Apes and Angels

In Short

Apes and Angels is a 1924 collection of satirical short stories by Richard Connell that pokes fun at American solemnity, ambition, and social absurdity. Through an array of eccentric characters—a devoted museum watchman, a sub-editor who feigns suicide for fame, corporate executives naming a child via memo, and a serious scientist undone by a party trick—Connell exposes the thin line between dignified human pretension and raw impulse. The book endures because its wry observation of human folly, desire for attention, and absurd bureaucracy remains strikingly sharp and relatable today.

The Story

The stories across the collection trace the humorous misadventures of individuals trapped by their own fixations, social expectations, or sudden turns of fate. In Paris, the humble museum watchman Papa Chibou lives a content life surrounded by historical figures, taking particular pride in his daily companionship with a wax statue of Napoleon. When the museum liquidates its inventory and a wealthy junk king outbids him by a mere four francs for the collection, Papa Chibou cannot bear the separation. Resolving that law is not justice, he decides he and his beloved figure will not be parted.

In America, mundane social climbing and corporate madness take center stage. Saunders Rook, a timid magazine sub-editor who longs for a moment of attention, offhandedly announces at a gathering that he intends to commit suicide on the Fourth of July. The unexpected declaration brings him immediate notoriety. Rather than facing distress, Rook relishes the sudden fame, receiving marriage proposals, movie rights offers, and public tributes. As the date approaches, he finds himself swept along by a spectacle he never truly intended to carry out.

Corporate absurdity reaches its peak with Mr. and Mrs. Bowser, executive partners who manage their marriage and household through formal interoffice memos. While attempting to name their newborn son, a clerical mix-up with their corporate slogans results in the baby receiving an absurd trade name, forcing them to abandon their rigid pretense and settle on a simple name. Elsewhere, young Edwin Dell leaves his aunt's stern guidance to venture into New York, armed with moral adages and a determination to eschew worldly temptations. When caught in a restaurant without money, he finds his strict worldview tested by the generous intervention of a mysterious woman.

The collection shifts to small-town Connecticut, where an anonymous, non-English-speaking foreigner arrives at Crosby Corners. He is quickly put to work by a local farmer, only to end up in the middle of a village crisis when a farmhand's daughter falls into a corral with a furious, escaped bull. In another story, an ambitious man named Hosmer Appleby spends decades peddling dolls, enduring a job he despises solely to buy eclectic furnishings for a dream house that continually shifts design styles in his mind.

Authority and societal rules face further satire in tales of law and impulse. A court case unfolds as a meek shoe salesman named Felton faces a judge after acting on a sudden, uncharacteristic impulse in a movie theater, leading to a harsh sentence. Meanwhile, Prince Ernest struggles with his royal duties while sick with the mumps, only to be reminded by his father that his high income and eleven motor cars depend on keeping the public from discovering his ordinary nature. Nearby, a young soldier named Joey Pell enjoys the free meals and adoration of wartime New York, only to mistake a German singing society's parade in Washington Square for an enemy invasion and charge them single-handedly. Out in the countryside, Ug, a Native American man, seeks justice through legal channels after a local bully steals his pig. Finally, Hervey Deyo, a solemn ornithologist who spent his youth writing dense academic treatises, finds his serious reputation completely eclipsed when he demonstrates a buzz sound at a party, ending his life remembered only as the man who could imitate a bee.

How It Unfolds

A guardian's devotion Papa Chibou spends his nights guarding his favorite wax figures until an auction separates him from Napoleon over a four-franc bid. Unwilling to accept the loss, he chooses to steal the statue away into the night.

Fame by accident Saunders Rook blurted out a fake suicide deadline just to gain attention at a party. He soon finds himself a national celebrity swamped with marriage proposals, job offers, and fan mail.

Memorandum motherhood The Bowsers manage their marriage through corporate memos, fiercely debating a name for their baby. A clerical mix-up forces them to abandon their executive pride and compromise on a simple choice.

Lessons in the city Edwin Dell travels to New York under strict instructions from his aunt to avoid women and stay punctual. A missing wallet and a sudden lunch bill challenge his rigid moral training.

