has written an absorbing, recognizable story, a book that is humane, generous and surprising. This superb literary novel can’t be characterized as dystopian or science fiction. This near-future world is utterly dependent on these little understood mechanisms and implants.Īnd so when the terrible, dry winds sweep out of the abandoned places in America, silencing all devices, Francine and the man she has grown to love make a decision that will determine if they’ll face a premature ending or, maybe, find a chance to start life over. Francine decided to share her MacArthur award with the Foundation so that she could study a group of remarkable animals, gentle and intelligent – the perfect creatures to certify her astonishing theory of reproduction, a revolutionary concept that has already changed genetic testing and unmasked public figures and past presidents.Īs Francine learns more about her fascinating subjects, we slowly discover that she has access to the most advanced technology: “bodyware,” the lifelike devices that have replaced cellphones, computers, watches, television-most every means of communication. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |