Men and Other Mammals [Paperback]

Jim Keeble (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2003

cott Barron seems to have it all-a beautiful girlfriend, a dazzling career as a published poet, and a great future. In contrast, his younger brother Jes is a married, overweight, unpublished writer with a fondness for penguins. Then why is it that, to Scott, Jes' life always seems so much better? He finds out, but only after his girlfriend decides to split (just as he was about to say the 'L' word-and almost mean it), he makes a fool of himself on the BBC, his mother suddenly dies, and his estranged father shows up-a series of catastrophes that push him to the edge and then some. As Scott's self-centered world begins to unravel, he discovers that the key to a happy existence just might be found in a happy relationship. But before he can move on into a new life and a new love, he has to figure out how to get Norman II, a stolen penguin, back to the zoo. Men and Other Mammals is a hilarious and touching tale about figuring out what and who really matter in life. Keeble shows us that loving someone is a choice you must make every day for the rest of your life-and that loving someone is often a lot harder than not having someone to love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Keeble's debut novel starts off as an engaging, Nick Hornby-style comedy about a young British writer who gets dumped by his gorgeous girlfriend, but the second half descends into turgid family melodrama. Narrator Scott Barron is the ultimate anomaly-a journalist-turned-poet whose book of sensitive verse, Men and Other Mammals, has turned a significant profit. But Scott's life goes downhill when his girlfriend, Ellie, an editor at a women's magazine, breaks up with him after eight reasonably happy months ("we just don't connect"). Another disaster follows when Scott lands a spot on a late-night literary TV show. He has a few too many drinks beforehand to calm his nerves and winds up vomiting on the air. Scott's bad behavior lands him in the tabloids and vaults his book onto bestseller lists. Soon afterward, however, Scott's mother dies from pancreatic cancer, and the novel veers into family terrain as Scott navigates his difficult relationships with his younger brother and his estranged father, who suddenly shows up at his mother's funeral. The sendups of the literary world are amusing, and the romantic material has an edgy appeal even though Barron's insecurities occasionally make him seem overly whiny and unsympathetic. The family drama has some solid, poignant moments, but there are too many hackneyed passages, particularly in a painful, ill-advised subplot that has Barron stealing a penguin from a zoo for his brother, who had a childhood fetish for flightless fowl. What might have been a first-rate romantic comedy instead wobbles between humor and sappy sentiment.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Scott Barron has just published his third poetry collection, Men and Other Mammals, but his success as a poet is the only bright spot in his life. His glamorous girlfriend, Ellie, has just left him, and his relationship with his younger, overweight brother, Jes, grows more contentious by the day. He's asked to read from his new collection on a television show, but in a hilarious scene, Scott manages to screw it up by getting drunk right before going on the air. As if things couldn't get worse, Scott gets a call from Jes telling him that their mother has unexpectedly died. As his relationship with his brother continues to deteriorate, Scott takes a desperate stab at saving it by stealing a penguin from the zoo to bring to Jes, who loved penguins as a child, as a peace offering. It's going to take more than that to fix the problems between them, but this winning debut shows both heart and humor as it chronicles the difficult but loving relationship between the two brothers. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (May 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078688861X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786888610
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,502,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful view of life and love and penguins..., November 4, 2003

By 

Robert Wellen (CHICAGO, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Men and Other Mammals (Paperback)

I simply loved this book. It reminds, I know, I know, of early Hornby, if a bit more sappy. Keeble, however, has his own voice and explores a terrain rarely seen in today's popular fiction--brothers. The relationship between Jes and Scott is very real. The book is universal and it could easily have been set in New Orleans or Dallas as London. The penguin subplot is funny and makes sense in the context of the story. The losses that Scott feels are very real and the redemption he finds is poignant. The book is a breezy but moving read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious! Laugh out Loud funny!, July 7, 2003

By 

JoAnn (Bloomington, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men and Other Mammals (Paperback)

I don't think I have laughed this hard in a book, EVER! I may be demented, but I thought it was a great read. I read it in one long weekend!

I will definitly read more of his books!

Geez! The Penguin part is soooo great! :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, January 25, 2005

By 

J.E.R. "Jule" (AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men and Other Mammals (Paperback)

A divine and sweet comedy. Has great incites on realtionships, both romantic and familial, a unique point of view. You will never view a penguin the same way again.