The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters    by Chip Kidd Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2002 (2001) Hardcover, Paperback, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by David Pitt Sometimes somebody writes a novel that just plain takes your breath away. The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters, by Chip Kidd, is so good that, moments after finishing it, you'll want to start all over again. Kidd, a noted graphic designer (he made his mark as a book-jacket designer; he did the brilliantly mind-bending design for The Cheese Monkeys, as a matter of fact), makes every paragraph utterly delightful, every line of dialogue razor-sharp. Set in the late 1950s, the novel is narrated by a cynical university student who decides to major in Art 'because I have always hated Art.' But soon our narrator finds himself falling deeply in love with his subject, and its teacher, Winter Sorbeck, an astonishing literary creation who will hang around in your mind long after you've put the novel down. Kidd is an exceptional writer - 'he bowed his head and paused, as if to take on a new load of thoughts' - and the novel is immensely creative: Kidd even changes typefaces at one point, to make a visual point. The story stretches from the heights of idiocy to the depths of passion, and you won't soon forget it. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews