Bad Monkeys: A Novel

Written by Matt Ruff

Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, Greg Tremblay and Gary Tiedemann

“Bad Monkeys has wit and imagination by the bucketload. . . . Buy it, read it, memorize then destroy it. There are eyes everywhere.”—Chris Moore, bestselling author of A Dirty Job and Lamb

Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder. She tells police that she is a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil; her division is called the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons—“Bad Monkeys” for short. This confession earns Jane a trip to the jail’s psychiatric wing, where a doctor attempts to determine whether she is lying, crazy, or playing a different game altogether.

Clever and gripping, full of unexpected twists and turns, teasing existential musings, and captivating prose, Bad Monkeys unfolds at lightning speed, taking readers to another realm of imagination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Mar 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9780063005280

Matt Ruff

Matt Ruff is the author of Lovecraft Country and its sequel, The Destroyer of Worlds, as well as 88 Names, Bad Monkeys, The Mirage, Set This House in Order, Fool on the Hill, and Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

Reviews for Bad Monkeys

[Taryn Hoehn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very strange book. It kept me interested until the end.

[Dante Tornblad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A nice twist at the end that makes your headbspin

[Amy Banta · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Engaging book that keeps you wanting to listen. A few too many “dreamscapes and ant farms” at the end (left me feeling kinda “snowblind”). And it wrapped-up way too quickly. Other than that, a great way to entertain yourself while commuting or doing chores.

[nat taylpr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gooc writting, and the narratot was good, an enjoyable book

[K H · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book and I Love the twist at the end!!!

[Joshua Jones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining and succinct. Worth the time investment. A few too many twists and turns for me, but a fun (albeit fairly dark) story for sure.

[birksland · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought Bad Monkeys for a dollar on my Kindle and it was well worth the investment. The story starts out with a woman talking to a psychiatrist about a crime she's accused of. As the book unfolds, the woman's story gets more outlandish and I felt that the author did that on purpose. The plot isn't really the plot, but I don't want to say more without spoiling the book.I agree the ending is a bit different, but I think you have to pay attention to the details. For example: Why is the story told from a narrator's point of view in the exam room and not the other chapters?To me, the less I know about the authors real intent, the happier I am. I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery of what the book was really about and, to be honest, I'd rather imagine that I see something hidden in the book, then to find out that my dollar didn't buy me as much as I thought.

[Ryan Guisgand · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little extra plot twisty but it had me pretty hooked.

[jana · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent. Kept me riveted through the whole book which I listened to in full the first time

[Trish Phelps · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not sure if I would categorize this as science fiction, but it was a wild ride and well worth the listen. I don’t understand the switch up in narrators from chapter to chapter, it was already mind boggling enough, but I was caught up in it anyway.

[Leo Baquero · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was a strange and pointless book. A horrible protagonist, drugs and an absurd story. I’m sorry to have wasted my time with it.

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A really good, fast paced story. There are so many twist and turns, and so many different characters, I had to read this in two days just so I would remember everything

