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Scruffy
The theme of this fascinating and diverting novel centres on the ancient belief that when the last of the Barbary Apes leaves Gibraltar the British will be driven from 'The Rock'. So deep-rooted is this belief that in August 1944, in the middle of the war, Sir Winston Churchill actually caused a signal to be sent to Gibraltar expressing anxiety over disquieting rumors concerning the welfare of the Barbary Apes established there, and directing that every effort should be made to restore their dwindling number.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
3 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Paul Gallico
185 books318 followersPaul William Gallico was born in New York City, on 26th July, 1897. His father was an Italian, and his mother came from Austria; they emigrated to New York in 1895.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 28, 2017
An unexpectedly entertaining war time tale set on Gibraltar. About the British military, the apes and an old legend that when the last of the apes leave the rock, so will the British.
Within the regiment based on the rock, there are two soliders, a Gunner Lovejoy and a Captain Bailey, who are in charge of looking after the apes. The brigadere doesn't want to hear about those apes, and is driven by distraction by Captain Bailey who is constantly submitting requests and suggestions for bettering the care of the apes. Between that and the mischief of Scruffy, it eventually sees Bailey out of his position and the apes neglected. The population plummets, the Germans get hold of the news and the legend, and start broadcasting the propaganda in the hope of riling up the Spanish into joining the war. The British get in a panic and realise the ape population needs to be saved. Captain Bailey is re-instated and so starts the mission to try and source some new lady macques to get the numbers up. Because Scruffy is still about...
Scruffy, also know as Harold, is the alpha male of one of the ape packs. He is bad tempered, hates humans and other apes alike, and even hates himself when he catches sight of himself in the mirror. He tends to run down into town on a regular basis to cause mischief: throwing roof tiles to the ground, stealing wigs and fireworks, defecating in the water supply... he's a well known and little liked character on Gibraltar. Oddly enough his only achilles heel is balloons, which send him into a gibbering panic when they are blown up. Which maybe sounds nuts expect I know a few dog owners who have randomly mentioned that their dogs are terrified of balloons. So there maybe something in it.
And so the future of the British war effort seems to rest on Scruffy's shoulders as he becomes last ape standing...
Within the regiment based on the rock, there are two soliders, a Gunner Lovejoy and a Captain Bailey, who are in charge of looking after the apes. The brigadere doesn't want to hear about those apes, and is driven by distraction by Captain Bailey who is constantly submitting requests and suggestions for bettering the care of the apes. Between that and the mischief of Scruffy, it eventually sees Bailey out of his position and the apes neglected. The population plummets, the Germans get hold of the news and the legend, and start broadcasting the propaganda in the hope of riling up the Spanish into joining the war. The British get in a panic and realise the ape population needs to be saved. Captain Bailey is re-instated and so starts the mission to try and source some new lady macques to get the numbers up. Because Scruffy is still about...
Scruffy, also know as Harold, is the alpha male of one of the ape packs. He is bad tempered, hates humans and other apes alike, and even hates himself when he catches sight of himself in the mirror. He tends to run down into town on a regular basis to cause mischief: throwing roof tiles to the ground, stealing wigs and fireworks, defecating in the water supply... he's a well known and little liked character on Gibraltar. Oddly enough his only achilles heel is balloons, which send him into a gibbering panic when they are blown up. Which maybe sounds nuts expect I know a few dog owners who have randomly mentioned that their dogs are terrified of balloons. So there maybe something in it.
And so the future of the British war effort seems to rest on Scruffy's shoulders as he becomes last ape standing...
February 3, 2023
Paul Gallico, whose books and stories I have been reading for the last 50 years whenever I come across them, never disappoints. Scruffy was different from any of his other books as I found myself often wondering if I was reading PG Wodehouse! If Plum is the Master of the Ridiculous Situation, in Scruffy Gallico rises to his level. A delightful read about a bad-tempered monkey and his role in the history of Great Britain.
December 9, 2019
Wonderful, beginning to end, a lovely, uplifting, convincing, sometimes uproarious read, that carries you along and leaves you smiling.
September 15, 2020
The first 100 pages or so went slow and especially in the beginning I wasn't sure if I'd like the book at all. It starts with a description of Scruffy the Barbary ape leaving a trail of destruction, with 'funny' comments by the author about the thoughts the ape would have (according to the author). I was quite happy when the book didn't continue like that.
After a 100 pages the book started to pick up speed, things started to happen and it got interesting enough to keep reading. I read the rest of the book in considerably less time than those first 100 pages. There was a moment when I wished the author had done more research about the subject, and there may have been more parts like that only on subjects that I knew less about.
The story is described rather as if it were a movie, which works well most of the time. It was written almost 60 years ago. It shows that too. But it is still a nice, albeit not amazing, read.
