Penelope — William Anderson

Penelope is a joyously absurd comic novel about a charming Southern belle…who happens to be a bottlenose dolphin. Kept in a Navy research pool, Penelope talks (with a honeyed drawl), flirts, and outsmarts the two-legged world, setting off a chain of misadventures that lampoon military bureaucracy, small-time schemers, and the human urge to make a quick buck. As publicity men, brass hats, and assorted opportunists try to exploit the miracle porpoise, Penelope keeps splashing circles around them—turning every scheme into a belly-flop of hilarious complications. Anderson plays the romp at a brisk, paperback-perfect pace: set-pieces escalate from poolside chaos to media circus, the gags land wet and wild, and the satire stays buoyant without ever losing its affectionate wink. Beneath the froth is a sly point about anthropomorphic fantasies—humans project, Penelope prevails—and a reminder that the smartest mammal in the tank might not be the one wearing shoes. First published by Crown in 1963 and later followed by a sequel, Penelope, the Damp Detective, this cult favorite remains a bubbly send-up of officialdom and American hustle.