The Zoo Where You're Fed to God

Creatively juxtaposing human emotional traumas with the natural tribulations of animals, this enthralling meditative tale finds life lessons in a man's struggle with sanity and his efforts to redefine himself-with the help of (among others) chimps, giraffes, house cats, antelopes, lions and, especially, tigers. James Abbey, a successful, 50-year-old surgeon in Echo Park, Calif., divorced from his wife and estranged from his preteen son, Eddie, is plagued by insomnia and strong, inarticulate fears he has known all his life. Spurned by Eddie, James goes alone to the zoo and steps to the border of madness as he hears a tiger speak to him. During a series of visits, James studies all the animals, pondering their lives and his own, listening for advice from the tiger. Lee, an eccentric young woman and fellow ``zoo freak,'' befriends James and helps him through his pain. Ventura-best known for his screenplay of Echo Park- explores themes of love, fear, nonverbal understanding, emotional fragility and humanity's place in nature, bringing provocative insight to nearly every page of this resonant work. (Sept.)