The Elephant Keepers’ Children

Review by Mandy Hager

Peter Hoeg’s latest novel The Elephant Keepers’ Children is a crazy mix of slapstick, magic realism and deep philosophical/theological thought.

Peter and Tilte are trying to track down two notorious criminals: their parents. They are the pastor and the organist, respectively, of the only church on the tiny island of Finø. Known for fabricating cheap miracles to strengthen their congregation's faith, they have been in trouble before. But this time their children suspect they are up to mischief on a far greater scale. When Peter and Tilte learn that scientific and religious leaders from around the world are assembling in Copenhagen for a conference, they know their parents are up to something. Peter and Tilte's quest to find them exposes conspiracies, terrorist plots, an angry bishop, a deranged headmaster, two love struck police officers, a deluded aristocrat and much more along the way. 

Told from Peter’s point of view, my initial reaction was that the voice was far too sophisticated for a 14 year old boy  — but it soon became clear that nothing in this book is as you’d expect, and that Peter’s cynical understanding of the world (and his parent’s very real failings) fits perfectly in a story with characters so eccentric they could have walked straight out of a Scandinavian Carry On movie or Cirque de Sol. Corpses appear and disappear, a Buddhist nun sidelines in couples phone-sex, and secret police bumble around like the Keystone Cops. The cast have such colourful names (i.e. Leonora Ticklepalate, Minna Thorlacius-Claptrap, Finn Flatfoot, Count Rickardt Three Lions, Alexander Flounderblood et al) it was a little distracting at first as I tried to orientate myself and figure out precisely what the hell was going on, but after a while I just gave myself over to it and enjoyed the romp!

What I discovered beneath the surface is a serious and thoughtful reflection on the human need to find meaning in life and for believers to seek proof of their God. Peter calls his parents ‘elephant keepers’ because he believes they have large elephants inside (expanding the ‘elephant in the room’ metaphor) that reflect their need to ‘know what God really is.’ In the end Peter concludes that nearly all the characters are elephant keepers of one sort or another — that our doubts make up part of who we are. A review in the Publisher’s Weekly concludes: ‘Under the madcap adventure story Hoeg poses serious issues about neglected children, venal church officials, and the paths to intellectual and spiritual freedom.’ I agree! Beneath the laughs there is a lot to savour and I recommend it for its underlying thoughtfulness as much as for its overt exuberant originality.

‘The Elephant Keeper’s Children’ by Peter Hoeg (translated by Martin Aitken), Harvill Secker, London, 21 September 2012, RRP $37.99 

Footnote:

Mandy Hager is a Wellington author and educator, and occasional reviewer on this blog. As well as her Teaching Diploma, she has an Advanced Diploma in Applied Arts (Writing) from Whitireia Polytechnic and a MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University. She won the Esther Glen Award for Fiction for her novel Smashed. The first book in her Blood of the Lamb trilogy, The Crossing, won the 2010 NZ Post Children’s Award for Young Adult Fiction. Her latest book TheNature of Ash published in June this year. 

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