Mr. Thundermug - Hardcover

Medvei, Cornelius

3.33

178 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061146129 ISBN 13: 9780061146121

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007

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Mr. Thundermug is the inventive, entertaining, and--against all odds--poignant story of an animal who acquires the ability to eloquently speak human language. Using his own beautiful, eerie lithograph illustrations, Cornelius Medvei places us in a vivid world that is both familiar and alien. It's a world in which Mr. Thundermug and his family take up occupancy in an abandoned apartment building. On the roof of that building, Mr. Thundermug gazes at the heavens and thinks deep thoughts while his wife picks bugs off him and eats them. Understandably, he's somewhat confused by his complex existence as a fluent member of human society who has the essential nature of a more ancient species, but he assimilates as best he can. His worlds inevitably collide, and he is eventually brought to court for a petty crime and asked to defend himself in impossible ways.

Simultaneously playful and foreboding, Mr. Thundermug announces the arrival of a bold and imaginative talent.

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Review:

‘One might place this elegantly written take with anthropomorphic allegories such as Bulgakov’s “The Heart of a Dog” or Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”; it certainly teases our deep unease at the fine genetic lines dividing humans and apes. The whole thing might just be a curious flight of fancy; but it has the power to disturb, and perhaps that is enough.’ Guardian

'Cornelius Medvei's novella is a magic-realist confection with a sly, wry sense of humour and a deft ear for the surreal and the inconsequential. This is certainly the most quirky, entertaining debut of the year so far.' Sunday Telegraph

'The shadow of Saki hangs heavily over Cornelius Medvei's entertaining debut novella. There is a great deal of humour in the tale, but also a sense of poignancy as Medvei skilfully conveys Mr Thundermug's isolation from his mute wife and children. Hauntingly illustrated with Medvei's own lithographs, this is a promising first work of fiction from a distinctive talent.' New Statesman

‘Utterly beguiling...Mr. Thundermug is the best animal protagonist since “Life of Pi”'s Richard Parker.’ Matt Thorne

‘What a colourful, glorious fantasy. I can’t help believing that it’s all true: Mr Thundermug is still out there somewhere.’ Alexander Masters

‘...a book of genius – quirky, strange, like nothing else I had ever read, but the sort that makes you shiver...And I am telling you – not suggesting, TELLING, that it is a small work of genius and that you must go out and buy it now. If you are a bookseller you must stock it. I am telling you now that you will not read a small work of genius like this, not only this year but for a long time to come – probably until his next one comes out. I’m sticking my reputation on this one.’ Susan Hill

‘A fabulously droll novella about a disgruntled baboon attempting to join the human race, an absolute treat.’ Evening Standard

About the Author:

Cornelius Medvei was born in 1977 and grew up in the east of England. He studied modern languages at Oxford University and worked in China for a year and a half as a teacher. He now lives in London. This is his first book.

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