After a 100 pages the book started to pick up speed, things started to happen and it got interesting enough to keep reading. I read the rest of the book in considerably less time than those first 100 pages. There was a moment when I wished the author had done more research about the subject, and there may have been more parts like that only on subjects that I knew less about.
The story is described rather as if it were a movie, which works well most of the time. It was written almost 60 years ago. It shows that too. But it is still a nice, albeit not amazing, read.
December 29, 2019
This is a thoroughly enjoyable tale of the macaque apes that lived in Gibraltar during the early days preceding and beginning WWII. Tim Bailey is the O.I.C. Apes (Officer in Charge of Apes) and the central human figure in the drama that unfolds. But, as the title of the book implies, Scruffy (aka Harold) is the real hero. He is both protagonist and antagonist. He is the biggest, loudest, and most mischievous ape residing in Gibraltar. The remaining cast of characters are lively, comical, and thoroughly believable. I read this book in less than two weeks because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I have read several books by Paul Gallico and enjoyed every one. His insight into animal behavior (as well as human behavior) is amazing and amusing. I'm so glad I found this book.
March 1, 2020
Scruffy nastiest-tempered roughest old villain of Barbary apes. His keeper Gunner Lovejoy, Captain Tim Bailey -Officer in Charge of Apes ., Felicity his wife . The villain Alfonso T. Ramirez. And many other characters together onGibraltar in 1944. Create an amazing story around the life of apes and humans and war times.
August 25, 2023
This is a sweet and amusing tale about how the Barbary ape colony on Gibraltar was saved during World War II due to the legend that if the apes disappeared from the Rock, the British would too. It’s the perfect story for a Disney film that’s fun for the whole family to view.
August 22, 2017
If you like Historical Fiction go for it!
April 12, 2022
I know Gallico was a prolific writer, but this all seemed a bit tired, and paint by numbers in its approach.
Or maybe I just wasn't in the mood. Abandoned around page 67...
Or maybe I just wasn't in the mood. Abandoned around page 67...
June 26, 2016
I just finished reading “Scruffy” and I got very emotional toward the end of this novel. In-truth, this book made me gain a greater appreciation for animals that far surpasses my former opinion of animals. I’ve always been an animal lover, but until I read this book I had not gotten so in tune with the liveliness of animals. I mean, I would kind of look at them and think cute but all the same, and I think that perspective is common in society. I think a lot of people look at animals and love them but their love is based on aesthetics. Reading this book triggered me to think differently about animals. It made me remember prior pets and ponder more on my current pets and there is emotions in those different creatures. I’ll take that leap to believe that is the case. I realized while reading this book that although I have looked into the eyes of dogs and seen mostly excited expressions I have witnessed expressions, and whatever you will say to convince me to think the opposite I cannot alter my belief that expressions come from personality, but for a dog it would be doginality as for a cat it would be catinality or felinenality (something like that). In the case of the animal character the novel is titled after it would be monkeynality. Anyway, I digress. I want to praise this book for helping me gain perspective, but I want to praise it for just being a good read. The story has a lot of laughs in it, and it has some moments of despair. Every time I picked the book up I’d disappear into the pages, but rather than get lost to the story I would know exactly where I am. This novel made me feel connected to it more than that of a reader being connected to a good book. I felt like I was in this story watching it so much that I let out a few tears. Anyway, I won’t get into describing every little thing in this book that moved me, but I will tell as many people who will listen to read this novel. It can help you think a little differently about animals. You come at this book with an open mind you might close it on something that you never would have figured out on your own. I suppose that sort of thing can happen reading any work of fiction, but why not let it be “Scruffy”? It’s funny, sweet, delightful, heart-warming. Objectively speaking it’s just a really good book. Subjectively speaking I think it’s great. It’s not that long a read. It took longer for me to read through it because I like to read multiple books at a time and I like to let the stories ferment in my mind, but I could see someone getting through this in a day and a half, or maybe even one full day of reading. Anyway, I highly recommend “Scruffy”. I really enjoyed it.
Read
February 11, 2017I remember liking it. But that was 7 (?) years ago. I don't remember much else.
July 25, 2010
I really enjoyed this tale about a troublesome monkey. It was very funny!
December 30, 2012
the funniest book i've read in a long time and interesting too.recommended.
Read
August 19, 2012Not as good as Jennie but still a lovely read!
January 20, 2013
Paul Gallico's version of the fortunes of the Gibraltar Barbary macaques during World War II on Gibraltar. I enjoyed it as I always do Paul Gallico's work.
May 22, 2016
One of my favorite authors. Shows its age in writing style and heavy British jargon but sweet and funny
October 3, 2015
A fun little book from the author of The Snow Goose, a book I have always loved.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews