SOURCE: Alessio, Carolyn. “Simian Savior.” Chicago Tribune Books (5 January 1997): 2.

In the following review, Alessio explores the theme of colonialism in The Woman and the Ape.

To paraphrase Jane Austen, a man in possession of an ape must keep an eye on his wife. In Peter Høeg's wry new novel. The Woman and the Ape. the wife of a British behavioral scientist runs off with his prized subject, an ape named Erasmus.

At once a satire and cautionary tale, The Woman and the Ape examines the reckless ambition that sometimes accompanies modern behavioral science and animal-rights activism. At the center of the novel lurks Erasmus, an unknown breed of ape with suspicious qualities that extend far beyond his uncannily humanlike dental records. He lands in London after escaping from the Ark, a ship that was transporting him as a captive from and to sites that are undisclosed.

Dubbed...