The Official Description: Only one thing stands between Alexander Paine Wilson and his destiny… and it has long ears, spoon-like claws and a tubular snout.
Republican congressman Alexander Paine Wilson is determined that nothing will stop him in his campaign for re-election. Not the fact that he is a bachelor, not the fact that his main adversary Nancy Beavers – married, with children – is rising in the polls. Nothing. That is, until one hot day in August, he receives a large parcel via FedEx. Inside is a gigantic taxidermied aardvark.
This aardvark has a surprising history – from the Victorian naturalist who discovered it to the taxidermist who deemed it his finest creation. But for Wilson, the entrance of the aardvark sets off a chain of events that threaten to ruin his entire career.
Constantly surprising, brilliantly comic and piquantly provocative, Enter the Aardvark is a tale for our times, a biting satire with a tender underbelly.
Just the facts: Fiction, part-mystery, part satire, LGBT characters & a stuffed Aardvark
A remarkable story of a stuffed aardvark and the lives it touches. It’s as unusual and original as it sounds! – Kinzie Things
My thoughts bit: Describing this book will be a challenge. The book centers around a stuffed Aardvark. Yes, you read it correctly. This is a clever story that delves into the lives of several characters… none of whom are truly without their faults. In fact, most of the characters aren’t all that likable. They manipulate each other, they’re dishonest, they’re cheating and lying and misrepresenting themselves.
I’m not even sure I can pin down the genre of this book. It’s part political satire, part fable, part romance. I loved the pacing of the book… I was hooked from the moment I began reading it. Because who wouldn’t be!? From the moment the aardvark arrives on the doorstep of Republican Congressman Alexander Paine Wilson his life begins to unravel. The arrival of the aardvark sets in motion a series of events, missteps and bad timing and there’s little room for mistakes in the world of politics.
I’m not trying to be evasive, I really can’t quite figure out how to describe this book. It’s remarkably original… I have never read anything like it and that makes me incredibly happy. Anthony has written parallel journeys for two different men… different times… the only common witness is the stuffed aardvark. The book is about choices, feelings – or lack of feelings, posturing and making the right decisions at the right time. It’s also about a variety of losses and the way that people deal with loss.
This is a clever, unique, entertaining and rewarding read. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone with a sense of adventure when it comes to fiction! There aren’t enough books like this in the world!
Things You May Want To Know: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: (SPOILERS) Homophobia, death by suicide, infidelity in marriage
Links: Goodreads // The Publisher
I received an ARC of Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony from Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 