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Almost Human: The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught between Two Worlds
"Alternately joyous and heartbreaking..." —Jane Goodall
A moving and revealing biography of Norway’s most famous chimpanzee.
Julius is a national celebrity, the inspiration behind pop hits and bestselling books.
He’s also a chimpanzee, born in captivity but raised in a zookeeper’s home after his own mother rejects him. Julius’s new parents change his diapers and comfort him when he has nightmares, and their daughters play with him. But soon they must reintroduce Julius to the zoo, a challenging task that brings new learnings on primate behavior and the dangers of animal celebrity.
Alternately humorous and heartbreaking, Almost Human shows that primates are more like us than we once thought possible. It also charts the transformation of one zoo over time: from a small operation of animals behind bars to a fast-growing attraction coming to terms with twenty-first-century views on animal rights and welfare.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published August 23, 2017
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117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 18, 2023
Tankevekkende og sterk leseropplevelse, ispedd en stor dose nostalgi i gjensyn med 1980-tallets barndomshelt "Julius som alle vil se" ❤
Fidjestøl er en klok biograf. "Narrativet Julius" skildres på minst tre nivåer. Historien handler om den offentlige Julius, slik pressen og allmenheten ønsket å fremstille ham. Parallelt blir vi kjent med det ekte og vanskelige livet til en hansjimpanse i fangenskap. Ikke minst handler narrativet om menneskers ansvar når de velger å holde ville dyr i fangenskap. Det handler om verdien til et dyreliv, og om de alvorlige konsekvensene menneskeskapt naturtap får for intelligente skapninger, "nesten mennesker", som Julius og hans artsfrender.
"(Dyreparkveterinær) Billy Glads journal fra det første leveåret til Julius er konsekvent ført i en nøktern, medisinsk faglig prosa. Bare en gang bryter han med dette stilnivået. Da han første gang skal skildre blikket til Julius:"
"Jeg sitter med deg i fanget, skriver Glad med en utypisk tekstlig tiltale direkte til Julius. Du ligger og ser på meg med dine store, lysebrune og klare øyne. Du har et så alvorlig ansikt, lille mann. Som en gammel mann. Du ser så vis ut. Så forskende, men allikevel er du så klar og åpen i ditt blikk."
Fidjestøl er en klok biograf. "Narrativet Julius" skildres på minst tre nivåer. Historien handler om den offentlige Julius, slik pressen og allmenheten ønsket å fremstille ham. Parallelt blir vi kjent med det ekte og vanskelige livet til en hansjimpanse i fangenskap. Ikke minst handler narrativet om menneskers ansvar når de velger å holde ville dyr i fangenskap. Det handler om verdien til et dyreliv, og om de alvorlige konsekvensene menneskeskapt naturtap får for intelligente skapninger, "nesten mennesker", som Julius og hans artsfrender.
"(Dyreparkveterinær) Billy Glads journal fra det første leveåret til Julius er konsekvent ført i en nøktern, medisinsk faglig prosa. Bare en gang bryter han med dette stilnivået. Da han første gang skal skildre blikket til Julius:"
"Jeg sitter med deg i fanget, skriver Glad med en utypisk tekstlig tiltale direkte til Julius. Du ligger og ser på meg med dine store, lysebrune og klare øyne. Du har et så alvorlig ansikt, lille mann. Som en gammel mann. Du ser så vis ut. Så forskende, men allikevel er du så klar og åpen i ditt blikk."
September 8, 2017
Rett i hjertet.
June 18, 2025
Read in English translation.
An unusual biography of a chimpanzee named Julius - raised by two human families in his first couple of years, then reintroduced to the Kristiansand Zoo. Over Julius's lifetime, society has changed a great deal, both in how zoos house and care for animals, and in attitudes around keeping animals in zoos at all.
In the later chapters, these issues are raised without giving a single definitive answer.
Fascinating insight into chimpanzee society, with acknowledgement of work done by others such as Jane Goodall. A very interesting read.
An unusual biography of a chimpanzee named Julius - raised by two human families in his first couple of years, then reintroduced to the Kristiansand Zoo. Over Julius's lifetime, society has changed a great deal, both in how zoos house and care for animals, and in attitudes around keeping animals in zoos at all.
In the later chapters, these issues are raised without giving a single definitive answer.
Fascinating insight into chimpanzee society, with acknowledgement of work done by others such as Jane Goodall. A very interesting read.
May 10, 2023
Jaja så er en av de bedre bøkene jeg har lest i år om en apekatt
December 28, 2022
Read the Dutch translation. I liked the book a lot. Not only the knlowledge about Chimpansees but also about the struggles for the zoo get enough attention. Hope to meet Julius one day.
September 21, 2019
I am torn on how to rate this book. It has nothing to do with the writing so I will not deduct a star for that but I merely want to give warning to anyone has very dreadful eyesight that this is a challenging book to read because of the tiny print.
