Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
New York : Doubleday, c2011.
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: SHORTLISTED for the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction A thrilling and powerful novel about a young boy lured to sea by the promise of adventure and reward, with echoes of Great Expectations, Moby-Dick, and The Voyage of the Narwhal. Jamrach�s Menagerie tells the story of a nineteenth-century street urchin named Jaffy Brown. Following an incident with an escaped tiger, Jaffy goes to work for Mr. Charles Jamrach, the famed importer of exotic animals, alongside Tim, a good but sometimes spitefully competitive boy. Thus begins a long, close friendship fraught with ambiguity and rivalry. Mr. Jamrach recruits the two boys to capture a fabled dragon during the course of a three-year whaling expedi�tion. Onboard, Jaffy and Tim enjoy the rough brotherhood of sailors and the brutal art of whale hunting. They even succeed in catching the reptilian beast. But when the ship�s whaling venture falls short of expecta�tions, the crew begins to regard the dragon�seething with feral power in its cage�as bad luck, a feeling that is cruelly reinforced when a violent storm sinks the ship. Drifting across an increasingly hallucinatory ocean, the sur�vivors, including Jaffy and Tim, are forced to confront their own place in the animal kingdom. Masterfully told, wildly atmospheric, and thundering with tension, Jamrach�s Mena�gerie is a truly haunting novel about friendship, sacrifice, and survival.… (more)
Media reviews
In Jaffy, Birch has captured a boyish wonder at nature, a fascination with animals that any kid who’s ever caught a snake in the woods will be familiar with. As phantasmagoric as the mood of this novel gets, there is nothing in it that steps outside the bounds of reality, for it knows the real
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world is fantastic enough. Show Less
One of the magical qualities of Birch’s story is that it gives that sense of Dickensian sprawl and scope even though it’s spun in fewer than 300 pages.We smell “the gorgeous stench” of England’s burgeoning capital in the mid-19th century and see its noisy alleys stretching out in every
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direction. Show Less
Seen in the round, Jamrach's Menagerie is a terrific example of the virtues of finding a style and sticking to it: as good as anything Peter Carey has done in this line and, in certain exalted moments, even better.
When we are eventually returned to Wapping, minus a few fellow-travellers, Birch has spun us a captivating yarn of high seas and even higher drama. But she has also managed to leave us understanding why some of the sailors who did make it back to the comparative safety of land are, despite their
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ordeals, so quick to set sail again. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member LizzieD
EEEEEeeeeew. Jamrach's Menagerie is not anybody's idea of a typical Orange Prize nominee. Although the writing is lovely, rhythmic and arresting, everything but roughly the first 60 and the last 40 pages reads like horror fiction.
Briefly, Jaffy Brown, a Victorian slum child meets an escaped (but
At this point the story picks up and becomes a thing not for the squeamish. Birch's descriptions of a whale hunt and its aftermath are sickening. The hunt for the dragon and its capture are even more so if that's possible. (A notable feature of the Komodo is apparently its slimy drool.) When the ship goes down in a waterspout and 12 men survive in two of the whaling boats, the descriptions become well-nigh unbearable. Here is one mild passage to whet your appetite or warn you away: "One day I woke and my tongue was out of my mouth. It had turned into a creature I did not know, lazy and fat, swelling and oozing as it thrust its way out into the light through the slack hole of my mouth. My own tongue made me retch. This brought tears to my eyes, which I gratefully drank."
I am glad to have read this to satisfy my curiosity. Otherwise, given the predictability of the climax, I could just as well have let it go unopened. We are invited to look into the depths of the human creature in extreme circumstances, but I'm not sure that I learned about anything except the valiant will to survive and something about the nature of forgiveness. My thanks, though, to Early Reviewers for giving me the opportunity to get it out of my system.
Briefly, Jaffy Brown, a Victorian slum child meets an escaped (but
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recently fed) tiger in the streets of London and walks up to stroke its nose. Tiger and Jaffy are recovered by Jamrach, an importer of exotic animals who hires Jaf as his yard boy. There Jaffy meets Tim Linver and his sister Ishbel, who become his best friends. As teens Jaffy and Tim go on a three-year voyage with Dan Rymer, the exotic animal hunter, to bring back a dragon (which we recognize as a Komodo Dragon) for a collector.At this point the story picks up and becomes a thing not for the squeamish. Birch's descriptions of a whale hunt and its aftermath are sickening. The hunt for the dragon and its capture are even more so if that's possible. (A notable feature of the Komodo is apparently its slimy drool.) When the ship goes down in a waterspout and 12 men survive in two of the whaling boats, the descriptions become well-nigh unbearable. Here is one mild passage to whet your appetite or warn you away: "One day I woke and my tongue was out of my mouth. It had turned into a creature I did not know, lazy and fat, swelling and oozing as it thrust its way out into the light through the slack hole of my mouth. My own tongue made me retch. This brought tears to my eyes, which I gratefully drank."
I am glad to have read this to satisfy my curiosity. Otherwise, given the predictability of the climax, I could just as well have let it go unopened. We are invited to look into the depths of the human creature in extreme circumstances, but I'm not sure that I learned about anything except the valiant will to survive and something about the nature of forgiveness. My thanks, though, to Early Reviewers for giving me the opportunity to get it out of my system.
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LibraryThing member Cariola
Wow, this one ended up being quite a page-turner (and I'm not one generally fond of ship adventure stories). Young Jaf Brown, the narrator, comes across a tiger in the streets of Victorian London, but his first instinct is not to flee but to reach out and rub its nose. In an instant, he finds
At this point, the novel takes flight, and it won't set the reader back down until the final page. The voyage begins as an adventure, turns into a harrowing ordeal, and ends on a note that is oddly both melancholy and hopeful. Birch's descriptive language brings the feelings--both physical and emotional--of her protagonist to life for the reader. Let me warn that this is not a book for the squeamish: events both disgusting and horrendous are drawn in minute detail. But if you can handle it, reading Jamrach's Menagerie is a fascinating, unforgettable experience.
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himself swooning in the tiger's jaws. So begins Jaf's first claim to local fame, as the boy who was in the tiger's mouth. Jaf is rescued by Mr. Jamrach, who makes a living by importing exotic birds and animals. Noting Jaf's affinity for animals, he hires the boy as a cage cleaner, a job which eventually leads to his participation in a three-year voyage to the South Seas in search of a dragon.At this point, the novel takes flight, and it won't set the reader back down until the final page. The voyage begins as an adventure, turns into a harrowing ordeal, and ends on a note that is oddly both melancholy and hopeful. Birch's descriptive language brings the feelings--both physical and emotional--of her protagonist to life for the reader. Let me warn that this is not a book for the squeamish: events both disgusting and horrendous are drawn in minute detail. But if you can handle it, reading Jamrach's Menagerie is a fascinating, unforgettable experience.
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LibraryThing member katiekrug
”He wanted a story. A thing of horror. I have a story, a terrible one. But I’ll tell no tales. He doesn’t understand at all: it’s not that kind of a story, not horror but grief I have to deal with.” (page 276)
I very much enjoyed this book, though I am not entirely sure what to make of it.
Carol Birch writes wonderfully evocative descriptions of everything from places to emotions to characters. I flagged many fascinating and beautiful passages. I loved the basic plot of the story – London urchin is taken under the wing of an exotic animal importer, makes friends with another young boy, they both eventually set sail on a whaling ship, capture a dragon, and then are set adrift on the unforgiving ocean after their ship sinks. I also loved young Jaffy Brown’s narrative voice (”I loved my ma. To me, she would ever and always be a warm armpit in the night.”) Through that voice, we see his development from an impish child to a haunted man, and it is a well done transformation. There is a lot going on in the book and parts of it are by turns moving, horrifying, and funny. My only complaint is that the point of the story, the theme of the book, was muddied to me by the inclusion of SO MUCH. I admire Birch’s ambition but wish she had been a bit more focused.
A few passages I noted:
”I put my head back and watched the sky along with him. It was black and very starry. Starry out there is not like in London. There, starry is an observable impossibility, and looking up is a gaze into infinity.” (page 248)
”Home. Hope Ma’s all right. She should be, Charley Grant’s a good sort. Home, Ma, Ishbel, never get back, never go home, never again. A burning place in my chest. Something to hold against the terror, a blanket. I’m alive, burning brightly with a head full of everything that ever was, our Bermondsey home, the Highway, the tiger, the birds, the smell of lemon sherbet.” (page 235)
”Long as I live I’ll never be wise. Never understand why it happened as it happened, never understand where they’ve gone, all those faces I see clear in the darkness. There’s no way out of this, it’s stark: live or die. Every given moment a bubble that bursts. Step on, from one to the next, ever onwards, a rainbow of stepping stones, each bursting softly as your foot touches and passes on. Till one step finds only empty air. Till that step, live.” (page 279)
I very much enjoyed this book, though I am not entirely sure what to make of it.
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As an homage to 18th century adventure tales? A tip of the hat to 19th century coming of age novels? A reinvention of contemporary metaphorical stories urging us to reconsider our relationship to the natural world? Ultimately, I saw some of all of these (and more) in [Jamrach’s Menagerie], a novel which inspires a host of adjectives – fantastical, disturbing, hallucinogenic, humorous, brutal, life-affirming – but which, to me, suffered a bit from over-ambition on the part of the author.Carol Birch writes wonderfully evocative descriptions of everything from places to emotions to characters. I flagged many fascinating and beautiful passages. I loved the basic plot of the story – London urchin is taken under the wing of an exotic animal importer, makes friends with another young boy, they both eventually set sail on a whaling ship, capture a dragon, and then are set adrift on the unforgiving ocean after their ship sinks. I also loved young Jaffy Brown’s narrative voice (”I loved my ma. To me, she would ever and always be a warm armpit in the night.”) Through that voice, we see his development from an impish child to a haunted man, and it is a well done transformation. There is a lot going on in the book and parts of it are by turns moving, horrifying, and funny. My only complaint is that the point of the story, the theme of the book, was muddied to me by the inclusion of SO MUCH. I admire Birch’s ambition but wish she had been a bit more focused.
A few passages I noted:
”I put my head back and watched the sky along with him. It was black and very starry. Starry out there is not like in London. There, starry is an observable impossibility, and looking up is a gaze into infinity.” (page 248)
”Home. Hope Ma’s all right. She should be, Charley Grant’s a good sort. Home, Ma, Ishbel, never get back, never go home, never again. A burning place in my chest. Something to hold against the terror, a blanket. I’m alive, burning brightly with a head full of everything that ever was, our Bermondsey home, the Highway, the tiger, the birds, the smell of lemon sherbet.” (page 235)
”Long as I live I’ll never be wise. Never understand why it happened as it happened, never understand where they’ve gone, all those faces I see clear in the darkness. There’s no way out of this, it’s stark: live or die. Every given moment a bubble that bursts. Step on, from one to the next, ever onwards, a rainbow of stepping stones, each bursting softly as your foot touches and passes on. Till one step finds only empty air. Till that step, live.” (page 279)
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LibraryThing member Electablue
I have been wanting to read a book by Carol Birch for a long time and was excited when I learned she would have her newest book released in the United States.
I enjoyed this book immensely and found it hard to put down. It read as if the main character, Jaffy Brown, was actually telling his story
This reminds me of Dickensian tale, with touches of Life of Pi.
I enjoyed this book immensely and found it hard to put down. It read as if the main character, Jaffy Brown, was actually telling his story
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and I was with him in the streets of Wapping and Radcliffe Highway, and out on on the open seas hunting whales. The reason for 4, rather than 5 stars is because the second section of the book was too realistic and hard to read for me.This reminds me of Dickensian tale, with touches of Life of Pi.
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LibraryThing member kidzdoc
This novel takes place in the middle of the 19th century, and is narrated by Jaffy Brown, who is born to a struggling single mother in the Bermondsey section of London. He experiences a second birth eight years later, as he is rescued from the jaws of a tiger he has decided to pet on the nose by
Jaffy and Tim become young men, and both are lured away by the call of the sea, as opportunities for each of them on land are quite limited. They join the crew of a whaling ship, whose wealthy owner charges them with an even greater task: to bring back a live dragon from an island in the South Pacific, which has been described by several travelers but never captured. However, a great tragedy befalls the crew, and the journey becomes a long and tortuous struggle against starvation, hopelessness, destiny and death, which is described in detail throughout the latter half of the book.
Jamrach's Menagerie was apparently based upon a true story. It was an interesting story, but only moderately so. The supporting characters were thinly portrayed, as were the description of life aboard a whaling ship. The narration during and after the shipwreck was the strongest part of the novel, but it was often gruesome and went on far too long. This book is a curious selection for this year's Booker Prize longlist, and I would be very surprised, and disappointed, if it makes the shortlist.
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its owner, Charles Jamrach, a big hearted exotic animal collector and breeder. He employs Jaffy, and introduces him to Tim Linver, an older boy who also works for Jamrach, who befriends, and torments, the young lad.Jaffy and Tim become young men, and both are lured away by the call of the sea, as opportunities for each of them on land are quite limited. They join the crew of a whaling ship, whose wealthy owner charges them with an even greater task: to bring back a live dragon from an island in the South Pacific, which has been described by several travelers but never captured. However, a great tragedy befalls the crew, and the journey becomes a long and tortuous struggle against starvation, hopelessness, destiny and death, which is described in detail throughout the latter half of the book.
Jamrach's Menagerie was apparently based upon a true story. It was an interesting story, but only moderately so. The supporting characters were thinly portrayed, as were the description of life aboard a whaling ship. The narration during and after the shipwreck was the strongest part of the novel, but it was often gruesome and went on far too long. This book is a curious selection for this year's Booker Prize longlist, and I would be very surprised, and disappointed, if it makes the shortlist.
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LibraryThing member Laura400
Named to the longlist for the 2011 Man Booker, Jamrach's Menagerie is a rollicking adventure story and coming-of-age tale, but it is also a meditation on mankind's relationship to the animal world, and an exploration of how far men must go to survive, and the toll that each of those takes.
The novel
Much happens in this novel, as Jaffy grows from an impoverished boy who encounters a tiger on a London street, to a youth who works at Jamrach's shop, to a teen who ships out on a whaling boat to hunt a mysterious dragon, to a survivor of shipwreck who is adrift with his fellows for 65 days. For most of his journey he is accompanied by his friend and rival, a boy a little older and a lot more sure of himself named Tim Linver, whose twin sister Jaffy loves. There is a full cast of characters, from family members and shipmates to some of the captured animals, all of whom are memorably sketched.
As Jaffy walks, then sails, through his early years, the novel explores mankind's twinned exploitation of, and attraction to, animals, from the whales slaughtered for their skin, oil and bones, to the exotic lizard, tiger or wombat captured to stock London collections, and even to the songbirds and dogs kept as pets. Man's essential animal nature moves front and center as the hunters stalk their dragon, only to see the whaling ship run into bad luck before finally encountering the storm that leads to shipwreck and the struggle to survive. In a story with so much going on, the author's sure hand keeps everything moving with assurance and energy. This is a very impressive book, and also a very gripping read.
The novel
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seems to be based partly in historical events or personages -- like Jamrach. But it is a richly imagined work that manages to be both realistic and sometimes dreamlike. And while the life of the narrator Jaffy Brown might bring to mind Dickens, Melville or Patrick O'Brian, he also stands on his own as a terrific character.Much happens in this novel, as Jaffy grows from an impoverished boy who encounters a tiger on a London street, to a youth who works at Jamrach's shop, to a teen who ships out on a whaling boat to hunt a mysterious dragon, to a survivor of shipwreck who is adrift with his fellows for 65 days. For most of his journey he is accompanied by his friend and rival, a boy a little older and a lot more sure of himself named Tim Linver, whose twin sister Jaffy loves. There is a full cast of characters, from family members and shipmates to some of the captured animals, all of whom are memorably sketched.
As Jaffy walks, then sails, through his early years, the novel explores mankind's twinned exploitation of, and attraction to, animals, from the whales slaughtered for their skin, oil and bones, to the exotic lizard, tiger or wombat captured to stock London collections, and even to the songbirds and dogs kept as pets. Man's essential animal nature moves front and center as the hunters stalk their dragon, only to see the whaling ship run into bad luck before finally encountering the storm that leads to shipwreck and the struggle to survive. In a story with so much going on, the author's sure hand keeps everything moving with assurance and energy. This is a very impressive book, and also a very gripping read.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Jaffy Brown is growing up on the streets of London in the late nineteenth century. He is a fearless eight year old when he encounters a Bengal tiger on the street, reaches up to pet it on the nose, and ends up dangling from the tiger’s mouth. That experience introduces Jaffy to a man named
Carol Birch’s Orange Prize nominated novel of a young street urchin’s coming of age on a whaling boat is filled with quirky characters who are not always likable. The book is narrated by an adult Jaffy who is looking back on his boyhood years, and so there is an adult feel to this tale of youth. Early on, Birch establishes the uneasy friendship between Tim and Jaffy. The early chapters are devoted to the boys’ time in London and is filled with descriptions of the rough city streets. I found the early going slow paced, but when Birch begins the saga of the whaling expedition, the novel picks up considerably.
Birch’s writing is highly descriptive and allows for a solid sense of place.
The sea lapped over the transom, poured up the deck and swirled about the submerged companionways, and a colossal shift took place in the heart of the ship as three or four hundred barrels of oil moved as one with a sound like the end of all days. Sound: the sea, the wild wind, the voices of our crew as the brittle, wooden speck we lived on rolled over like the slippery pole at the fair, and the sky flew up as the swingboat soared. – from Jamrach’s Menagerie -
The latter half of Jamrach’s Menagerie is not for the faint of heart. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that the themes of survival and sacrifice are strong. Many of the images in this part of the novel are disturbing and graphic. There were times I set the book aside and was not eager to pick it back up again.
I have mixed feelings about Jamrach’s Menagerie. I found the middle part of the novel compelling and fast paced, a nice change from the first part of the book which dragged for me. Some of the latter parts were a bit too graphic for my liking. On the other hand, Birch is skilled at developing her characters and setting the scene. She brings to life the glory, pain, and terror which were found on the whaling ships in the late nineteenth century. Jamrach’s Menegarie is, at its heart, a sea adventure.
Readers who enjoy a good yarn and want to experience life on the high seas through the eyes of a young boy, might want to give this one a try. Birch peels back the skin of her characters and exposes their emotions in a raw and dark way that is hard to read at times. Perhaps it is this which makes this book the most memorable for me.
