I highly recommend this book! Gee, how I wish I had written it!
From the very first page the storyline intrigued me. There was something about the language and the character of Stephen as an anti-hero that evoked feelings of comfort and familiarity. He is not special in any way, nor does it seem that he is living up to his potential, yet he still seems to be striving for happiness, safety, and love…. all those elemental aspects of life.
The novel follows one day in Stephen’s life. The urban setting, the symbol of the animal as it appears in the book (in several different guises), is telling of how we think of ourselves as humans, as the ‘other’.
Stephen as a character is lost; his reactions to events as they unfold throughout the book are reactive and almost always controlled by fear. I think this fear is mainly a fear of not wanting to be controlled or bound by something, particularly his relationship with Fiona. Which, in the end, is perhaps what he really wants the most in the world; he just thinks he shouldn’t want it.
I found the ending redeeming and satisfying. I enjoyed the openness, the promise of something beyond the story.
After reading Animal People, you should read The Children by Charlotte Wood (Stephen first appears as a character in The Children).
Aside – Animal People was shortlisted for the Nita B Kibble Award and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2012.
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