Almost Adam
By Petru Popescu
Morrow, 544 pages, $24
In some respects, the life of Petru Popescu, author of this wildly romantic and adventurous novel, contains elements worthy of a piece of fiction. Popescu was born in Romania during the brutal regime of Nicolae Ceausescu and was a literary sensation before he was 20. The political tone of his work led to constant struggles with government censors, and in 1975, with the help of John Cheever, Popescu came to America and soon decided to stay.
In his native land, his books were banned and he became something of a black market literary celebrity. Once in the U.S., he continued writing and even turned to screenplays, most notably the script for Peter Weir’s “The Last Wave.”
Reading through “Almost Adam,” Popescu’s screenplay credits seem particularly important because his story, with its dueling scientists, earthshaking discoveries and the main character’s mystic bonding with primitive people seems like nothing less than a giant draft for a blockbuster movie.
While flying over a remote savanna in Kenya, Ken Lauder, a rugged American anthropologist, sees a trail of ancient footsteps. After landing the plane, Lauder discovers the skeleton of an ape-human that appears to be several million years old and may be the so-called missing link. But when he brings the fossil back to Nairobi, he finds a city in turmoil and the borders closing. Lauder frantically tries to arrange another expedition before leaving the country, but, faster than you can say “villain,” he is challenged by Cyril Anderson, a famous anthropologist who is long overdue for a major discovery.
Anderson joins forces with the novel’s most interesting character, a hideously misshapen poacher named Modibo. Instead of leaving the country, Lauder returns to the plain where he made his discovery and meets a small boy. With Anderson and Modibo in pursuit, Lauder and the boy flee into the forest.
As they spend their days together, Lauder begins to develop a mystic bond with the boy and soon begins having visions of our ancient past. Eventually the boy leads Lauder to his tribe, where he is accepted. With Anderson and Modibo getting closer, Lauder has to figure out a way to keep his new family from being discovered and probably destroyed by modern man.
While this summary suggests a clean, fast-paced romp, the actual product is anything but. Popescu, who claims Conrad as an inspiration but is closer to Crichton, crams in an enormous amount of detail–some of it fascinating, some of it pointless–concerning the political climate in Kenya, warring tribes and anthropological arcana. Worse yet, Popescu’s portrayal of the ancient tribe–noble savages who are, despite their lack of access to the wonders of modern technology, better humans than we are–is distressingly old hat.
As escapist fiction goes, “Almost Adam” is OK fare, but readers looking for pulse-pounding entertainment might think twice before plopping down their money.