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Jamrach and his menagerie of animals found around the world. Jaffy is invited to work for Jamrach where he befriends Tim, a boy a bit older than him whose competitive nature causes some strain in the friendship. When both boys are given the opportunity to find and capture a sea dragon as part of a three year whaling expedition, they do no hesitate to sign on to the adventure. What unfolds is an experience which will indelibly change their lives as they brave the unforgiving power of the sea together.Carol Birch’s Orange Prize nominated novel of a young street urchin’s coming of age on a whaling boat is filled with quirky characters who are not always likable. The book is narrated by an adult Jaffy who is looking back on his boyhood years, and so there is an adult feel to this tale of youth. Early on, Birch establishes the uneasy friendship between Tim and Jaffy. The early chapters are devoted to the boys’ time in London and is filled with descriptions of the rough city streets. I found the early going slow paced, but when Birch begins the saga of the whaling expedition, the novel picks up considerably.
Birch’s writing is highly descriptive and allows for a solid sense of place.
The sea lapped over the transom, poured up the deck and swirled about the submerged companionways, and a colossal shift took place in the heart of the ship as three or four hundred barrels of oil moved as one with a sound like the end of all days. Sound: the sea, the wild wind, the voices of our crew as the brittle, wooden speck we lived on rolled over like the slippery pole at the fair, and the sky flew up as the swingboat soared. – from Jamrach’s Menagerie -
The latter half of Jamrach’s Menagerie is not for the faint of heart. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that the themes of survival and sacrifice are strong. Many of the images in this part of the novel are disturbing and graphic. There were times I set the book aside and was not eager to pick it back up again.
I have mixed feelings about Jamrach’s Menagerie. I found the middle part of the novel compelling and fast paced, a nice change from the first part of the book which dragged for me. Some of the latter parts were a bit too graphic for my liking. On the other hand, Birch is skilled at developing her characters and setting the scene. She brings to life the glory, pain, and terror which were found on the whaling ships in the late nineteenth century. Jamrach’s Menegarie is, at its heart, a sea adventure.
Readers who enjoy a good yarn and want to experience life on the high seas through the eyes of a young boy, might want to give this one a try. Birch peels back the skin of her characters and exposes their emotions in a raw and dark way that is hard to read at times. Perhaps it is this which makes this book the most memorable for me.
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LibraryThing member lisally
Jaffy Brown is living a life of squalor on the streets of nineteenth century London, when a close a close encounter with a tiger changes his life forever. The tiger belongs to Mr. Jamrach, an exotic animal trader, who offers young Jaffy a job caring with his animals. It is at jamrach’s that Jaffy
When an associate of Jamrach’s plans a voyage to capture an exotic “dragon,” Jaffy jumps at the opportunity. Although enchanted at first with life on board a whaling ship, Jaffy finds himself homesick even before the crew reaches the island of the dragon. When the ship encounters a disaster, Jaffy, Tim, and their shipmates must face a horrifying fight to survive on the open ocean.
Jamrachs’ Menagerie can be considered a story in multiple parts. The first part of the novel deals with Jaffy’s childhood in London, while the second part is an adventure story aboard the whaling ship. The third part of the novel is an often horrific and gruesome tale of survival at sea.
It took a little while to get used to Jaffy’s voice at the beginning. The writing is partly stream-of-consciousness, which is really effective in the later parts of the novel. Jaffy’s hunger and mindset while adrift comes across very strongly through the text. Some of Jaffy’s shipmates are underdeveloped anf hard to keep track of, and some of the survival scenes can be rather gruesome. However, Jamrach’s Menagerie is very well written and is overall an excellent read.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
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meets his rival and best friend, Tim Linver.When an associate of Jamrach’s plans a voyage to capture an exotic “dragon,” Jaffy jumps at the opportunity. Although enchanted at first with life on board a whaling ship, Jaffy finds himself homesick even before the crew reaches the island of the dragon. When the ship encounters a disaster, Jaffy, Tim, and their shipmates must face a horrifying fight to survive on the open ocean.
Jamrachs’ Menagerie can be considered a story in multiple parts. The first part of the novel deals with Jaffy’s childhood in London, while the second part is an adventure story aboard the whaling ship. The third part of the novel is an often horrific and gruesome tale of survival at sea.
It took a little while to get used to Jaffy’s voice at the beginning. The writing is partly stream-of-consciousness, which is really effective in the later parts of the novel. Jaffy’s hunger and mindset while adrift comes across very strongly through the text. Some of Jaffy’s shipmates are underdeveloped anf hard to keep track of, and some of the survival scenes can be rather gruesome. However, Jamrach’s Menagerie is very well written and is overall an excellent read.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member Brennagh
Before I read this terrific novel, I was unfamiliar with the author and the two historical incidents that provide the backdrop for the novel’s narrative—the sinking of the Essex whaling ship in 1820 and the life of Charles Jamrach, a famed importer of exotic animals during Victorian times. This
Birch uses the two historical events to tell the story of Jaffy Brown, who is born to dire poverty. Jaffy’s life changes at the age of eight when he is clutched from the jaws of a tiger while walking down Ratcliffe Highway. The tiger is owned by Jamrach who hires Jaffy to work at the menagerie. There he meets the slightly older Tim who is to become his best friend. Tim’s twin sister becomes Jaffy’s lifelong love. Jamrach insists that both boys attend some school. When the boys are in their mid teen, Tim is recruited to accompany Dan Rymer, an adventurer who captures animals for Jamrach, in his search for an elusive sea dragon desired by a rich collector. Jaffy decides to sign up for the ship and they embark on a three-year whaling expedition.
Birch employs a commanding use of voice by using young Jaffy to tell the story from his hardscrabble beginnings to his amazing story of survival at sea. The reader is plunged into Dickensian London with its smells and dirt. Birch captures the flavor of life on a ship followed by the harrowing tale of the sailors in the whaling boats trying to survive in a remarkable fashion. The novel demonstrates Birch’s ability to write lyrically while maintaining a strong narrative drive. This is a great read and might particularly appeal to readers who liked Beryl Bainbridge’s the Birthday Boys or Andrea Barrett’s the Voyage of the Narwhal.
