Code Name Bananas

First sentence: Life. Love. Laughter. The world had been plunged into a war of unimaginable horror, so these three things were more important than ever.

Premise/plot: Eric, an orphan, considers Gertrude, a gorilla in the London Zoo, his best friend. His uncle, Sid, a zoo keeper, works at the zoo.

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Eric loves to hang out at the zoo even when he's not supposed to be there. Like at night during air raids. Gertrude's life becomes endangered--other zoo keepers and the powers that be--think it best she be put down before she can escape (if, for example, bombs should damage the structure and integrity of the cage. After all, you wouldn't want a wild and dangerous gorilla running loose in the zoo or the streets. Sid and Eric, of course, disagree...but can they find a way to save her life?

My thoughts: What didn't I like about this one? After all, I generally love historical fiction, especially historical fiction set during the second world war. This one could have been animal fantasy--based on the cover--but it wasn't. (Which is fine. A book doesn't have to deliver on what's promised in the cover.) So what didn't I like???? Well. Imagine that it was written, directed, and stars the Three Stooges. Instead of anything substantive and potentially heart-warming, you've got three-hundred plus pages of slapstick and screwball so-called "comedy." Which again, could be fine. I have nothing against humor--in general. But if "bottom burps" aren't your cup of tea, well, you may be disappointed. Just when you think the book can't get any worse--as far as intelligence goes--it keeps sinking and sinking and sinking. Again, some people enjoy ridiculous, absurd, over-the-top, slightly-crude fiction. This one was not for me.

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