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Jorden, år 2500 og et godt stykke derefter
Jinn og Phyllis finder en flaskepost i rummet. Den rummer en beretning om nogle mennesker, professor Antelle, hans elev Arthur Levain og journalisten Ulysse Mérou, der rejser til Betelgeuse. De lander på en jordlignende planet, som Ulysse døber Soror
Alle tekniske detaljer er sprunget over, så man skal bare acceptere at man kan rejse med nærlyshastigheder og at det er supernemt at skærme mod kosmisk stråling og at bruge sollys til at give masser af energi selv om man er langt langt væk. Ideen er selvfølgelig at spejle menneskenes samfund ved at stille det op mod et samfund, hvor aberne er de intelligente, der styrer verden og jager menneskene som sport.
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Jinn og Phyllis finder en flaskepost i rummet. Den rummer en beretning om nogle mennesker, professor Antelle, hans elev Arthur Levain og journalisten Ulysse Mérou, der rejser til Betelgeuse. De lander på en jordlignende planet, som Ulysse døber Soror
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(dvs søster). De opdager menneskelignende væsener, der er som aber og aber, der er som mennesker. Aberne driver jagt på soror-menneskene, så kort tid efter landingen finder Ulysse sig som fange mellem en flok nøgne soror-mennesker. Han synes godt om en af soror-kvinderne, som han døber Nova og danner par med, omend han savner en mere intellektuel partner i fangeskabet. Han får med noget besvær gjort en af soror-aberne, en hunchimpanse ved navn Zira, opmærksom på at han er væsentlig mere intelligent end resten og hun sørger for at tilbringe lang tid med ham, så hun kan lære fransk og han kan forsøge at lære chimpanse-sprog. Han forklarer at han kommer fra Jorden og det accepterer hun, specielt fordi landingsfartøjet er blevet fundet. Godt nok er det ødelagt af soror-menneskene, men det er alligevel tydeligt at det ikke kommer fra noget sted på Soror.Alle tekniske detaljer er sprunget over, så man skal bare acceptere at man kan rejse med nærlyshastigheder og at det er supernemt at skærme mod kosmisk stråling og at bruge sollys til at give masser af energi selv om man er langt langt væk. Ideen er selvfølgelig at spejle menneskenes samfund ved at stille det op mod et samfund, hvor aberne er de intelligente, der styrer verden og jager menneskene som sport.
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Publication
[Kbh.] Spektrum (1971) 140 s.
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Science Fiction. HTML:The original novel that inspired the films! First published more than fifty years ago, Pierre Boulle's chilling novel launched one of the greatest science fiction sagas in motion picture history. In the not-too-distant future, three astronauts land on what appears to be a planet just like Earth, with lush forests, a temperate climate, and breathable air. But while it appears to be a paradise, nothing is what it seems. They soon discover the terrifying truth: On this world humans are savage beasts, and apes rule as their civilized masters. In an ironic novel of nonstop action and breathless intrigue, one man struggles to unlock the secret of a terrifying civilization, all the while wondering: Will he become the savior of the human race, or the final witness to its damnation? In a shocking climax that rivals that of the original movie, Boulle delivers the answer in a masterpiece of adventure, satire, and suspense.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member cbradley
The book that started it all. What would eventually be translated into a film, several film sequels, a short-lived television series, and a film remake, began with this intriguing story. Even if you have seen the movies this book will still be interesting. None of the adaptations do justice to the
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wonderfully thought out plot of the original. Stranded on a world where the roles of humans and apes are reversed, the protagonist must figure out a way to survive and ultimately get back to his world. The main character has to suffer through animalistic humans, ape scientist who perform degrading and often disturbing experiments on humans, ape leaders who cannot accept the idea of an intelligent human, and an ape society that is not ready for the truth of their evolution. The ending doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch that the original movie does, rather it packs an intellectual punch leaving the reader wondering what just happened. All in all a great book that deserves to have a more accurate portrayal in film. Show Less
LibraryThing member SamSattler
This is the second time I have read Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes, but the first time since 1968. It is so much different than I remembered it. My memories of that first reading were tainted over the years by the awful movies that followed the original Planet of the Apes movie. The first
For starters, author Pierre Boulle is as French as his name sounds, and the astronauts who embark on a special mission in the year 2500 are French, not the Americans of the movies. Unfortunately for our French friends, however, they find themselves in much the same position as their American movie counterparts. Their world has been flipped on its head in more ways than they can count. They are fortunate to have landed on a planet hospitable to human life, but they find that it is a simian-dominated world, not one dominated the human tribe they soon encounter.
Men are hunted for sport and for scientific purposes by gorillas sent to gather more research specimens for the chimpanzee scientists who need them for study purposes. Men, after all, are the nearest animal to the apes who dominate this world and that makes them very valuable to the chimpanzee scientists and doctors searching for the medical breakthroughs that will save simian lives in the future. In a matter of hours, Ulysse Merou is running for his life, part of a group of humans being systematically slaughtered by a hunting group of gorillas and their wives. Ulysse is one of the lucky ones; he escapes the hunters shotguns long enough to get himself entangled in one of their nets, meaning that he will become a lab specimen rather than a trophy.
This sounds like sensational science fiction, and it is. But Pierre Boulle manages to create memorable characters (some of them men, some of them apes) along the way, characters with personality, depth, and the motivation and reactions that make them real. Planet of the Apes is a satirical novel, one that uses the simian society of this strange new world to reflect on the strangeness of our own 1970s world. Within this amazing story, Boulle explores politics, social mores, authority figures, human vanity and, of course, scientific research. This slim novel of just 128 pages manages to make the reader reflect a bit on his own world while entertaining him within the fantastic situation into which Ulysse Merou and his two comrades have been plunked.
There is even a “Statue of Liberty” type ending for the book, perhaps the only aspect of the novel surpassed by its movie version (the ending of the first movie is still, by far, the highlight of that whole series of films). But, I am pleased to say that, as is almost always the case, the book is much better than the movie - and, in this case, deserves to be read as the standalone story it was meant to be. I had fun revisiting the Planet of the Apes.
(Free trivia fact: Pierre Boulle is also author of the respected Bridge Over the River Kwai, another book made into a very successful movie.)
Rated at: 3.5
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movie was not completely true to the novel, but it was at least an above-average movie that deserved its popularity and box office success. The subsequent movies were just terrible in every sense of the word and, unfortunately for me, they tainted Boulle’s book beyond my recognition of its positive aspects.For starters, author Pierre Boulle is as French as his name sounds, and the astronauts who embark on a special mission in the year 2500 are French, not the Americans of the movies. Unfortunately for our French friends, however, they find themselves in much the same position as their American movie counterparts. Their world has been flipped on its head in more ways than they can count. They are fortunate to have landed on a planet hospitable to human life, but they find that it is a simian-dominated world, not one dominated the human tribe they soon encounter.
Men are hunted for sport and for scientific purposes by gorillas sent to gather more research specimens for the chimpanzee scientists who need them for study purposes. Men, after all, are the nearest animal to the apes who dominate this world and that makes them very valuable to the chimpanzee scientists and doctors searching for the medical breakthroughs that will save simian lives in the future. In a matter of hours, Ulysse Merou is running for his life, part of a group of humans being systematically slaughtered by a hunting group of gorillas and their wives. Ulysse is one of the lucky ones; he escapes the hunters shotguns long enough to get himself entangled in one of their nets, meaning that he will become a lab specimen rather than a trophy.
This sounds like sensational science fiction, and it is. But Pierre Boulle manages to create memorable characters (some of them men, some of them apes) along the way, characters with personality, depth, and the motivation and reactions that make them real. Planet of the Apes is a satirical novel, one that uses the simian society of this strange new world to reflect on the strangeness of our own 1970s world. Within this amazing story, Boulle explores politics, social mores, authority figures, human vanity and, of course, scientific research. This slim novel of just 128 pages manages to make the reader reflect a bit on his own world while entertaining him within the fantastic situation into which Ulysse Merou and his two comrades have been plunked.
There is even a “Statue of Liberty” type ending for the book, perhaps the only aspect of the novel surpassed by its movie version (the ending of the first movie is still, by far, the highlight of that whole series of films). But, I am pleased to say that, as is almost always the case, the book is much better than the movie - and, in this case, deserves to be read as the standalone story it was meant to be. I had fun revisiting the Planet of the Apes.
(Free trivia fact: Pierre Boulle is also author of the respected Bridge Over the River Kwai, another book made into a very successful movie.)
Rated at: 3.5
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LibraryThing member aethercowboy
The original inspiration for the film of the same name, this story tells of a group of astronauts who take their ship to a new world only to discover that the humans are animalistic while the apes are sentient.
The apes, hunting humans for sport, manage to capture the main character, Ulysse, and
Soon, Ulysse's intellect is discovered, and his existence challenges the fiber of the ape society. The rulers wish to remove Ulysse and forget him, while the ape responsible for him wishes to preserve him, and learn from him as he learned from them.
Why the apes rule over the humans on this world, though, is a discovery left to the reader.
An amusing piece of French satire to be enjoyed by those who like satirical dystopias, or even those who enjoyed the movie, though the film does deviate greatly from the book.
The apes, hunting humans for sport, manage to capture the main character, Ulysse, and
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send him to a lab as a test subject.Soon, Ulysse's intellect is discovered, and his existence challenges the fiber of the ape society. The rulers wish to remove Ulysse and forget him, while the ape responsible for him wishes to preserve him, and learn from him as he learned from them.
Why the apes rule over the humans on this world, though, is a discovery left to the reader.
An amusing piece of French satire to be enjoyed by those who like satirical dystopias, or even those who enjoyed the movie, though the film does deviate greatly from the book.
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LibraryThing member john257hopper
An interesting read. The main narrative takes place as a story recounted in a message in a bottle, topped and tailed with an overarching storyline with a fairly predictable twist. Most of the main narrative is actually very similar to the film, except that the ending, while quite dramatic, lacks
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the punch of the film's ending (won't give spoilers here, but the shock revelation seems more ambiguous and there is no Statue of Liberty in the book, ironically as my edition has the famous landmark plastered all over the cover!). The writing is actually very simple, almost like a children's book, and I read it very quickly. But it does contain some haunting imagery, such as the scenes of experimentation, the regression of Professsor Antelle, and the snippets we learn about how simians took over from humans. Show Less
LibraryThing member Paul_S
Subtle - it is not. Worthy of the classic status, the science is obviously dated (more than the date of publication would suggest) but it's a clever setup.
LibraryThing member mustreaditall
Planet of the Apes or La Planète Des Singes or Monkey Planet. Whatever. Translated into English by Xan Fielding.
Okay, now, you have to remember that the original novel and the movie deviate in certain major ways. The end twist is completely different, for example, and the main character is a
You can read this one as a straight ahead 60s scifi story, and a damn good read it is. From the curiosity of the travelers as they first encounter the inhuman humans to the panicked frenzy of Mérou escaping death at the hands of gorilla hunters to the strange love triangle of intelligent human/primitive human/intelligent chimpanzee, there's no mystery as to why the basic concept could be so well translated to the screen.
If you are inclined that way, as I sometimes tend to be, you can also read it as paranoia about "lesser" races rising up to surpass and suppress European culture. With all the devolved people being depicted as beautiful and white - and the common racist portrayal of Africans as apes - this isn't exactly a stretch. But then, I may be playing Boulle false to assume that comparison was intended. I haven't studied him enough to know one way or the other.
The little details, mostly of ape culture, were what I enjoyed most about this one. Their stock market, with various apes flinging themselves around a giant room, climbing into the rafters, all shrieking at the tops of their lungs as they buy and sell, is a memorable image. The idea that the chimp scientists focus so strongly on biological and brain studies because that's the last thing their unevolved ancestors were used for by human was inspired. And, of course, Zira's refusal of the human Mérou because he's "just so ugly" - a great moment.
final thought: Our nearest cousins, and the ones most likely to overrun us in the end. Who doesn't feel that apes are just slightly too human sometimes?
Okay, now, you have to remember that the original novel and the movie deviate in certain major ways. The end twist is completely different, for example, and the main character is a
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journalist who is essentially just along for the ride, not an American astronaut. He's also a lot less... Hestonish, if you will, of course. More intellectual, less "get your stinking paws off me." I love the movie, by the way, and consider it a classic, but had to sort of ignore it in reading the novel.You can read this one as a straight ahead 60s scifi story, and a damn good read it is. From the curiosity of the travelers as they first encounter the inhuman humans to the panicked frenzy of Mérou escaping death at the hands of gorilla hunters to the strange love triangle of intelligent human/primitive human/intelligent chimpanzee, there's no mystery as to why the basic concept could be so well translated to the screen.
If you are inclined that way, as I sometimes tend to be, you can also read it as paranoia about "lesser" races rising up to surpass and suppress European culture. With all the devolved people being depicted as beautiful and white - and the common racist portrayal of Africans as apes - this isn't exactly a stretch. But then, I may be playing Boulle false to assume that comparison was intended. I haven't studied him enough to know one way or the other.