Julius was born in 1970 in Norway, by then I had taken several university classes in animal behavior and read many books on the subject. Already familiar with the studies referred to and I was appalled by the zookeeper' s lack of knowledge and the idea of using publicity promotions about Julius to raise money for the zoo. Many modern zoos have evolved since then with better ideas of caring for and proving more natural settings, But even today, glaring mistakes continue to be made and there is more need for improvement. All of that made this book a painful read for me.
I agree with Jane Goodall in this book that the zoo officials had to save Julius when he was abandoned by his mother and mistreated by other chimps. But the zoo really need someone like to advise on the transition of Julius from the human homes that he lived to live in the zoo with other chimps.
The writer did a good job of telling the story, but I think a different take would have been given if this book had been written by Jane Goodall.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
Julius was born in 1970 in Norway, by then I had taken several university classes in animal behavior and read many books on the subject. Already familiar with the studies referred to and I was appalled by the zookeeper' s lack of knowledge and the idea of using publicity promotions about Julius to raise money for the zoo. Many modern zoos have evolved since then with better ideas of caring for and proving more natural settings, But even today, glaring mistakes continue to be made and there is more need for improvement. All of that made this book a painful read for me.
I agree with Jane Goodall in this book that the zoo officials had to save Julius when he was abandoned by his mother and mistreated by other chimps. But the zoo really need someone like to advise on the transition of Julius from the human homes that he lived to live in the zoo with other chimps.
The writer did a good job of telling the story, but I think a different take would have been given if this book had been written by Jane Goodall.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
October 19, 2021
This is a well researched factual biography of Julius, a chimpanzee, who was born in 1979 in a Norwegian zoo. The baby was hand-reared after his mother showed a lack of parenting skills. His upbringing was chronicled in newspaper and TV stories, and was the subject of popular children’s books. As Julius grew to adulthood he encountered difficulties when he was initially reintroduced to other chimpanzees and he was no longer the immensely popular celebrity he once had been. Ultimately, he became the leader of a chimpanzee group. He will continue to reside with the group at the zoo until his death.
The biography is almost clinical in nature. It includes well positioned asides about wild chimpanzee behavior, the status of wild chimpanzees, and the role of zoos in conserving and protecting wild populations. It also discusses some of the changes in zoo husbandry that have occurred between the time of Julius’ birth and the present, although it doesn’t discuss the changes in surrogacy practices that are designed to address the behavioral maladjustments seen in baby chimpanzees and other primates who were hand-reared prior to early 2000s.
The book would have benefited from interviews with those who hand-reared, played with and cared for Julius as a baby, and his caretakers following his return to the ape house, and the inclusion of quotes from such interviews in the manuscript.
The biography is almost clinical in nature. It includes well positioned asides about wild chimpanzee behavior, the status of wild chimpanzees, and the role of zoos in conserving and protecting wild populations. It also discusses some of the changes in zoo husbandry that have occurred between the time of Julius’ birth and the present, although it doesn’t discuss the changes in surrogacy practices that are designed to address the behavioral maladjustments seen in baby chimpanzees and other primates who were hand-reared prior to early 2000s.
The book would have benefited from interviews with those who hand-reared, played with and cared for Julius as a baby, and his caretakers following his return to the ape house, and the inclusion of quotes from such interviews in the manuscript.
March 18, 2022
This book was enjoyable and I love how it was told as a biography despite being about a chimpanzee. I would class most of it as light reading, but do be warned that chimpanzees sometimes bite off fingers and toes when unhappy, and there were multiple cases of upset chimpanzees in this book.
January 26, 2024
An easy to read book that teaches you a lot about chimpanzees and the evolution of zoos over time through the life of Julius. I’d give it 2.5 stars - a kind of neutral read for me. Definitely not bad though and it is different to the books I normally read so glad I gave it a go!
June 27, 2018
Interessante non-fictie, maar een echte moderne biografie? Mm niet overtuigd..
January 11, 2021
My first biography about an animal. Very interesting and thought provoking.. how similar we are to these intelligent creatures.
November 15, 2021
Veldig interessant, brutal, ærlig og lærerik bok. Skapte mykje undring og refleksjon.
February 28, 2025
Read this book for class and became so emotionally attached to this chimpanzee.
August 31, 2025
Cute story but not science.
August 23, 2020
A very different story for me. Not usually a fan of non-fiction.
A very interesting insight into zookeeping and how far we have come with showing the animals the respect and care they deserve.
I cried a few times for poor Julius x
A very interesting insight into zookeeping and how far we have come with showing the animals the respect and care they deserve.
I cried a few times for poor Julius x
August 19, 2020
Great story of trying to integrate Julius back into the troop. Chimpanzee's are really amazing animals.
October 29, 2019
Almost Human: The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds from Alfred Fidjestøl is a compelling roller coaster of a read. Like many people now, I find zoos largely offensive but that is a sensibility that is more recent than the time period when Julius was first in the zoo. The book acknowledges the inherent cruelty (though it doesn't state it that harshly) of caging wild animals but that doesn't diminish the value of any single animal in a zoo and this is a story about one such beloved animal.
