sunshowerdandelion | 04.10.2025 (1): Monkey Gripped (Reply)

Finished Monkey Grip today - I can't believe it was only 245 pages long, it felt a whole lot longer. I don't think I liked it. Characters came and went so quickly and that's admittedly something I struggle with: as in actual life, it's a bit hard for me to remember people. Also, the whole bit about sex and drugs and alternative living didn't really touch me. I'm very much a boring sort of person, and I don't think my family would be able to support a drug habit. The communal life stuff was a lot more interesting, but I wished the protagonist was more attentive towards it. I guess the point of the novel is the Javo, Javo, Javo (along with Joss and Francis and Willy and Martin and a host of some other men), but I found that a little boring. Back and forth and back and forth. There's nicely clear prose and very lyrical parts but I think without a spine, the book sort of flops around.

I did not write too substantially today. Blame Monkey Grip.