The little details, mostly of ape culture, were what I enjoyed most about this one. Their stock market, with various apes flinging themselves around a giant room, climbing into the rafters, all shrieking at the tops of their lungs as they buy and sell, is a memorable image. The idea that the chimp scientists focus so strongly on biological and brain studies because that's the last thing their unevolved ancestors were used for by human was inspired. And, of course, Zira's refusal of the human Mérou because he's "just so ugly" - a great moment.
final thought: Our nearest cousins, and the ones most likely to overrun us in the end. Who doesn't feel that apes are just slightly too human sometimes?
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LibraryThing member comfypants
Very suspenseful, engaging and thought-provoking. In the end, when you finally get to the explanations of things, they're a bit of a disappointment. Although they're different from in the movie, they make just as little sense, which is especially frustrating as the book starts out with a promise of
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well-thought-out science, describing the workings of things in almost Verne-ian detail. Also, the ending is hopelessly cynical; rather than a cautionary tale, it's just a dig at humanity. Still, it's a great book, and infinitely more interesting than you might expect from the campy movie franchise. It's been a long time since a book made me think this much about it after I put it down. Show Less
LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
The film takes a sizeable departure from the book, which is fair enough - both of them work in their own ways, and both of them are excellent.
Here, a message in a bottle is found drifting through space; in it, the story of a group of humans who encounter and advanced alien species - evolved from
Boulle's story is philosophically advanced, and very clever. His writing (or at least the translation from the French) is punchy and direct, making for a quick read. Overall, a very cool tale of psychological, sci-fi horror.
Here, a message in a bottle is found drifting through space; in it, the story of a group of humans who encounter and advanced alien species - evolved from
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man.Boulle's story is philosophically advanced, and very clever. His writing (or at least the translation from the French) is punchy and direct, making for a quick read. Overall, a very cool tale of psychological, sci-fi horror.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
PLANET OF THEAPES is an entertaining, fast, but not particularly heavy book. You’re probably already familiar with the story (and if you’re not, I have to ask what cave you’ve been living in). An Earthman crashes his spacecraft on an alien planet and finds it populated by intelligent apes,
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while the humans there are just dumb animals used for zoo entertainment and lab tests. More social criticism and satire than science fiction (and those looking for hard science are bound to be disappointed, by the way), the tone tends to get overly didactic toward the end, as well as depressingly cynical in its evaluation of human achievements. The protagonist and narrator is thoroughly unlikeable, probably by intention. Still, this is a good read for an afternoon by the pool, and the twist ending won’t be spoiled if you’ve already seen the movies. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
I opted to teach this book based on my vague recollections of reading it in high school. My students still haven't written their papers on it, so I hope it turns out all right. It's an interesting read on any number of levels: Pierre Boulle tackles a lot of ideas in this slim volume: racism, animal
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rights, technological development, societal decay, and more. The section I find most riveting is when racial memory regression is used to uncover the secret history of Soror, and the chilling accounts of the fall of humanity that are extracted. Ulysse will never win any awards for being an interesting protagonist, but he serves his purpose as a vehicle for exploring this distorted mirror of our own world just fine. It's a little slow at times, though, and Boulle skips over what ought to be an interesting climax, unfortunately. Show Less
LibraryThing member bigorangemichael
“Planet of the Apes” is one of those books that’s hard to approach without bringing along the baggage of the original 60s film adaptation or the less-than-successful remake a few years ago. The original film is such a part of our pop-culture concsiousness that it’s almost impossible to
This is one of those books that is what it is–no more, no less.
I could spend several paragraphs detailing the differences between the movie and the book, but that would be kind of pointless and wouldn’t tell you much about the book as a whole. That said, Boulle’s original novel is a social satire, as advertises and it’s one of what I’d classify as a fairly light, “bubble-gum” sci-fi read. It has just enough in there to make you think while reading it, but it’s not going to stay with you long after you’ve finished the final pages.
The thing is that not a lot of the characters have much depth. They’re all in here to be part of the satire of modern life and humanity’s relationship with each other and animals. For a satire that wants to point out how drawing distinctions based on external apperances isn’t a great thing, you’d think it would have a bit more depth to the characters. Add to that that the central narrator has a tendency to become a bit pompous in his relation of events and you’ve got a story that works, quite frankly, better as a movie than it does as a novel. I’d even go so far as to say that without the series of movies, this is one novel that would have faded in memory long ago, remembered by some who read it for a few of the twists in the final pages but not much more.
It’s not to say I hated this novel. But it’s not to say I loved it or found it nearly as compelling as some of the mid-range works by Issac Asimov or Orson Scott Card.
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separate it from what we have here.This is one of those books that is what it is–no more, no less.
