Erin's Response to Chapters 26- Epilogue

1. How would you describe the relationship between John and Isabel?

I can't quite figure this out. So nothing happened with them-- not even close. I didn't want John to cheat on Amanda, but was kind of looking for a little suspense. I can't figure out why Gruen reminded us of John's infatuation with Isabel if nothing was going to come of it. Gruen also made it a point to show us that John was territorial when it came to other men looking at Amanda and he would fantasize about Amanda. But why the attraction to Isabel if nothing was going to come of it?

Was he only attracted to her because of her ability to communicate with the apes and her relationship with the apes? I'm just not sure!

2. What was your reaction to finding out Peter's role in the explosion and capture of the apes?

I wasn't surprised at all. I liked the build up to finding out that he wasn't a good guy. I liked how we trusted him in the beginning and were happy that Isabel had someone she could trust, but I loved reading how that all unraveled. I would have liked to see more of how that all came out. More confrontation and more on why Peter did what he did.

3. Both John and Amanda ended up achieving their professional goals. Amanda ended up getting pregnant and John is excited about having a baby. Do you think this is the end to their problems? Can John and Amanda be happy?

I think they are both content, but why is John leaving Amanda at home alone to go off on these adventurous story assignments when she is pregnant? Maybe John and Amanda both only need professional satisfaction in order to be happy with everything else in their lives. In the book, they had the love, but neither were happy with their careers. So maybe now that they both have their careers in line, their happiness is taken care of. It is obvious that they love each other very much. Hopefully John won't continue to follow Isabel everywhere and his attraction to her will never be acted on.

4. What did you find to be the most intriguing about the bonobos?

They are so smart, so loving, and so human-like. They are great judges of character and are very loyal to those they love. I would absolutely love to get to witness bonobos communicating with each other and with humans!

5. Which character did you enjoy reading about the most?

John's story line was always the most intriguing to me. There wasn't much "action" with Isabel, though I thought she was a great character. I just liked all the drama associated with John- though some of it was over the top and seemed unnecessary. I could have completely done without the introduction of the green-haired kid and the paternity test associated with that. Maybe John needed that to realize that he wanted to be a father? But it was in the last few chapters of the book. I just didn't understand the point of that character or that story. I'm not sure why John went into a meth lab and picked up Booger the dog. There were just some aspects of his story that seemed to be "too much" for me.

6. Was the ending what you expected? Did things resolve the way you thought they would?

Again, I would have liked to see more confrontation in the end, but I am happy with the ending. I'm happy the bonobos are safe and sound and that Isabel has been reunited with them, her family.

7. And finally, any overall thoughts or feelings that these questions haven't addressed? How would you rate this book for others? Any part that you loved? Anything you hated? SHARE!

I would give this book 3 stars out of 5 stars. At least that's what I did on Goodreads. I liked reading about the apes and I liked reading about the world of journalism. I just think that some of the scenes were unnecessary and a waste of paper. I'm excited to read other posts to see if anyone agrees or disagrees. There were a lot of things that I did like about the book, but I feel like the things I liked the most were the conflict and the bonobos, so I'd like to have seen more of how it all shook out and had less shenanigans in John's story.

Ape House Ch. 26-Epilogue Discussion Questions

First of all, sorry these are a bit delayed! It was a busy weekend for both Erin and me. Secondly, are we really done with this book already? It went by so fast! Guess this means we need to start thinking about our next book! Feel free to comment with any suggestions.

Anyhow....here are our questions for this last piece of Ape House:


1. How would you describe the relationship between John and Isabel?

2. What was your reaction to finding out Peter's role in the explosion and capture of the apes?

3. Both John and Amanda ended up achieving their professional goals. Amanda ended up getting pregnant and John is excited about having a baby. Do you think this is the end to their problems? Can John and Amanda be happy?

4. What did you find to be the most intriguing about the bonobos?

5. Which character did you enjoy reading about the most?

6. Was the ending what you expected? Did things resolve the way you thought they would?

7. And finally, any overall thoughts or feelings that these questions haven't addressed? How would you rate this book for others? Any part that you loved? Anything you hated? SHARE!

Rachel's Response to Chapters 13-25

1. Would you watch or be tempted to watch a show like Ape House?

Definitely. Do I think it's ethical or okay? No, but I'd be intrigued. Same reason I watch stuff like The Kardashian's or The Real Housewives. I don't think I'd be a regular watched, but I know I'd be interested in seeing what all the hype was about.

2. Do you think John did the right thing by quitting his job and moving to L.A.?

I suppose. He was unhappy and I truly believe that no one should be stuck in a job that's making them miserable. I've been there and I certainly didn't stick around. Moving to LA was probably best for his marriage and quitting his job was good for his sanity.

3. We haven't seen a whole lot of Isabel in this section, but what do you think of Peter now that we know more about him?

Peter kind of seems like a sleezeball! As soon as I found out he slept with Celia, I knew he was not one to be trusted. The more we've learned about him and his past, the more I'm learning that this is true. I really don't think we'll see him redeeming himself in this book.

4. Can John turn the ape story for the tabloid into something he is proud of? Is he getting a little bit of redemption by being assigned to his dream story again even if it is for a tabloid?

I think he has found a place to devote his energy and passion for journalism, and that is great. He is assigned to a story he cares about and I think that because of this he can write something he's proud of. I know this question doesn't ask about his marriage, but I want to say that I think taking this job and leaving LA for New Mexico may hurt his marriage.