This is one of those rare nonfiction books that live up to the hype of "reading like a fictional drama." The book as a whole is the story of Julius, a chimp that had been rejected by his mother and the group at the zoo. Raised by humans and then the arduous process of that separation and reintroduction to the world of chimps living in a zoo environment forms the bulk of the narrative itself. This arc will both make you laugh at some things and cry at others. Bittersweet is a word that often came to mind here.
Interspersed within the narrative is the story of a zoo, and in some ways zoos in general, trying to learn how to make a miserable caged existence less negative. There is both administrative backstory and scientific research discussed so the reader can better understand what the humans were wanting and trying to do.
Probably the biggest impediment for a reader enjoying this book will be the opposition to the idea of a zoo. I don't mean places where animals might be kept for health reasons or to battle extinction, though many zoos have taken on this role. I mean the caging of animals for the amusement of human beings. While I obviously fall into this group and have actively advocated against many zoo policies, that does not keep this from being a compelling read. You will get angry at some parts. You will feel an existential heaviness during some portions, since we are not so different from these species that we so easily treat as disposable. But this is still about an individual, named Julius, who struggles with what life throws at him. He and his story will move you and he deserves your attention not because of human folly but in spite of it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and is willing to ride the roller coaster that is the life of a zoo animal, even one that gained immense popularity.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is one of those rare nonfiction books that live up to the hype of "reading like a fictional drama." The book as a whole is the story of Julius, a chimp that had been rejected by his mother and the group at the zoo. Raised by humans and then the arduous process of that separation and reintroduction to the world of chimps living in a zoo environment forms the bulk of the narrative itself. This arc will both make you laugh at some things and cry at others. Bittersweet is a word that often came to mind here.
Interspersed within the narrative is the story of a zoo, and in some ways zoos in general, trying to learn how to make a miserable caged existence less negative. There is both administrative backstory and scientific research discussed so the reader can better understand what the humans were wanting and trying to do.
Probably the biggest impediment for a reader enjoying this book will be the opposition to the idea of a zoo. I don't mean places where animals might be kept for health reasons or to battle extinction, though many zoos have taken on this role. I mean the caging of animals for the amusement of human beings. While I obviously fall into this group and have actively advocated against many zoo policies, that does not keep this from being a compelling read. You will get angry at some parts. You will feel an existential heaviness during some portions, since we are not so different from these species that we so easily treat as disposable. But this is still about an individual, named Julius, who struggles with what life throws at him. He and his story will move you and he deserves your attention not because of human folly but in spite of it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and is willing to ride the roller coaster that is the life of a zoo animal, even one that gained immense popularity.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
November 3, 2019
Julius, a chimpanzee born in captivity in a Norway zoo, is rejected by his mother. He is raised in the zookeeper's home until he is old enough to return to the zoo to live with the other chimpanzees. Because Julius has been raised by humans, he is not well-accepted by the other chimps. His plight captures the heart of the nation, and he is the star of the media. While all this is good for the zoo, bringing attention to the animals there, it is not good for Julius, who struggles daily with who he really is. The book was released during Julius' fortieth year of life.
"ALMOST HUMAN explores more than this unique chimpanzee's life - it examines how our treatment of animals in captivity has changed over the decades, how the mind of a chimpanzee works, and how much we have in common with the primates who share 98.6% of our DNA. This powerful story shows how Julius was faced with the same challenges we humans experience - the need for food and safety, the desire for love and sex, how to negotiate status and power, and finding ways to deal with loneliness, sorrow and death..." (from Barnes and Noble book review)
I received ARC of this book from Greystone Books and Library Thing, in exchange for a review.
"ALMOST HUMAN explores more than this unique chimpanzee's life - it examines how our treatment of animals in captivity has changed over the decades, how the mind of a chimpanzee works, and how much we have in common with the primates who share 98.6% of our DNA. This powerful story shows how Julius was faced with the same challenges we humans experience - the need for food and safety, the desire for love and sex, how to negotiate status and power, and finding ways to deal with loneliness, sorrow and death..." (from Barnes and Noble book review)
I received ARC of this book from Greystone Books and Library Thing, in exchange for a review.
January 22, 2020
The author approached this like anyone should who is writing a biography, lots of research and clear eyed, never mind that the "person" was a chimpanzee. As quoted from Jane Goodall, it was both joyous and heartbreaking. As was the case with many zoos back in the day, what they didn't know about taking care of sentient animals like Julius was huge. He was born to a young and inexperienced mother and had to be reared by humans in order to save his life, which made for a very conflicted self image. While they attempted to reintegrate him into chimpanzee society it was not successful until his late teenage years, and there were times of escape, incarceration and bodily harm interspersed with being the money making face of the zoo replete with cake and ice cream. On the flip side there was an extended discussion about how life in the wild could also be brutal. He was still alive at the end of the book, which was worth the time spent reading it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews