It's Hard to Be an Animal

A Novel

By: Robert Isaacs

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra

For readers of Shark Heart and Hollow Kingdom, a funny, magical, and tender novel following a lonely, conflict-averse man whose sudden ability to understand animals sends him on a wild romp around NYC, and ultimately helps him discover his own voice.

Strolling through Central Park on a blind date with the hilarious, irrepressible Molly Bent, Henry Parsons is feeling hopeful for the first time in years … when a migratory warbler, the sweetest of little birds, tells him to f*** off.

A gentle soul, troubled enough by the unkindness of fellow humans, Henry tries to brush the moment aside as a hallucination. But soon he’s hearing voices everywhere: dogs mocking their owners, sparrows fat-shaming each other, police horses profiling attendees at a street fair — even a pontificating, misogynistic snake.

The man who never speaks up for himself is now besieged by animals who do. When (inevitably) he overhears three rats discussing a corpse in the New York subway, he lets it slip to Molly. She’s keen to investigate, and Henry’s desperate for a second date, so he follows her nervously into an abandoned tunnel under the West Fourth Street Station. There, sure enough, they find a body … and the murderers find them. Cue the most terrifying week of this cautious man’s life.

Inspiration and courage arrive from a pair of feuding betta fish and his neighbor’s yapping Pomeranian — whose unexpected wisdom helps Henry find the courage to assert himself at last.

Critic reviews

“Acclaimed conductor and musician Isaacs turns his focus to fiction with this sweet and poignant debut… This novel is a standout, filled with both humor and heart. All of the characters, especially Yaryk, are laugh-out-loud funny. The star of the book is Gracie, though, with her profound observations that apply to humans and animals alike. Isaacs uses her thoughts to reflect on how we love and relate to one another.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"[An] exciting and hilarious debut. . . This is a hoot."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

"Once in a while you pick up a debut that is so singular, inventive and alive you know instantly that you're going to read everything from that author in the future. Well, meet Robert Isaacs, your new auto-buy author. Let's be his biggest fans together."
—Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author

"Any book that starts with a cursing warbler is the right book for me! I loved our main (human) character Henry and all his anxieties, and I loved free-spirited Molly, his love interest….not to mention the supporting cast of talking animals. Wild, weird, and super fun. I loved it."
—Annie Hartnett, bestselling author of The Road to Tender Hearts

“An uplifting, funny, original, and soulful novel! Through his wise and wonderful characters (some two-legged, some four, a few birds and a pair of deeply emotional beta fish), Isaacs has written a story that celebrates goodness, true love, and the magic of New York City. Perfect for fans of Shelby van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures.”—Amy Poeppel, author of The Sweet Spot