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is the first of Carol Birch’s books being published in the United States. I hope it is very successful so that her backlist of highly regarded novels follow suit and become easily accessible to American readers.Birch uses the two historical events to tell the story of Jaffy Brown, who is born to dire poverty. Jaffy’s life changes at the age of eight when he is clutched from the jaws of a tiger while walking down Ratcliffe Highway. The tiger is owned by Jamrach who hires Jaffy to work at the menagerie. There he meets the slightly older Tim who is to become his best friend. Tim’s twin sister becomes Jaffy’s lifelong love. Jamrach insists that both boys attend some school. When the boys are in their mid teen, Tim is recruited to accompany Dan Rymer, an adventurer who captures animals for Jamrach, in his search for an elusive sea dragon desired by a rich collector. Jaffy decides to sign up for the ship and they embark on a three-year whaling expedition.
Birch employs a commanding use of voice by using young Jaffy to tell the story from his hardscrabble beginnings to his amazing story of survival at sea. The reader is plunged into Dickensian London with its smells and dirt. Birch captures the flavor of life on a ship followed by the harrowing tale of the sailors in the whaling boats trying to survive in a remarkable fashion. The novel demonstrates Birch’s ability to write lyrically while maintaining a strong narrative drive. This is a great read and might particularly appeal to readers who liked Beryl Bainbridge’s the Birthday Boys or Andrea Barrett’s the Voyage of the Narwhal.
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LibraryThing member TomKitten
I was quite pleased when I learned I'd be getting Jamrach's Menagerie as an ER book. Comparisons to Great Expectations and Moby Dick and the fact that it was longlisted for this year's Orange Prize gave me great expectations of my own.
Our story, briefly: Jaffy Brown is a London lad who works for a
I actually ended up liking Jamrach's Menagerie quite a lot.I was able to accept the more horrific elments of the tale as necessary to the story being told, stomach churning as they may have been. Jaffy Brown is an engaging narrator and his story is both fantastic and completely believable. Birch gilds her considerable period detail with just enough of the haze of mysticism to keep the reader slightly off balance in the best sort of way. When Jaffy does finally make it back home again, he finds his way back into the world in a way that feels so right that it makes one glad to have gone on the journey with him, in spite of all the horrors. The final chapters are tender and luminous.
Our story, briefly: Jaffy Brown is a London lad who works for a
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dealer in exotic animals. The boy seems to have a way with even the most ferocious of beasts and, consequently, is chosen, along with his sometimes friend, sometimes rival, Tim, to go on a voyage in search of a dragon. They ship out on a whaler, eventually find the dragon, then lose the dragon in a storm that also destroys their ship. Jaffy eventually makes it back home but it's the journey, not the arrival, that marks him for the rest of his life. I actually ended up liking Jamrach's Menagerie quite a lot.I was able to accept the more horrific elments of the tale as necessary to the story being told, stomach churning as they may have been. Jaffy Brown is an engaging narrator and his story is both fantastic and completely believable. Birch gilds her considerable period detail with just enough of the haze of mysticism to keep the reader slightly off balance in the best sort of way. When Jaffy does finally make it back home again, he finds his way back into the world in a way that feels so right that it makes one glad to have gone on the journey with him, in spite of all the horrors. The final chapters are tender and luminous.
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LibraryThing member sarahzilkastarke
I can sum this book up simply. It all goes downhill once you start eating humans after being lost at sea.
LibraryThing member phollando
Set in 1857 Jamrach's Menagerie tells the story of Jaffy, a poor but happy child who wanders the streets of the East End of London, through the mire and the open sewers bare footed without the least concern. When one day he encounters a tiger newly escaped from its captivity he brazenly walks up to
When one day a Mr Fledge comes in and asks that he be supplied a dragon (most likely a Komodo Dragon) Jaffy, Tim and Dan join the crew of one of Mr Fledge's whale boats and set out towards the South Seas in pursuit of their quarry. What follows is a somewhat harrowing tale of torture, starvation and whole lot of pain as things go from terrible to worse in a story partly inspired by the true tale of the Essex (a story which also partly inspired another infamous book of whaling ships, Moby Dick).
It is an intentionally difficult book to read as the author tries to put you into the mindset of the protagonists as they go through some pretty extreme torment and the result is that some chapters go by a great deal slower than the rest (reading a chapter about the doldrums is liable to send one into them oneself). It is a very evocative book and as Jaffy, Tim and Dan suffer, I could feel their pain.
The book is far from perfect. Some of the characters aren't developed well enough such as Skip whose madness is just accepted but never questioned or explained, or Tim who becomes incredibly two-dimensioned once they set foot aboard the whaling ship. Also the ending is a little too rose-coloured as things at last come together in an ending Disney would be proud of. However, these are comparatively minor complaints and I wouldn't be surprised to see this making the Booker Prize shortlist.
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pet its nose only to end up in the tiger's mouth. His rescue comes in the form of the eponymous Jamrach, an exotic animal dealer who leaps atop the creature and forces its jaws apart. Jamrach's menagerie is a place of wonder filled with Tasmanian devils, all kinds of birds and primates and Jaffy takes a job there where he encounters Jamrach's assistant Tim Linver and Dan Rymer, the salty sea dog/animal tracker responsible for collecting some of Jamrach's more exotic products.When one day a Mr Fledge comes in and asks that he be supplied a dragon (most likely a Komodo Dragon) Jaffy, Tim and Dan join the crew of one of Mr Fledge's whale boats and set out towards the South Seas in pursuit of their quarry. What follows is a somewhat harrowing tale of torture, starvation and whole lot of pain as things go from terrible to worse in a story partly inspired by the true tale of the Essex (a story which also partly inspired another infamous book of whaling ships, Moby Dick).
It is an intentionally difficult book to read as the author tries to put you into the mindset of the protagonists as they go through some pretty extreme torment and the result is that some chapters go by a great deal slower than the rest (reading a chapter about the doldrums is liable to send one into them oneself). It is a very evocative book and as Jaffy, Tim and Dan suffer, I could feel their pain.
The book is far from perfect. Some of the characters aren't developed well enough such as Skip whose madness is just accepted but never questioned or explained, or Tim who becomes incredibly two-dimensioned once they set foot aboard the whaling ship. Also the ending is a little too rose-coloured as things at last come together in an ending Disney would be proud of. However, these are comparatively minor complaints and I wouldn't be surprised to see this making the Booker Prize shortlist.