5. Have your thoughts on John and Amanda's marriage changed since last week? Where do you see their marriage headed?

Like I mentioned above...it's not heading in a good direction. It seems like they're only growing farther apart. Leaving his wife a job doesn't seem like a good decision for them.

6. What do you think will end up happening to the apes?

I have a feeling that we're not going to see a happy ending..at least not for all the apes. Right now it sounds like they're in a lot of danger, and I worry how this will all end. There's a lot of directions Gruen could take this story in. I'm excited to see it all play out.

Ch. 13-25 Questions for Ape House

Here are this week's questions:

1. Would you watch or be tempted to watch a show like Ape House?

2. Do you think John did the right thing by quitting his job and moving to L.A.?

3. We haven't seen a whole lot of Isabel in this section, but what do you think of Peter now that we know more about him?

4. Can John turn the ape story for the tabloid into something he is proud of? Is he getting a little bit of redemption by being assigned to his dream story again even if it is for a tabloid?

5. Have your thoughts on John and Amanda's marriage changed since last week? Where do you see their marriage headed?

6. What do you think will end up happening to the apes?

As always, feel free to add in any other thoughts or predictions you have in your post. We love a good discussion!

Erin's Response to Chapters 1-12

We're having to use a new linky tool this time and I'm so sorry about the three columns. I promise we'll do our best to have this figured out before next week's post. Hopefully you can all still click on all of the links for the posts. I'm afraid that if I try to correct it right now, all the links will be lost.

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans?

At first, I thought, "yeah right. Just more scientists and this may all be something that goes completely over my head." But then as I read more my mind obviously changed. Isabel's interaction and relationship with the bonobos and the individual personalities of the bonobos is are all so touching.

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two?

I think it's so cool that the apes see themselves as equals with the humans, but there are obviously humans who don't agree. So the biggest difference is that the apes don't have any control ultimately and the humans have all the control over the apes. That's the only hard part about having wild animals in captivity. They can be tamed, but when they're out in the wild they have choices of what they want to eat and where they want to live. If they want to go somewhere, they go.

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out?

I would imagine that her talent with the bonobos and her feelings toward them is endearing and attractive. But I hope that the relationship never comes to anything. I hope there's just an infatuation and attraction there, but that's it.

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken?

I'm thinking she will stop at nothing to find them. They are more her family than her actual family is, so she's going to do everything possible to make everything okay again. I'm not sure where they'll all be at that point. Where will the apes go if and when she does find them?

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center?

At first I thought that, but now I'm becoming more and more skeptical of Isabel's fiance.

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda?

Poor Amanda. It's clear that they love each other very much. I hope that Amanda can find something that makes her happy and gives her confidence. I hope they stay together through the book. I'm a sucker for a happy romance. The good thing about their relationship is that, for the most part, they get along great. And they support each other, which is very important. I just hope that Amanda can get some help and snap out of her funk.

Rachel's Response to Chapters 1-12

I don't know about you all, but I'm really enjoying this book so far. It was a little slow those first few pages, but the more I read, the more I enjoyed it. It was hard to stop at the end of chapter 12.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans?

I have never heard of bonobos...anyone else? I was never against the idea of the lab since it sounded like they were treating the animals fairly. In fact, I think the animals were getting better treatment there than in most parts of the world.

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two?

Although th apes don't see a difference, I think the biggest difference would be that humans have control. I realize that the apes don't necessarily know this, but in the end, the humans are the ones who run the show. After all, it was the apes who were sold to another group of humans.

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out?

They bother me greatly. His wife is clearly depressed and although we've read about how much he loves her, I don't like that he's thinking about Isabel all the time. I think with the way Gruen has set things up, there will be a more serious relationship that develops between them.

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken?

With what we know about Isabel, she clearly loves those apes like family members. I have no doubt that she will search for them, high and low, until she finds them and either rescues them or gets herself killed or arrested.

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center?

I can't quite decide. I want to say yes, but at the same time we just don't know enough about Celia. I think Gruen introduced her as someone who we were supposed to dislike, but that makes me wonder, is she actually good? I don't think I can make a decision yet.

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda?

Amanda clearly needs some help. From what it sounds like, she is in a serious depression, and I don't think moving to LA is going to solve that. It sounds like they truly do love one another, but neither know hows to make the other happy anymore. It's not that they fight, but they both have their own issues and struggles and they can't overcome those to help their marriage. I'm curious to see what will happen to them.

Ape House: Chapters 1-12 {discussion}

Good morning, readers! I didn't get to post the questions last night as hoped. Between the Super Bowl and family responsibilities, time just got away from me. But, please answer the questions and do your posts as you find time. There's no rush at all.

{Use the linky tool at the bottom of the post to attach your post and response to this post.}

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans?

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two?

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out?

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken?

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center?

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda?

Reading Schedule for Ape House

Good morning readers!

It's February 1st and, as promised, we're posting the reading schedule for our first book of 2011, Ape House by Sara Gruen.

Hopefully everyone has picked up the book by now, but if you haven't you have a few days before we start posting questions. Rachel and I decided to do about 100 pages per week. I'm hopeful that this is just the right amount of reading each week to keep the speed readers happy and to keep the busier readers (who have trouble finding time to read) engaged.

February 1: Chapters 1-12

February 7: We will post discussion questions for chapters 1-12 on the blog. Read chapters 13-25 this week.

February 14: We will post discussion questions for chapters 13-25 on the blog. Read chapters 26- Epilogue.

February 21: We will post discussion questions for chapters 26- Epilogue on the blog.

I'm excited to get started! We're going to be doing our very best to post the questions on Sunday evenings to help out with crazy schedules during the week.

Happy reading!