Chaos in the corral A quiet foreign laborer arrives at a Connecticut farm just as a prized bull goes wild in its enclosure. When a young woman tumbles into the pen, the village panics over how to save her.

Furnishing a mirage Hosmer Appleby spends years selling dolls to buy antique furniture for a house he hasn't built yet. Each promotion brings more money, but his dream home keeps changing styles before it even exists.

An unscripted impulse Felton the shoe clerk stands before a judge trying to explain a momentary, foolish lapse of self-control in a dark theater. The unsympathetic judge hands down a six-month sentence to teach him a lesson.

Royal realities Prince Ernest complains about his duties while confined with the mumps, wishing to abandon his title for real work. His father gently points out that no ordinary job will ever pay for eleven luxury cars.

The battle of the square Private Joey Pell spends his day soaking up free food and praise intended for soldiers across New York. Spotting a foreign-language banner in Washington Square, he charges the crowd with a fixed bayonet under a total misunderstanding.

A scientist's legacy Hervey Deyo devotes his early life to complex bird research, only to perform a party trick mimicking a bee. The silly trick ruins his marriage and becomes the sole thing people remember him for on his deathbed.

The People

• Papa Chibou: A gentle museum watchman who finds romance and adventure in his nightly routine among wax statues. When his beloved figure of Napoleon is auctioned off, his devotion drives him to defy the law rather than accept their separation.
• Saunders Rook: A mild-mannered magazine editor who craves a brief moment of public attention. His impulsive lie about committing suicide grants him overwhelming fame, which he loves too much to easily give up.
• J. Sanford and P. I. Bowser: A husband and wife who run both their business and their home through formal corporate memos. Their rigid insistence on professional bureaucracy leads to absurd family mix-ups.
• Edwin Dell: A naive young man steeped in moral maxims and religious texts by his aunt. His rigid worldview faces immediate confusion when he encounters the complexities of life in New York City.
• Hosmer Appleby: A determined salesman who spent his entire career selling children's dolls despite finding them boring. He endures decades of tedious work to fund an ever-changing dream house.
• Hervey Deyo: A dedicated ornithologist who built a serious academic reputation writing long scholarly papers. His accidental mastery of a bee imitation ruins his marriage and consumes his entire identity.

In Its Own Voice

“Every night of his life Papa Chibou walked with adventure and held the hand of romance.”

Papa Chibou reflects on his deep satisfaction with his job as a night watchman.

“He did not enjoy being ignored any more than any other man does, and he had his full share of man’s natural desire for a beam of the limelight.”

Saunders Rook sits quietly at a party, desperate to make an impression on his peers.

“I’m a doting father, Ernie, but even I can see that you are no intellectual colossus. And yet you acceptably fill a job that brings you in three or four hundred thousand goobecs a year...”

The king explains the practical benefits of royalty to his son who is suffering from the mumps.

What It's Really About

Underneath its comic premises, the collection explores the absurdity of human ambition and the masks people wear to feel important. Connell targets the solemnity of modern life—whether found in corporate jargon, academic pride, or public moralizing. Characters consistently mistake vanity for purpose, chasing public approval, lofty titles, or rigid ideals at the expense of genuine connection. The stories suggest that self-importance is a fragile defense against life's unpredictability, and that society's systems—from legal courts to corporate management—are often as absurd as the individuals navigating them.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy vintage American humor, satirical short stories, and lighthearted character studies will find much to appreciate here. Connell's writing moves briskly, driven by sharp dialogue, clever situational comedy, and an affectionate ribbing of human flaws. The prose feels accessible and lively, offering an entertaining snapshot of 1920s culture, media frenzy, and social anxieties.

The collection does reflect its era, containing period attitudes, outdated cultural stereotypes, and mild regional dialects that modern readers should expect. Additionally, because the book is a series of self-contained episodic tales rather than a single continuous narrative, the depth of character development varies from story to story. However, the core humor remains surprisingly fresh. Connell's observations on the thirst for quick fame, the ridiculousness of office culture, and the trap of taking oneself too seriously feel just as relevant today as when they were first written.