My Life Among the Apes

Cary Fagan began his career writing short stories before moving on to novels as well as numerous books for children. Yet he has never given up his love for the story form. Here are ten new stories whose characters are funny, serious, peculiar, and absorbing — as only Cary Fagan can write them.


In “The Floating Wife,” a woman looks back on the life of her husband, a retired judge whom she left after he refused to give up on his dream of being a magician.


In “Shit Box,” a young man exiled from the downtown arts scene adjusts to life in a suburban community of new immigrants.


A widow moves to New York to confront her late husband’s mistress in “The Brooklyn Revenge.”


In “My Life among the Apes,” a bank manager in a bad situation turns to his childhood obsession with Jane Goodall for inspiration.


“Lost at Sea” tells of a young couple who visit a furniture maker in searching for their true course.


A humble young waiter realizes his dream on an unusual New Year’s Eve in “The Little Underworld of Edison Wiese.”


Covering a wide range of human experience with humour and grace, My Life among the Apes is a testament to Cary Fagan’s mastery of his craft.