"In a small park near one of the rivers in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, there is a bronze statue of an old man and a monkey seated side by side on a broad flat stone looking out over the river and the mountains. The monkey is bigger than ordinary snow monkeys;the top of his head reaches to the old man's shoulder. Looking at the bags under his eyes, one can see that the monkey, like the man, is elderly. Affixed to the base of the statue is a bronze plaque that reads: 'Genjiro and Yukitaro'. These two old friends sit and warm themselves in silence as the years and seasons pass."
So begins the story of a friendship between an old man and a monkey.Told with humor and understanding, "The Old Man and The Monkey" appeals to all ages.
Here is what author Tim le Roux has to say about it: "It is stunningly beautiful, one of the most amazing and moving pieces I have ever read." Tim le Roux is the author of Dance of the Pheasodile, Fishing for Christians,, the forthcoming Missio, and other titles.
"The Old Man and the Monkey" is published by Night Publishing (UK), http://www.nightpublishing.com/. Electronic (e-book) copies are available from Kindle, Smashwords, iPad and other electronic formats.
What people are saying about The Old Man and The Monkey -
“"The
Old Man and the Monkey is what good writing is all about: it makes
you look within to find the best that you can be. I love this story.
It gets better every time I read it and grounds me once again.”
—Jean Sullivan, Seattle -
"Reflects the rare values of unconditional
friendship; love, trust, respect, loyalty and
dependability. It also shows that being humane can bridge the
differences between cultures or in this case, species." —Stella
Evelyne Tesha, Rotterdam -
"The Old Man and The Monkey' brought me back to the
days, when I would pick up a book and not put it down before
I read the last word. The story captured me, made me curious about
what the next page will reveal." —Bianka
Wettin, Rotterdam
- "I was immediately drawn to The Old Man and The Monkey! Wow! Nothing short of monkey magic. Excellent work. Beu-tee-ful!" —Thom Rutledge, Nashville, author of the book Embracing Fear.
-
The sequence of events,
from the very beginning, is so well-crafted that that ‘dream-like’
state of a story is sustained throughout. The economy of words used
gives just enough information to make you understand and feel you’re
with Yukitaro and Genjiro and, at the same time, leaves you wanting
to know more. —Aneeta Sundararaj, editor, www.howtotellagreatstory.com, Malaysia -
“The
Old Man and the Monkey”, has a fresh and clear voice that
invites the reader to look beyond the expected routine of small
ritual and custom. It takes a monkey to waken the old man and his
wife and the other villagers to the wonder of life and death and friendship. —Wendy MacLean, Quebec, Canada
For more comments, go to "The Old Man and the Monkey" page |
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Follow the adventures of Grandfather Ueda and his pal Sir Raven as they solve a mystery of missing golf balls from a local driving range, rescue a boy, cheer a runner to a high school championship, investigate a "lice infestation", chase away a grocery thief, call an unruly meeting to order in a surprising way, meet a dog that looks and sounds like a bear when he growls, and generally have a great good time wondering what this pair will be up to next. Seven of these stories are from Grandfather Stories; the rest are brand new.
These are the kind of stories that grandfathers have told throughout the ages, leaving the reader and hearer with a sense of adventure, fun and good humor -- especially when grandmother and grandfather have their little disagreements! Enjoyable for all ages.
"Grandfather and the Raven" is published by Night Publishing (UK) http://www.nightpublishing.com/. Electronic (e-book) copies are available from Kindle, Smashwords, iPad and other electronic formats..
The print edition is available from https://www.createspace.com/3457446,
and Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dus-stripbooks-tree&field-keywords=george+polley%2C+grandfather+and+the+raven&x=0&y=0&ih=13_10_0_1_0_1_0_0_0_1.4_226&fsc=-1
The Kindle edition is available from http://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-The-Ravenebook/
dp/B003T0GIXG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AC2OY4L5J
UE2O&s=books&qid=1279389196&sr=1-2
For other electronic readers, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/16777
What people are saying about
Grandfather and the Raven
- "Speaking
as a parent, it is
always a delight when something I would regard as more wholesome than
constant Japanese-based cartoon battling succeeds in entrancing my
children as well. George Polley's Grandfather and The Raven...are
suffused with a gentle knowingness and humour, accompanied
by a sharp disapproval of unprovoked violence (violent dogs, violent
people, war). There is also a cannily and wryly portrayed running
description of the relationship between the old man and his wife which
serves to add welcome dabs of wasabi to the concoction. These tales are
both freely flowing and naturally quirky. and
clearly not targeted at
a neatly-defined market segment nor containing artificial
story-enhancer additives." From a review by Tim Roux, author, Belgium.
To read the full review, go to http://www.speakwithoutinterruption.com/site/2009/11/review-of-grandfather-the-raven-by-george-polley
- “I just finished reading
your book 'Grandfather and the Raven'; very creative, full
of wisdom and simply a pleasure to read! I almost finished it in one
go as it was very interesting and I didn't feel like putting it down
before finishing! Thank you so much for making
my day by providing me a book that rejuvenated me :).”
—Meam
Wye, author of “Shining History – Medieval Islamic Civilization”, Pakistan
- ‘"Grandfather
and the Raven’ is a delightful collection of life fables. They are
distilled wisdom that warms you all the way down, leaving you looking
forward to another reading in the future."
—Jean Sullivan, Seattle
- "George Polley's stories are like that piece of chocolate that you have
with your afternoon cup of coffee... short, sweet, and leaving you
wanting another piece. Pleasant and
thought-provoking, the series of grandfather and the raven stories left
me hoping there will be new adventures to come in the future." —Shawn M. Clankie, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Center for Language Studies, Otaru University of Commerce, Otaru, Japan
-
"Set in
Sapporo, Japan, the stories have the flavour of legends. Playful whimsy is anchored by descriptions of
ordinary daily life in urban Japan. (In the stories about grandfather and his raven friend), the raven is a wise shadow to the trusting kindness of the old man. He speaks in a mysterious voice, which some people can understand, and others hear only as a noise. These stories are fun, and would be fun to read to a child sitting in a loving lap." —Wendy MacLean, Quebec, Canada
- For more comments, go to "Grandfather and the Raven" page
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News Bulletins
- Sunday, August 29, 2010: New on amazon uk (www.amazon.co.uk), Kindle editions of "The Old Man and the Monkey" (£2.25) and "Grandfather and the Raven" (£2.17). Stop by and pick up your copy today.
- Wednesday, June 23, 2010: "Seiji", a short story about a Tokyo artist, published in "A Rainbow Feast: New Asian Short Stories", edited by Mohammad A. Quayum. Published by Marshall Cavendish (Singapore), I learned that it will be published in the next few weeks. Watch for details. The book also has its own page.
- Tuesday, June 1, 2010 -- Just published: 7 short stories about Sherlock Holmes and his feline assistant MacTavish, in a new collection by Abbott ePublishing,"Sherlock Holmes in a Flash". Story titles: "Adventure of the Feline Assistant", "The Neverbody Business", "Sherlock Holmes and the Holiday in Brighton", "Body of Evidence," "The Sinister Monk", "The Man with a Knife, or, MacTavish Saves a Neighbour". and "Sherlock Holmes and the Blue Clasp". Stories by other authors are: "The Case of the Stalking Man" (Stephen Abbott), "Cliff-Side Musing" (Alice Wright), "How Watson Learned the Trick" (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), "Thoughts in the Night" (Amy Craddock), "The Case of the De-Bugged Man" (Stephen Abbott), "The Lad" (Alice Wright) and "Aftermath" (Merrily E. Taylor). To purchase your copy of this book, click on abbottepub.com/twholmes.html
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