[invisiblelizard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having just (re-)read Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country (in preparation for the HBO series) I decided to dip into his back catalog and read another one. Unfortunately, this one isn't as good. On the plus side, I will say it's an interesting story. Bad girl gets recruited into a super secret organization dedicated to ferreting out "evil" in the world. Basically she is given an opportunity to turn her life around and do good for a change. The organization is cleverly designed. Ruff clearly put a lot of thought into it. I think it, by itself, could warrant a completely separate novel. I mean, there's just a ton of detail in there that could almost effortlessly be fleshed out into something much larger and grander than this. And the girl, our protagonist, Jane Charlotte (the loneliest Brontë), certainly had an interesting life. So the story was off to a good start.But I had two big problems. One was the way in which it was told. Every other chapter took place in a "white room" and was told in the third person where a man is interrogating Jane. In response, Jane starts to tell her life story. Between those, the odd chapters are Jane's story, told in the first person, but interspersed in those chapters are questions the interrogator asks her, mid-story, mid-stream, only indicated as such by italics. As a literary device, I found this to be cheating. Not only is he breaking the first person structure by including a third person in there (which might actually be clever by itself, if not for...) he also breaks the "show don't tell" rule many times by conveniently having this italicized interloper ask leading questions. Ultimately, I thought it was a literary experiment that should have been removed from the final version of the book. Kudos for trying. But points lost for not realizing it cheapened the writing overall.Second big problem, and here we get into some serious "this will ruin the ending" spoilers, so I'll hide this one. The double twist at the end annoyed me. The first twist was clever enough. Okay, so the interrogator turns out to be her presumed dead brother. Cool. I mean I kind of saw it coming, couldn't have been 100% sure, but it meshed with the vibe I was getting, so that was fun. But to have that last twist reveal that Jane was actually working for the evil enemy, a double agent, was just dumb. It invalidated everything I'd just read. If you're going to have me root for a protagonist the entire novel only to reveal she was the antagonist all along, at least do it for a better reason than: "double twist at the end!" Some people might have liked it, but this didn't work for me at all.Ultimately, there was enough I liked about this book to give it 3/5 stars, and this combined with Lovecraft Country will certainly get me to seek out more of Ruff's writing in the future. But if you're looking for one of his books to try, don't start with this one. That's my advice.

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like it as much as Set This House in Order, but it was a fun ride. Jane is one freaky character. No one is particularly likable,but that's the tone of the book. The ending was a little pat, but it was time to end it, so that's OK.

[jonfaith · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Bad Monkeys transports with all the complexity of an episode of Kim Possible. Procedural trappings and druggy asides felt forced. It was as if David Icke wrote Men In Black 4.

[trinitym82 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was interesting and compelling, but what he does to the reader at the end really prevents you from enjoying the book. The main character was playing a trick on everyone, including the reader, and because you like her so much, it really punches you in the gut when you find out she was playing you. It also go REAL weird near the end, and it felt forced, and then the author just wrapped it up by saying it was a simulation (having a double of yourself manipulate the world is fine, but you can't introduce concepts like that in the last four chapters and expect your readers to swallow it).

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like books which like to frak with you. This book is never what it seems.

[mtlkch-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One of the weirdest books I've every read.

[christineellei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The best I can say about this book is that is was interesting. Imagine ... oh, I don't know ... a female Maxwell Smart on crack cocaine, and you may have some idea. Jane Charlotte is a self-confessed member of The Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons. Or is she? In a series of sessions with a psychotherapist in the Las Vegas County Jail nut wing, Jane tells the story of her early life in San Francisco and her assimilation into the Bad Monkeys, an organization devoted to fighting evil.

[heradas · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Great concept, but it mostly fell apart.

[laurenmae85-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would give this 3.5 stars. This was a great blend of sic-fi, mystery, and conspiracy thriller. The main tension in the book is trying to figure out how much of Jane's, the enigmatic narrator, story might be true and how much might be the ravings of a delusional madwoman. Readers know soon enough that they are being fed lies and are left to try to sort out the truth amongst the crazy, tangled adventures. Despite being unable to fully trust the main character, I was still inevitably drawn into the action. It was fun and kept me guessing. However the last quarter of the book lost me a bit. I felt it became a bit disjointed and hard to concentrate on. Not perfect, but definitely enjoyable nonetheless.

[qaphsiel-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to say I like Matt Ruff more with ever novel (this is my 3rd, leaving one more to be read as things stand right now). _Bad Monkeys_, like _Fool on the Hill_ and _Set This House in Order_, has psychological themes, but where Fool and House are more serious in their approach, _Monkeys_ is more of a romp, and less 'touching' for lack of a better term.

These comparisons aside, Ruff's usual quality writing is present: interesting characters with whom most readers will be able to identify in one way or another, unexpected twists, and excellent prose. In many ways _Monkeys_ is previous Ruff with a bit of Christopher Moore mixed in - which is no bad thing, I like Moore a great deal.

[richardderus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3.5* of fiveThe Book Report: Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder.She tells police that she is a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil; her division is called the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons--"Bad Monkeys" for short.This confession earns Jane a trip to the jail's psychiatric wing, where a doctor attempts to determine whether she is lying, crazy--or playing a different game altogether. What follows is one of the most clever and gripping novels you'll ever read.My Review: "Clever" is a good word for this book. In fact, maybe "clever-clever" is even better. "Jane Charlotte"? She needs a boyfriend named "Austen Brontë" in that case.And that is the very last and final connection anywhere within the oddly shaped covers of the book to Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë. From here on, we're on a profane and sometimes profoundly blue trip through the Halls of Micturation that form Jane's psyche. Is she addled? Drugged? One helluva fast-thinking sociopath, like in The Usual Suspects?Dunno. About half-way through, I lost steam. See, this is the issue I perceive in so much bizarro/New Weird fiction. It goes on too long. It takes the joke, beats that sumbitch to death, scoops up the jellified meatiness, and then sets to stompin' on it in hobnailed boots. And after a while, one loses the desire to be on the sidelines looking on.So, a month went by, and I picked the book up again. (It was stabbing me in the kidney as I got into bed one night.) Idly flipping to the Book Dart (if you don't have these, get some, they're amazing), I resumed reading with a slight smothered yawnlet.*slog slog pantpant slog*And I finished the book, unable to toss it aside for one reason: I had to know how the HELL this guy was gonna get off the horse at the end of the ride.Good, good job, Sir Matt the Ruff. I did not see that ending happening.

[jenneb_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Matt Ruff has a weeird crazy brain.

[aramissciant · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed Bad Monkeys, including most of the twists. I'd never heard of the author but he has a great imagination and is very talented with words.

[ben_h_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm late to the Matt Ruff fan club, I know, but I'm proud to be a member. I read this flashy lit-fic paranormal urban fantasy through one very late night. Booze is suggested.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was strange. Its full of twists and turns that may or may not be true. Instead of reviewing it, I'll list a bunch of questions that may or may not explain this book.1) What is Good. What is Evil. Is it something that is with you from birth, or is based on your experiences?2) Is Jane Crazy? Does her Brother Exist? Does Jane Exist? Does anybody in this world Exist?3) Plot holes like crazy! Shortcoming of author, or the author is a genius?4) And last, what the hell did I just read? I have no opinions. I think I might reread this book. But I'm not sure if I want too... It makes my brain hurt... That is all.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The bright yellow cover and different style presentation of the physical book were what brought it to my attention on the shelf at Goodwill. The title made me smile. Bad Monkeys, indeed. Fast-paced, intertwined back-story and present day, and a strong sense of the absurd kept it interesting. The central character, Jane Charlotte, has been arrested for murder. She tells the interviewing officer she works for an secret organization that fights evil, in the Department of Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons (aka Bad Monkeys.) This gets her a trip to the psychiatric wing. The book is in part her interview with a psychiatrist there and the back story to how she got involved in the whole shebang. Jane tells her life story, which has more twists than a pretzel. It's not such a particularly great one; suffice it to say she has plenty of opportunities to see evil and snuff it. At one point, with all the high-tech gizmos and action, I thought this would make a pretty good movie, along the lines of Men in Black or The Matrix. I can see it now, "Synopsis: A female protagonist struggles with her alter ego and, after being arrested for murder, claims to belong to a secret society that fights evil." Yup. It would work.

[romis78 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, amusing, ends in sort of a mishmash. Three hours after finishing it, I can't recall if she was the heroine or the villain, which shows how memorable it was.

[verenka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read the book during my holiday and it was perfect for this. It is a complete and utter mind fuck with conspiracy theories, double bluffs and triple agents and I loved every minute of it, how could I not? There’s even a bonus serial killer!