Smithy

Thank you to Net Galley and the Inkshares for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I finished this book a couple of days ago and greatly enjoyed it. Smithy is a period piece; it takes place in the 70s and centers on a language study with a chimp. A Yale professor (and serial womanizer) brings together a group of grad students and undergrads from various disciplines to take part in a study that aims to show apes are capable of communication–human communication, of course. One of his grad student assistants helms the study, because he is too busy swanning around getting grants, teaching, and being far too hands-off for such a study. Another grad student films everything. But none of the students are even remotely qualified to be handling a chimp, even one that does love them.

Everything starts out fine. Wanda, the study leader, is officious and strict and has everything carefully planned. Jeff films everything and loves the chimp, named Webster formally and Smithy familiarly, like his own baby. Gail is a freshman from MO who is perky and cute and woefully under-qualified for such a study, because she's never really had much college experience at all, never mind chimp-rearing experience. Tammy and Eric are both older students with knowledge of child development, and Ruby is a clever junior from a Scranton community college. The man who gathered them, Piers, lets Wanda run the show for him. He really only appears in emergencies or when it's convenient for him; in the case of emergencies, he very seldom feels empathy or offers truly constructive ideas, because he's so far removed from everyone. He's the type of person who smokes in front of Smithy the chimp because he wants to, even thought it bothers Smithy.

Obviously, I didn't like Piers. But I digress.

The students are more interesting anyway. We watch them all grow closer together and closer to Smithy. Ruby and Jeff start dating. Eric has fiascos off page with Wanda and Gail. As with any group of people brought into intimacy with one another, drama ensues. But they all adore Smithy. To their detriment. They idealize him far too much for far too long. Yes, he's closely related to humans. Yes, he's highly intelligent. Yes, he actually CAN communicate.

But they don't know how well at first. Nor do they realize they might not be alone in the old house Piers has rented for the study.

When Smithy starts signing woman constantly, they students think he's making a mistake. They don't realize that perhaps he sees something. He begins signing “dark woman.” Even when random fires start, when the strange things start happening, the students take a while to realize something strange is going on.

The haunting is fairly subtle and ambiguous at times. Most of the book details interactions with Smithy, or his strange behavior. One by one, each student begins to have a strange experience. Except for a couple. But more and more strange events pile up until the house starts to fall apart, and Smithy is acting OUT on people.

I'm definitely on Team Eric here. There is almost enough ambiguity with the events of the book to question whether or not something supernatural is going on. But I almost always go for the supernatural explanation, which fits best in Newport, RI.

That being said, I almost could have used more. This book was enjoyable and interesting. So interesting. What we didn't know about animal behavior and intelligence back then! It's fascinating to see how lax things were in some ways, how uncertain humans were of the intelligence of other animals. And how cruelly those animals could be treated by Academia. And how disorganized it could be.

The ending climaxes and that peters out slowly as the house falls apart. It's depressing to watch happen. And the end. The end is actually heartbreaking. We haven't come nearly far enough.

Also, chimps, being one of our nearest relatives, are actually quite scary.