The Jungle South of the Mountain

by Andrew Westoll

In an unnamed country on the northern coast of South America, scientist Stanley is deeply embedded in the life of the rainforest. He’s been studying a troop of capuchin monkeys for eight years—seven since his wife, Maria, left him, and their mentor, Professor Collymore, mysteriously disappeared.

The country is preparing for a hotly contested election, which promises to unleash ancient tensions among the populace. Stanley, however, is oblivious to this, focused only on his research and his conviction that Maria will one day come back to him. But then his research is violently threatened: one of his beloved monkeys goes missing, and then another. Something is killing them, one by one. Stanley decides to take matters into his own hands, but soon learns that there are forces in the jungle as difficult to quell as the spirit of rebellion brewing in the south. Soon, Stanley finds everything he holds dear—his livelihood, his monkeys, his very life—in danger.

The Jungle South of the Mountain is a powerful, brilliantly imagined novel about the stories we believe, the lies we tell and the choices we make to protect what we love.

Genres: Canada, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2016

Reviews

[Deborah-Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, this is a classic example of where the #Readharder challenge came in handy to me. This type of book is not one that I ever would have read before, but I needed to pick a book about nature and I saw this at the library, read the inside cover and it seemed interesting enough. I was really surprised that I actually couldn't put it down because I was completely hooked by it. Basically this novel is the story of a researcher named Stanley who is a primatologist specializing in capuchin monkeys in the rain forest. Yet, it is also a story of mystery, and intrigue as it contains quite a complex plot as well which unfolds closer to the end of the book. I found this book really informative especially because the author is a primatologist himself so everything he writes is founded in science. The book was a bit "jolty" at times in terms of the writing which could have been more lucid and free flowing, but in general, what a great little story about the lengths we will go to preserve and protect who we love.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried really hard to get into this book but it was just not engaging. Seemed like a really cool concept, but the main character was unlikeable and the pacing was poor. Did not finish.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a primatologist who wrote a memoir of his time in Suriname studying capuchin monkeys. His prize winning non-fiction account The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary displays a strong empathy with primates, and was a book I very much admired.

In this book, his first work of fiction, the setting is the Amazon rainforest of thick, wild luxurious vegetation, heavy rainfall and disease. Stanley, the primatologist, leads a lonely life. He keeps fastidious notes and statistics on his study of capuchin monkeys. Seven years earlier his wife left him and he is under the delusion that she will return. She was a more emotional researcher with the hopes of saving the animals. Close to the wife's departure his son died, and an older scientist and their mentor went mad and disappeared into the jungle. We only get details later on by flashbacks.

I became confused by the convoluted nature of the books and its many ideas. Some of the themes contained: the preservation of the environment and its animals, mythical beast as harbinger of chaos, the value of meticulous scientific research, animistic spirits, the result of loneliness and the resulting unravelling mind, history of a war and the possibility of an upcoming rebellion, and deceit by those in power. Sometimes the story lagged for me from a jumble of story threads.

There are natives who work at the research station and guiding ecotourists. They are named but not well defined. They spend their spare time drinking, smoking hash, trying to have sex with female tourists, sports and fighting. Sometime Stanley joins them drinking or playing pranks to scare tourists when not following his troop of monkeys. An old native sometimes imparts guidance to Stanley but keeps important secrets. Stanley and his departed wife are more developed but I never felt a connection with either, and the rest of the characters were more nebulous and blended together in my mind.

The book has a lot of merit, and I felt there is of good ideas, but the narrative lacked cohesion for me.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders)]

I need to gather my thoughts on this one. 3 stars? 2.5? There was much I liked about it, there is much to like about it. But then, it was also something I struggled with because there was plenty to poke holes through it, but then it started to come together again. Hmmmm. It's very interesting, but frustrating at the same time! I'll have to gather my thoughts like I said, or something so they make sense!

[Ron S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first novel by the author of The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, Andrew Westoll's past work as a primatologist and biologist brings authenticity to this literary tale of madness, myth and political upheaval set on the north coast of South America.

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto in 2016; supporting emerging Canadian writers. Although I have only given it 3 stars it was still worth reading. The story is very specific to the jungle of the unknown country (most likely Suriname) where it is set. The main character Stanley is a primatologist who is very attached to his tribe of capuchin monkeys, so much so that even after his wife and research partner Maria has left (7 years ago) and their mentor disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Stanley remains.

The beginning of the book is mostly about Stanley and his research. I found this quite detailed and a little difficult to follow: a map of the area described would have been helpful. Then Stanley becomes a little mystical, searching for an eagle called gonini which may or may not be real. Then he gets involved in the country's civil war.

There is a lot going on, I think it would be interesting to someone who loves nature and a jungle setting.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had alot going on. Almost too much at times. The plot was messy, and it seemed to jump from Stanley's research in the first part of the book to oh no we must stop these rebels in the second half. I wish they felt more cohesive.
I did enjoy the story, for all the messiness I just complained about this book had me hooked.
It did focus quite a bit on the research aspect which honestly, felt over my head at times. Besides that it was a beautiful story of loss and grief and how consequential the choices we make can be.

solid 3.5/5 stars

[Derek de Vlieger · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oddly captivating read. While the unrolling of important plot elements was well paced, the character's development was not. It was only near the climax that Stanley's madness became clear, yet it remained unclear if the events in the book allowed him to move beyond his depression, and thereby clear his madness, or if life with the monkey's would just continue in a circle of purposeless data collection.

[Patty Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 stars, but rounded up. I enjoyed the book quite a bit - the setting is great and presented very convincingly. I didn't much like the main character at first, but as the story grew he became sympathetic. The amusing characters kept me interested during the first part. Then I began to like it more and more as reality began to blur, and mythology blends with history and politics.

[Johnna Abdou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this novel which takes place in the jungles in South America. Learn a lot of the Monkeys, the Harpie ( Giant Eagle type bird) the native tribes and the Jungle.

[Lilian Puust · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is Westoll's first novel and I was distracted by his writing style. I think that he is a better non-fiction writer. Although it is interesting to be taken to a different world, that of the Suriname jungle, I could not feel fully involved with the story. It was all described from the outside with lots of long descriptions but never really went inside the characters or the story itself. Stanley and Maria were at best two-dimensional. There wasn't enough of their inner dialog to relate to them. The pacing of the story was too slow. The dialogue seemed forced and unnatural. It often did not serve a purpose, like giving insight into a character or moving the story along. I wanted to like this book more and I think I would if it were rewritten in a more taught style, I would.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love a story that is present in nature and where nature is present! This is a good, well-told story set in a tropical rainforest. It's all here: grief and loss; betrayal and redemption; monkeys and guerrillas; and a harpy eagle, one of the planet's most formidable birds of prey. I would read it again.

[Jo Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that I found it hard to get into. The story switching back and forth from present day to rememberances. I stuck it out and saw how it weaved the past into the present reality. In the end I enjoyed the story.