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LibraryThing member nmele
Carol Birch held my interest throughout this story of a boy who becomes a man through caring for animals, hunting whales, trapping a Komodo dragon and then shipwreck and survival. Quite a lot of action in just under 300 pages, and told quite well, with allusions to Dickens and Melville and Darwin
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and Wallace among others. A striking book, but at the end I found myself somehow dissatisfied: Is that all there is? Maybe Birch's skill, settings and characters encouraged too great expectations about where she was leading me. Show Less
LibraryThing member BillPilgrim
I picked this one to read because it was on the longlist for the Booker Prize. I started it when I first took it home from the library, but I did not get into it then and thought I wouldn't read it. But, then I decided to try it again, and when I got a little further into it (I had not read very
Jaffy is a young, poor boy living in London in the 1850's. At age 9, when a tiger escapes its cage at a local animal store, he walks up to the cat and strokes it's nose. He wondered what it felt like. He is promptly taken by the tiger in its mouth, until the owner of the store, Jamrach, arrives and gets the tiger to drop him, unharmed. He sees a young girl that day, slightly older than he is, and he ends up working with her twin brother, Tim, at Jamrach's store, his Menagerie, mostly cleaning up after the many different kinds of animals. When he turns 15, he and Time go off to sea primarily to help Jamrach's supplier of animals to capture and return a fabled dragon that is believed to be living on an island in the area of Indonesia. The ship they travel on is a whaler, and they also spend time hunting whales. This turns into quite an adventure that is so well told and written that I was riveted and greatly enjoyed every moment of the book, even the portions that seemed a bit drawn out (but, that was intentional and part of the point).
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much the first time), I started to enjoy it.Jaffy is a young, poor boy living in London in the 1850's. At age 9, when a tiger escapes its cage at a local animal store, he walks up to the cat and strokes it's nose. He wondered what it felt like. He is promptly taken by the tiger in its mouth, until the owner of the store, Jamrach, arrives and gets the tiger to drop him, unharmed. He sees a young girl that day, slightly older than he is, and he ends up working with her twin brother, Tim, at Jamrach's store, his Menagerie, mostly cleaning up after the many different kinds of animals. When he turns 15, he and Time go off to sea primarily to help Jamrach's supplier of animals to capture and return a fabled dragon that is believed to be living on an island in the area of Indonesia. The ship they travel on is a whaler, and they also spend time hunting whales. This turns into quite an adventure that is so well told and written that I was riveted and greatly enjoyed every moment of the book, even the portions that seemed a bit drawn out (but, that was intentional and part of the point).
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LibraryThing member orangewords
I just didn't really get into this book. It had its moments, and was sometimes interesting, but ultimately I never really became invested in the characters or the plot. I know that sounds really absurd, considering the fact that this novel is about a sea-farin' adventure, but I just didn't care for
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it. I found it stilted. Show Less
LibraryThing member Spoerk
At first I thought it would be like Life of Pi (which I didn't like at all, mind you.) and I thought I was going to be disappointed.
But it wasn't like that book, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact this book was quite hard to resist.
There are some parts that are down right gruesome that I did
Although, I dislike the title. It doesn't seem to fit the book at all seeing how Jachrach's menagerie was only really the catalyst and not the focus of the story. However, I can't think of a better one.
This is a book that I will be recommending!.
But it wasn't like that book, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact this book was quite hard to resist.
There are some parts that are down right gruesome that I did
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kinda have to read quickly. (shipwreck, months at sea with nothing to eat but... well. I won't spoil it for you.) Although, I dislike the title. It doesn't seem to fit the book at all seeing how Jachrach's menagerie was only really the catalyst and not the focus of the story. However, I can't think of a better one.
This is a book that I will be recommending!.
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LibraryThing member joliekerenick
I won this book as part of the early reviewers program on Librarything.com. I took a little longer to read it than I wish I had, because some details from the beginning elude me. It is written in three parts which seems very fitting. Each part has a story all its own that could be drawn out
It begins with his walking through his neighborhood in London. He encounters an escaped tiger. it seems that in a split second with no thought he looks the tiger in the eye and pets it on the nose. He is entranced by the creature and this is in so many ways the reason for the story, or at least how it begins. The tiger takes him in his jaws. He emerges unscathed with almost an immediate celebrity. This is how he meets Jamrach. Jamrach does have somewhat of a menagerie of animals, each with their own exotic flair. Jaffy begins to work for Jamrach, and here he meets Tim. Tim becomes a friend and figures in to the story in a very significant way, as does his sister, Ishbel.
Jaffy's way with animals affords him an invitation to take part of an expedition by ship to find and bring back a somewhat mythical creature, called a dragon, perhaps a kimodo dragon or some other incredible reptile, to this point only talked about. Part two of the book describes the adventure on sea of Jaffy and Tim, also part of the ream, and others that they meet on board. There are many strong characters, each with their own part. All that are introduced by the author and described such that they are real and important to the story, no matter how small their part. They find the creature and capture it, and from their the story evolves yet again, as the remainder of part two is about the incredible turn of events that occurs when the creature escapes his confinement on ship.
Although the story is full of adventure, it is not written as an adventure book. It is more, a telling of the life of Jaffy and his survival and how he, as a person develops in response to all he encounters. The author does a great job of painting a picture, truly painting a picture. I can almost envision her in front of a large canvas with watercolors in hand. She is very descriptive to the point that you truly can see the story unfold around you. I was drawn in so much that the inevitable that occurs as Jaffy is lost at sea with few others really feels like what must happen and it evolves in almost a natural way. There are elements of the story that make me think of the movie Castaway. The story really has no similiarities other than the shipwreck feel of survival, but the spirit of how that type of survival changes someone forever. Jaffy shares that with Chuck Noland, and when the author describes some of Jaffy's response in part three, to all he has endured, I am reminded of the character of Chuck Noland sleeping on the floor of his hotel room his first night back, and his treasuring of an endless supply of bottled water.
The bok is very well written in my opionion, and I fear that my review fails to convey that to the extent that I feel it. I loved this book in a way that leaves me a bit melancholy as I turned the last page. Melancholy for the reality of Jaffy, who finds a wonderful life for himself, but will always be touched and shaped by the sadness of his experiences.
