The Woman And The Ape

Lonely and disillusioned, Madelene Burden is a modern-day sleeping beauty drowsing in a alcoholic stupor. And the prince whose kiss brings her to life is 300-pound ape named Erasmus, the victim of a smuggling gone awry. Enthralling readers with the same taut prose, enigmatic characters, thrilling suspense, and satirical humor that drove "Smilla" to the top of bestseller lists, Hoeg offers a daring and imaginative fable that poses searching questions about the nature of romance.

"The Woman and the Ape" is the story of a unique and unforgettable couple--Madelene and Erasmus. Madelene is the wife of Adam Burden, a distinguished behavioral scientist. Erasmus--the unlikely prince--is a 300-pound ape. Brought to the Burdens' London home after escaping from animal smugglers, Erasmus is discovered to be a highly intelligent anthropoid ape, the closest thing yet to a human being. Madelene decides to save Erasmus, and between them blossoms a profound affection as deep as any human relationship. A fable for our time, "The Woman and the Ape" poses searching questions about the nature of love, freedom, and humanity.