I could spend several paragraphs detailing the differences between the movie and the book, but that would be kind of pointless and wouldn’t tell you much about the book as a whole. That said, Boulle’s original novel is a social satire, as advertises and it’s one of what I’d classify as a fairly light, “bubble-gum” sci-fi read. It has just enough in there to make you think while reading it, but it’s not going to stay with you long after you’ve finished the final pages.
The thing is that not a lot of the characters have much depth. They’re all in here to be part of the satire of modern life and humanity’s relationship with each other and animals. For a satire that wants to point out how drawing distinctions based on external apperances isn’t a great thing, you’d think it would have a bit more depth to the characters. Add to that that the central narrator has a tendency to become a bit pompous in his relation of events and you’ve got a story that works, quite frankly, better as a movie than it does as a novel. I’d even go so far as to say that without the series of movies, this is one novel that would have faded in memory long ago, remembered by some who read it for a few of the twists in the final pages but not much more.
It’s not to say I hated this novel. But it’s not to say I loved it or found it nearly as compelling as some of the mid-range works by Issac Asimov or Orson Scott Card.
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LibraryThing member OzzieJello
After having seen all of "Planet of the Apes" movies, including the 2001 remake, I wanted to read the book that started it all. I wasn't disappointed. The story contains some twists, some surprising and some not. Definitely worth a read.
LibraryThing member Jamnjazzz
Not even close to either movie version, totally off the wall in it's laid back narrative. It's almost as if you are watching a documentary, and you are not engaged with the characters. What saves this is two fold. One, its entirely novel point of view. Not just the situation and setting, but the
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shear compelling idea of something else happening along the evolutionary path that causes "us" not to be here and, two, it's considerably short length. Show Less
LibraryThing member jburlinson
A rousing fantasy of racist paranoia. Boulle shifts his attention from the asian-bashing of Bridge Over the River Kwai to admonishing his countrymen, and the western world in general, to beware the dangers of becoming too lazy and comfortable, lest the lower orders wrest power from our enfeebled
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grasp. Show Less
LibraryThing member orangemonkey
Saw this book while at the World's Biggest Bookstore and picked it up, having been a fan of both movies. Of the two films, the Burton one is closer to the novel than the Heston one, which I found a little surprising, if I recall how many complaints I heard about the 2001 film being "just another
The plot: a trio of explorers go into space and find a planet with Earthlike living conditions, only this is a planet where apes are civilized, and men are not!
Despite the b-movie set up of the book, it's actually a Swiftian sort of satire on theories of animal intelligence and behaviourism, which was something that I didn't see coming, and which was a rather pleasant surprise. Boulle uses apes as a metaphor for different prevalent and problematic attitudes that he saw present in society as he wrote it, and which mainly still exist today. A must read for fans of social science fiction!
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Tim Burton movie". The plot: a trio of explorers go into space and find a planet with Earthlike living conditions, only this is a planet where apes are civilized, and men are not!
Despite the b-movie set up of the book, it's actually a Swiftian sort of satire on theories of animal intelligence and behaviourism, which was something that I didn't see coming, and which was a rather pleasant surprise. Boulle uses apes as a metaphor for different prevalent and problematic attitudes that he saw present in society as he wrote it, and which mainly still exist today. A must read for fans of social science fiction!
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LibraryThing member Goodwillbooks
I read this book several years ago, primarily to compare to the movie. There are significant differences, which I always enjoy. The apes in the original book are far more advanced than in the movie. I don't recall all the details, but I did enjoy it. Hope you enjoy it.
LibraryThing member DuffDaddy
I re-read after a 7 movie marathon with my 11- and 13-year-olds. It as great to relive my love of the POTA films and the book. I really like the book and feel it's more "realistic" than the movies. I like that the apes in the books have just substiuted themselves into the human environment rather
The main events of the book are placed in a frame story, in which Jinn and Phyllis, a couple out on a pleasure cruise in a spaceship, find a message in a bottle floating in space. The message inside the bottle is the testimony of a man, Ulysse Mérou. Ulysse explains that he was a friend of Professor Antelle, a genius scientist on Earth, who invented a spaceship that could travel at nearly the speed of light. In 2500, Ulysse, the professor, and a physicist named Arthur Levain flew off in this ship to explore outer space. They traveled to the nearest star system that the professor theorized might be capable of life, the red sun Betelgeuse, which would take them about 350 years to reach. Because of time dilation, however, the trip seems to the travelers only to last two years.
