Wonderful is very rightly named, this second novel by Sydney born Andrew Humphreys is a marvellous study of loneliness and a spot on recreation of the golden age of Hollywood .

In 1931 self proclaimed professor doctor Jozsef Kiss, Hungarian born and fond of a drink or five arrives in Hollywood with his protégé, an African chimpanzee called Siggy. Scoring himself an agent Kiss has soon landed Siggy a role in the new Jungle Man movie, re-christened Siggy the Wonder Chimp Siggy is soon a star and by defauly Kiss finds himself on the Hollywood circuit of parties, drinks and more parties. The rise of fascism and the beginning of world war II threatens to throw a spanner in the works though.

Wonderful captures the period perfectly, the fast talking agents, the beautiful stars, the moguls and at it’s heart that underlying sadness that characterised Hollywood in the thirties.
The Jungle Man movies are Tarzan in everything but name and Humphreys, a writer with a marvellously dry tone of voice, is obviously a big fan of the era and has studied the movies in depth (there are even fake movie entries from a guide such as Leonard Maltlin’s encyclopedia); Full of glorious passages and witty dialogue (especially the surreal drink filled exchanges between Kiss and Siggy) Wonderful is definitely to be savoured and the kind of book that lives on in the memory long after its ending. ( )