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further, should the author choose, but as it stands, the way she put them together works really well. The book is titled, Jamrach's Menagerie, and that is in many ways where the story starts, and I suppose why there is a story at all, but it is more the story of Jaffy. It begins with his walking through his neighborhood in London. He encounters an escaped tiger. it seems that in a split second with no thought he looks the tiger in the eye and pets it on the nose. He is entranced by the creature and this is in so many ways the reason for the story, or at least how it begins. The tiger takes him in his jaws. He emerges unscathed with almost an immediate celebrity. This is how he meets Jamrach. Jamrach does have somewhat of a menagerie of animals, each with their own exotic flair. Jaffy begins to work for Jamrach, and here he meets Tim. Tim becomes a friend and figures in to the story in a very significant way, as does his sister, Ishbel.
Jaffy's way with animals affords him an invitation to take part of an expedition by ship to find and bring back a somewhat mythical creature, called a dragon, perhaps a kimodo dragon or some other incredible reptile, to this point only talked about. Part two of the book describes the adventure on sea of Jaffy and Tim, also part of the ream, and others that they meet on board. There are many strong characters, each with their own part. All that are introduced by the author and described such that they are real and important to the story, no matter how small their part. They find the creature and capture it, and from their the story evolves yet again, as the remainder of part two is about the incredible turn of events that occurs when the creature escapes his confinement on ship.
Although the story is full of adventure, it is not written as an adventure book. It is more, a telling of the life of Jaffy and his survival and how he, as a person develops in response to all he encounters. The author does a great job of painting a picture, truly painting a picture. I can almost envision her in front of a large canvas with watercolors in hand. She is very descriptive to the point that you truly can see the story unfold around you. I was drawn in so much that the inevitable that occurs as Jaffy is lost at sea with few others really feels like what must happen and it evolves in almost a natural way. There are elements of the story that make me think of the movie Castaway. The story really has no similiarities other than the shipwreck feel of survival, but the spirit of how that type of survival changes someone forever. Jaffy shares that with Chuck Noland, and when the author describes some of Jaffy's response in part three, to all he has endured, I am reminded of the character of Chuck Noland sleeping on the floor of his hotel room his first night back, and his treasuring of an endless supply of bottled water.
The bok is very well written in my opionion, and I fear that my review fails to convey that to the extent that I feel it. I loved this book in a way that leaves me a bit melancholy as I turned the last page. Melancholy for the reality of Jaffy, who finds a wonderful life for himself, but will always be touched and shaped by the sadness of his experiences.
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LibraryThing member bridgetmarkwood
I hardly know what to say as this is not an average book. I thought it would fall somewhere between Old Man and the Sea and Lord of the Flies. I suppose to some extent, it did. I am amazed at what I felt while reading the book. The author has this uncanny ability, through language, pace, tone, etc.
At the beginning, I loved the language and the set up for the novel. Then, I all at once began to feel like this was starting drag a little, like I wanted the book to hurry up and finish. No such luck. The second part of the book reeaallly takes you on an uncomfortable journey that you feel will never end. It almost made my skin crawl, my gut wretch and my eyes burn... but I kept reading. I couldn't leave it. And on and on... my breathing even got more labored and in pace with the rhythm of an ocean, when I read the second part of the book.
Then came the third part and I knew I was reading what should absolutely become a classic for so many reasons. The third part really did bring it to the place it needed to go. As soon as I finished the book, I took several deep breaths and knew for years to come, to those who were up for this sort of intensity, I would be recommending this book .
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to make you feel what the characters are going through, in your very gut. At the beginning, I loved the language and the set up for the novel. Then, I all at once began to feel like this was starting drag a little, like I wanted the book to hurry up and finish. No such luck. The second part of the book reeaallly takes you on an uncomfortable journey that you feel will never end. It almost made my skin crawl, my gut wretch and my eyes burn... but I kept reading. I couldn't leave it. And on and on... my breathing even got more labored and in pace with the rhythm of an ocean, when I read the second part of the book.
Then came the third part and I knew I was reading what should absolutely become a classic for so many reasons. The third part really did bring it to the place it needed to go. As soon as I finished the book, I took several deep breaths and knew for years to come, to those who were up for this sort of intensity, I would be recommending this book .
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LibraryThing member DoskoiPanda
From out of a tiger's jaws to chase a dragon through bloody seas
My cousin made me read this.
Now I realise that most of you don't know my cousin, but you may safely place your trust in my veracity when I say that it's often that she likes a book, but rare that she presses one on me. Jamrach's
Jamrach's Menagerie is, essentially, a boy's adventure story with the brutal realities of late 19th century seafaring. And it is more than that, as it delves into the essence of the survival of humanity struggling under impossible conditions, guilt, friendship and loss. The ARC jacket states a comparison to Dickens, Melville and Barrett; I'd add Stevenson in to the mix - his humour in describing people and their surroundings is closer to the voice of the narrator of the story. The story begins with Jaffy Brown, an urchin of dubious paternal parentage, who lives with his mother first in Bermondsey, then they move further in to Ratcliffe Highway, and the 8 year old Jaffy's life is touched by the hand of fate when he meets a tiger in the street, and strokes it's nose. Afterwards, he goes to work for Mr Jamrach, an importer of exotic animals, discovering a talent for handling animals and befriending (and becoming rivals with) Tim Linver, another boy handling Mr Jamrach's animals. Jaffy also befriends Tim's twin sister, Ishbel, competing for her interest and affections with her jealous twin. Before long, Tim is called to an adventure on the seas, hunting a dragon (which may or may not exist) for a wealthy client, and Jaffy, wanting in on both adventure and glory, begs to go with them. Under the eye of Dan Rymer, a procurer of animals working with Mr Jamrach, they set out on a whaling vessel for the far east, learning to crew and to whale as they head to the islands where the dragons are rumoured to live. The resulting pursuit and journey prove to be life-changing in every respect.
The opening description of life in Bermondsey is fascinating -mudlarking on the banks of the Thames for pennies, the rush of the river beneath their lodgings, the gut wrenching hunger and the pervasive reek of excrement all make for a very vivid world view, which is carried throughout the novel. Unlike Dickens, there is no social message coupled with overt sentimentality/pathos to the descriptions; Carol Birch's agenda is Jaffy's story. There are truly horrible things that occur, particularly in the second part of the book, and Birch does not flinch from describing them, but neither does she linger unnecessarily on them or hammer them home repeatedly - the images conjured are very much a part of the story and not gratuitous. There are threads of humour even in the worst moments, touches of madness, jealousy, bravery and sickening horror, but there is also love. The third part of the novel is recovery and redemption, Jaffy looking to find his way in the world after the adventure, and brings appropriate closure to this excellent novel.