They arrive at the distant planetary system and find that it contains an Earth-like planet, which they name Soror (Latin for sister). They land and discover that they can breathe the air, drink the water, and eat the local vegetation. They encounter other human beings on the planet, although these others act as primitively as chimpanzees and destroy the clothing of the three astronauts. They are captured by the primitive humans and stay with them for a few hours. At the end of this time, they are startled to see a hunting party in the forest, consisting of gorillas and chimpanzees using guns and machines. The apes wear human clothing identical to that of 20th-century Earth, except that they wear gloves instead of shoes on their prehensile feet. The hunting party shoots several of the humans for sport, including Levain, and capture others, including Ulysse.
Ulysse is taken to the apes' city, which looks exactly the same as a human city from 20th-century Earth, except that some smaller furniture exists for the use of the chimpanzees. While most of the humans captured by the hunting party are sold for manual labor, Ulysse is sent to a research facility. There, the apes perform experiments on the humans similar to Pavlov's conditioning experiments on dogs, and Ulysse proves his intelligence by failing to be conditioned, and by speaking and drawing geometrical figures. Ulysse is adopted by one of the researchers, Zira, a female chimpanzee, who teaches him the apes' language. He learns from her all about the ape planet. Eventually, he is freed from his cage, and meets Zira's fiancé, Cornélius, a respected young scientist. With Cornélius' help, he makes a speech in front of the ape President and numerous representatives, who grant him his liberty and is given specially tailored clothing. It is around this time that he discovers his companion Professor Antelle survived the hunt and was captured, being sent to the zoo and kept in captivity in a large cage with the primitive humans. However when the protagonist attempts to make contact and speak with the professor, it is revealed he has completely lost his mind and his faculties, degenerated and behaving just as the primitive humans do. Ulysse tours the city and learns about the apes' civilization and history. The apes have a very ancient society, but their origins are lost in time. Their technology and culture have progressed slowly through the centuries because each generation, for the most part, imitates those of the past. The society is divided between the violent gorillas, the pedantic and conservative orangutans, and the intellectual chimpanzees.
1991 Russian edition of the book.Although Ulysse's patrons Zira and Cornélius are convinced of his intelligence, the society's leading orangutan scientists believe he is faking his understanding of language, because their philosophy will not allow the possibility of intelligent human beings. Ulysse falls in love with a primitive human female, Nova, whom he had met in the forest at the beginning of his visit to the planet. He impregnates her and thus proves that he is the same species as the primitive humans, which lowers his standing in the eyes of many of the apes. Their derision turns to fear with a discovery in a distant archaeological dig and an analysis of memory in some human brains. Evidence is uncovered that fills in the missing history of the apes. In the distant past, the planet was ruled by human beings who built a technological society and enslaved apes to perform their manual labor. Over time the humans became more and more dependent upon the apes, until eventually they became so lazy and degenerate that they were overthrown by their ape servants and fell into the primitive state in which our protagonist found them.
While some of the apes reject this evidence, others (in particular, an old orangutan scientist, Dr. Zaius) take it as a sign that the humans are a threat and must be exterminated. Ulysse learns of this, and escapes from the planet with his wife and newborn son, returning to Earth in the professor's spaceship. Ulysse lands on Earth more than 700 years after he had originally left it, just outside the city of Paris. Once outside the ship, he discovers that Earth is now ruled by intelligent apes just like the planet from which he has fled. He immediately leaves Earth in his ship, writes his story, places it in a bottle, and launches it into space for someone to find. It is at this point in the story that Jinn and Phyllis, the couple who found the bottle, are revealed to be chimpanzees. Jinn and Phyllis dismiss Ulysse's narrative, saying that a human would not have the intelligence to write such a story.
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than created an entirely new society. Also, the ending is better.The main events of the book are placed in a frame story, in which Jinn and Phyllis, a couple out on a pleasure cruise in a spaceship, find a message in a bottle floating in space. The message inside the bottle is the testimony of a man, Ulysse Mérou. Ulysse explains that he was a friend of Professor Antelle, a genius scientist on Earth, who invented a spaceship that could travel at nearly the speed of light. In 2500, Ulysse, the professor, and a physicist named Arthur Levain flew off in this ship to explore outer space. They traveled to the nearest star system that the professor theorized might be capable of life, the red sun Betelgeuse, which would take them about 350 years to reach. Because of time dilation, however, the trip seems to the travelers only to last two years.
