{"product_id":"mister-monkey-9780062397843","title":"Mister Monkey","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Tender and artful . . . a gently spiritual celebration of life.\" \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcclaimed \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Francine Prose weaves an ingenious, darkly humorous, and brilliantly observant story that follows the exploits and intrigue of a constellation of characters affiliated with an off-off-off-off Broadway children's musical\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMister Monkey\u003c\/em\u003e--a screwball children's musical about a playfully larcenous pet chimpanzee--is the kind of family favorite that survives far past its prime. Margot, who plays the chimp's lawyer, knows the production is dreadful and bemoans the failure of her acting career. She's settled into the drudgery of playing a humiliating part--until the day she receives a mysterious letter from an anonymous admirer . . . and later, in the middle of a performance, has a shocking encounter with Adam, the twelve-year-old who plays the title role.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrancine Prose's effervescent comedy is told from the viewpoints of wildly unreliable, seemingly disparate characters whose lives become deeply connected as the madcap narrative unfolds. There is Adam, whose looming adolescence informs his interpretation of his role; Edward, a young audience member who is candidly unimpressed with the play; Ray, the author of the novel on which the musical is based, who witnesses one of the most awkward first dates in literature; and even the eponymous Mister Monkey, the Monkey God himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith her trademark wit and verve, Prose delves into humanity's most profound mysteries: art, ambition, childhood, aging, and love. Startling and captivating, \u003cem\u003eMister Monkey\u003c\/em\u003e is a breathtaking novel from a writer at the height of her craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eProse, Francine:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eFrancine Prose is the author of twenty-one works of fiction including, the highly acclaimed \u003cem\u003eMister Monkey\u003c\/em\u003e; the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller \u003cem\u003eLovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eA Changed Man\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; and \u003cem\u003eBlue Angel\u003c\/em\u003e, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her works of nonfiction include the highly praised \u003cem\u003eAnne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, \u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller \u003cem\u003eReading Like a Writer\u003c\/em\u003e, which has become a classic. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director's Fellow at the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50409521053970,"sku":"9780062397843","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2ee8ac84-f6b3-4762-89a3-f3c5fdd8ed97.jpg?v=1729289606","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/mister-monkey-9780062397843","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}