Great Apes

In Will Self's disquieting and brilliantly original novel, 'Great Apes,' readers are plunged into a world turned upside down through the eyes of Simon Dykes, a successful artist. After a night of hedonistic excess, Simon awakens to a horrifying reality: his girlfriend, Sarah, and indeed every single human being he encounters, has transformed into a chimpanzee. Disoriented and terrified, Simon finds himself committed to a psychiatric institution where he is diagnosed with a severe psychotic delusion – the belief that he is human. Under the care of the enigmatic psychiatrist Zack Busner, Simon must navigate a world where primatologists are revered, human language is dismissed as chimp-chatter, and the very concept of humanity is an illness. Self masterfully uses this premise to dissect fundamental questions of identity, consciousness, and what truly defines humanity, offering a biting satire on society, science, and the arbitrary nature of our perceived normalcy. It's a journey into the absurd that challenges deeply held assumptions about our place in the natural order.