They arrive at the distant planetary system and find that it contains an Earth-like planet, which they name Soror (Latin for sister). They land and discover that they can breathe the air, drink the water, and eat the local vegetation. They encounter other human beings on the planet, although these others act as primitively as chimpanzees and destroy the clothing of the three astronauts. They are captured by the primitive humans and stay with them for a few hours. At the end of this time, they are startled to see a hunting party in the forest, consisting of gorillas and chimpanzees using guns and machines. The apes wear human clothing identical to that of 20th-century Earth, except that they wear gloves instead of shoes on their prehensile feet. The hunting party shoots several of the humans for sport, including Levain, and capture others, including Ulysse.
Ulysse is taken to the apes' city, which looks exactly the same as a human city from 20th-century Earth, except that some smaller furniture exists for the use of the chimpanzees. While most of the humans captured by the hunting party are sold for manual labor, Ulysse is sent to a research facility. There, the apes perform experiments on the humans similar to Pavlov's conditioning experiments on dogs, and Ulysse proves his intelligence by failing to be conditioned, and by speaking and drawing geometrical figures. Ulysse is adopted by one of the researchers, Zira, a female chimpanzee, who teaches him the apes' language. He learns from her all about the ape planet. Eventually, he is freed from his cage, and meets Zira's fiancé, Cornélius, a respected young scientist. With Cornélius' help, he makes a speech in front of the ape President and numerous representatives, who grant him his liberty and is given specially tailored clothing. It is around this time that he discovers his companion Professor Antelle survived the hunt and was captured, being sent to the zoo and kept in captivity in a large cage with the primitive humans. However when the protagonist attempts to make contact and speak with the professor, it is revealed he has completely lost his mind and his faculties, degenerated and behaving just as the primitive humans do. Ulysse tours the city and learns about the apes' civilization and history. The apes have a very ancient society, but their origins are lost in time. Their technology and culture have progressed slowly through the centuries because each generation, for the most part, imitates those of the past. The society is divided between the violent gorillas, the pedantic and conservative orangutans, and the intellectual chimpanzees.
1991 Russian edition of the book.Although Ulysse's patrons Zira and Cornélius are convinced of his intelligence, the society's leading orangutan scientists believe he is faking his understanding of language, because their philosophy will not allow the possibility of intelligent human beings. Ulysse falls in love with a primitive human female, Nova, whom he had met in the forest at the beginning of his visit to the planet. He impregnates her and thus proves that he is the same species as the primitive humans, which lowers his standing in the eyes of many of the apes. Their derision turns to fear with a discovery in a distant archaeological dig and an analysis of memory in some human brains. Evidence is uncovered that fills in the missing history of the apes. In the distant past, the planet was ruled by human beings who built a technological society and enslaved apes to perform their manual labor. Over time the humans became more and more dependent upon the apes, until eventually they became so lazy and degenerate that they were overthrown by their ape servants and fell into the primitive state in which our protagonist found them.
While some of the apes reject this evidence, others (in particular, an old orangutan scientist, Dr. Zaius) take it as a sign that the humans are a threat and must be exterminated. Ulysse learns of this, and escapes from the planet with his wife and newborn son, returning to Earth in the professor's spaceship. Ulysse lands on Earth more than 700 years after he had originally left it, just outside the city of Paris. Once outside the ship, he discovers that Earth is now ruled by intelligent apes just like the planet from which he has fled. He immediately leaves Earth in his ship, writes his story, places it in a bottle, and launches it into space for someone to find. It is at this point in the story that Jinn and Phyllis, the couple who found the bottle, are revealed to be chimpanzees. Jinn and Phyllis dismiss Ulysse's narrative, saying that a human would not have the intelligence to write such a story.
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LibraryThing member themulhern
Old school French science fiction told in the first person. I wish it were available on audio, likely I would have persevered and enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member AHS-Wolfy
Young journalist Ulysse Mérou accompanies one of the most brilliant men of his generation on a voyage of discovery across space towards the Betelgeuse star system. Upon arrival they locate a planet so akin to Earth that they name it Soror (Latin for sister). Shortly after landing, they discover a
The basic outline of the story will be familiar to many through the various films. A lot of these movies represent portions of the book but none are quite representative of the whole. The character of Mérou, for example, is a lot more accepting than that of old Chuck. The whole story has a more intellectual than militaristic approach and examines such subjects as race, animal rights and social order. It is more dystopian satire than hard science fiction and while there is a lack of depth to the characters it really didn't affect my enjoyment of the tale.
