The Man I Became by Peter Verhelst

The Man I Became

Peter Verhelst

I usually avoid stories with talking animals but this one is something that is both special and unique. The narrator (a gorilla by birth) tells a tale that is moving and heart-warming in spite of the bleak vision of the world he inhabits. A short book, simply written, to read in one sitting but it packs some punch. Will leave you buzzing with questions about human motivation and what lengths we will go to for entertainment.

Extract
It was strange to see the place we had so recently called home right there in front of us. And together with homesickness, we also felt sorrow at how irrevocably we had been changed. But we didn't feel entirely at home here in Dreamland yet either. We would make sure of that! there was no way back!
Parallels
  • Blonde Roots by Bernadine Evaristo
  • Under the Skin by Michel Faber
  • The Little Girl and the Cigarette by Benoit Duteurtre