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group of humans who are so animalistic in nature it is scary to behold. Taken in by the humans they quickly discover a more intelligent species when their group is rounded up in a hunt by a bunch of gorillas and chimpanzees. While some are killed for sport others, including Mérou, are taken captive and he soon finds himself ensconced as lead specimen at a laboratory. Subjected to tests of a Pavlovian nature, Mérou quickly convinces the lead scientist, a chimpanzee called Zira, of his intelligence and that he is unlike any of her previous experimental lab-rats. Together with her partner Cornelius they then must convince the rest of the monkey hierarchy of this astounding discovery. What effect will this have on the ape world and what are the ramifications of their own origins?The basic outline of the story will be familiar to many through the various films. A lot of these movies represent portions of the book but none are quite representative of the whole. The character of Mérou, for example, is a lot more accepting than that of old Chuck. The whole story has a more intellectual than militaristic approach and examines such subjects as race, animal rights and social order. It is more dystopian satire than hard science fiction and while there is a lack of depth to the characters it really didn't affect my enjoyment of the tale.
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LibraryThing member callmecayce
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, especially being a fan of the original movie and the current film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. What I didn't expect was the book to be so good. While I heard the main character's voice in that of Heston's, that was one of only a few ways the movie
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stuck to the book (aside from the obvious). I enjoyed the change, especially the ending (they're both shocking in their own way, even when you know what's coming). I loved the apes, especially Zira. When I finished, I did wish that there had been a French movie version of Planet of the Apes, because I'd like to have seen it. Otherwise, this was very good, if very different from the very familiar movies. I'm glad I read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member srboone
I read this account of a space traveller's adventure on a future earth populated by talking simians with a sense of surprise at the direction it took (compared to the movie). Nice bookends to the story. It works best as satire.
LibraryThing member untraveller
Excellent with a great ending. Nice artwork as well in the Folio edition. Finished 11.08.2020.
LibraryThing member Unkletom
Originally written in 1963 by the same author who brought us 'The Bridge Over the River Kwai', this book will most likely be remembered for the many movies that were based on it's premise of a world where the roles of apes and men are reversed. Originally written in French, the main character in
Bottom line: PotA is an entertaining read but not extremely imaginative. I listened to the audio version recorded by Greg Wise in 2012 and was surprised to find that in many cases the word ape in the print version was changed to monkey in the audio recording. As one who knows that apes and monkeys come from distinct simian families, I felt the change made no sense and found it extremely irritating.
Thanks to the Goodreads Time Travel reading group for choosing this book and giving me the opportunity to read and discuss it with others.
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the novel is Ulysse Mérou: A journalist who took part in the space expedition that lands on Soror, a planet orbiting the star Betelgeuse. There is some argument as to whether the book can be considered science fiction or if it's a work of satire in the vein of Gulliver's Travel. Personally,I tend to see most science fiction as a study of society so I'm not going to say this isn't it. Bottom line: PotA is an entertaining read but not extremely imaginative. I listened to the audio version recorded by Greg Wise in 2012 and was surprised to find that in many cases the word ape in the print version was changed to monkey in the audio recording. As one who knows that apes and monkeys come from distinct simian families, I felt the change made no sense and found it extremely irritating.
Thanks to the Goodreads Time Travel reading group for choosing this book and giving me the opportunity to read and discuss it with others.
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LibraryThing member Michael.Rimmer
I read this book because I love the original movies and the 70s TV show and, as it's a sci-fi classic, I thought that I should. I was not expecting it to be particularly good, and so was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
At the start, I was rather irked that the translator more often
There was more of the book in the films than I had expected (although there is a different "surprise" ending!). However the main theme is not about how warlike men are (no, You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!), but how decadence leads to cultural stagnation. There's also a very strong, and compelling, anti-vivisection message.
Despite a slight datedness, this still stands up very well.
At the start, I was rather irked that the translator more often
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rendered singe as monkey, when clearly we're dealing with APES! After I put that aside, I really got into the story.There was more of the book in the films than I had expected (although there is a different "surprise" ending!). However the main theme is not about how warlike men are (no, You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!), but how decadence leads to cultural stagnation. There's also a very strong, and compelling, anti-vivisection message.
Despite a slight datedness, this still stands up very well.
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LibraryThing member unclebob53703
Bought the paperback when I was a boy after seeing the original movie; it's a very different story with not one but two surprise endings. Replaced with this nice hardcover.
Awards
501 Must-Read Books (Emma Beare, 2006) (Science Fiction)
Language
Original language
French
Original publication date
1963
Physical description
140 p.; 18.4 cm
ISBN
8700521116 / 9788700521117
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser to aber
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra fransk "La planète des singes" af Mogens Boisen
Omslaget viser to aber
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra fransk "La planète des singes" af Mogens Boisen
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
140
DDC/MDS
| 843.914 |