I highly recommend Jamrach's Menagerie - It will put you through the wringer, but that is a hazard of a story well told.
My cousin made me read this.
Now I realise that most of you don't know my cousin, but you may safely place your trust in my veracity when I say that it's often that she likes a book, but rare that she presses one on me. Jamrach's
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Menagerie was one such that she was positively eager to have me read. And being the intrepid, resourceful reader that I am, I tracked down an advanced reading copy to read via a swapping site. (My cousin, it should be noted, lives in a country where the book is already in print; I don't think she knew at the time she was urging me to read it that it wouldn't be available in the US until June 2011, but there you have it. I should also note that this was not given to me by the publisher, but I feel that to not review the book would be remiss, as I don't know that it was reviewed by the giver. But enough of that, and on to the book itself!)Jamrach's Menagerie is, essentially, a boy's adventure story with the brutal realities of late 19th century seafaring. And it is more than that, as it delves into the essence of the survival of humanity struggling under impossible conditions, guilt, friendship and loss. The ARC jacket states a comparison to Dickens, Melville and Barrett; I'd add Stevenson in to the mix - his humour in describing people and their surroundings is closer to the voice of the narrator of the story. The story begins with Jaffy Brown, an urchin of dubious paternal parentage, who lives with his mother first in Bermondsey, then they move further in to Ratcliffe Highway, and the 8 year old Jaffy's life is touched by the hand of fate when he meets a tiger in the street, and strokes it's nose. Afterwards, he goes to work for Mr Jamrach, an importer of exotic animals, discovering a talent for handling animals and befriending (and becoming rivals with) Tim Linver, another boy handling Mr Jamrach's animals. Jaffy also befriends Tim's twin sister, Ishbel, competing for her interest and affections with her jealous twin. Before long, Tim is called to an adventure on the seas, hunting a dragon (which may or may not exist) for a wealthy client, and Jaffy, wanting in on both adventure and glory, begs to go with them. Under the eye of Dan Rymer, a procurer of animals working with Mr Jamrach, they set out on a whaling vessel for the far east, learning to crew and to whale as they head to the islands where the dragons are rumoured to live. The resulting pursuit and journey prove to be life-changing in every respect.
The opening description of life in Bermondsey is fascinating -mudlarking on the banks of the Thames for pennies, the rush of the river beneath their lodgings, the gut wrenching hunger and the pervasive reek of excrement all make for a very vivid world view, which is carried throughout the novel. Unlike Dickens, there is no social message coupled with overt sentimentality/pathos to the descriptions; Carol Birch's agenda is Jaffy's story. There are truly horrible things that occur, particularly in the second part of the book, and Birch does not flinch from describing them, but neither does she linger unnecessarily on them or hammer them home repeatedly - the images conjured are very much a part of the story and not gratuitous. There are threads of humour even in the worst moments, touches of madness, jealousy, bravery and sickening horror, but there is also love. The third part of the novel is recovery and redemption, Jaffy looking to find his way in the world after the adventure, and brings appropriate closure to this excellent novel.
I highly recommend Jamrach's Menagerie - It will put you through the wringer, but that is a hazard of a story well told.
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LibraryThing member knomad
Densely populated with Dickensian detail this is a dark adventure about a boy's horrific coming of age that combines the sea faring tale of ocean adventure with search for and discovery of monsters within and without.
LibraryThing member SandSing7
The writing was lovely, but it wasn't a book that fit my personal tastes and preferences. That being said, it is one of those books that I would recommend to someone with slightly different reading preferences. Perhaps someone who appreciates Dickens more than I.
LibraryThing member ashmolean1
I love historical novels and this one did not disappoint. Set in Victorian London, we see all aspects of 19th century life through the eyes of a young boy growing up in the dirty streets of the East End who takes to the seas in a whaling ship in search of adventure. Jaffy Brown is employed by Mr.
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Jamrach to go and find a dragon. Jaffy grows to love the South Seas and to experience what it was like to catch a whale for blubber and oil first hand. But will he make it home to see his mother again or will disaster strike? Carol Birch keeps the reader enthralled in this thrilling novel shortlisted for the Orange Prized for fiction 2011. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandDune
If you'd asked me to predict which of the Booker short list I would have most enjoyed I would have suggested this one. In the end I enjoyed it, but it didn't quite grab me as I was expecting.
Eight year old Jaffy, very new to the neighbourhood of Ratcliffe Highway in London, encounters a tiger on
'Just as the birds of Bermondsey were small and brown, and those of my new home were large and rainbow-hued, so it seemed that the cats of Ratcliffe Highway must be an altogether superior breed to our scrawny south-of-the river mogs. This cat was about the size of a small horse, massively chested, rippling powerfully about the shoulders. He was gold and the pattern painted so carefully all over him, so utterly perfect, was the blackest black in the world'
The tiger picks him up in his jaws but not being hungry, drops him unharmed. To make amends for his experience, Jamrach, an importer an exporter of exotic animals, from whom the tiger has escaped offers him a job caring for the animals of his menagerie. And there Jaffy stays until he's grown, making friends and being teased in turn with Tim, Jamrach's existing keeper, and falling in love with Ishbel, Tim's nail-biting twin sister. When the chance comes to go on a sea-voyage to bring back a semi-mythical dragon (evident to the reader as a Komodo dragon) both Jaffy and Tim jump at the chance. But perhaps capturing a dragon is as unlucky as killing an albatross and things start to go badly wrong.
I felt like I should have liked this more than I did. The book splits into three main sections and while I liked the first section in London and was interested in the second section about catching the dragon (I've always had a bit of a thing about Komodo dragons), the third section (which is quite gruesome) didn't hold my interest as much. Somehow, the horror of the situation in which the characters found themselves didn't quite ring true for me.
Eight year old Jaffy, very new to the neighbourhood of Ratcliffe Highway in London, encounters a tiger on
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the street, and reaches out to stroke it. I loved the way that the uneducated and inexperienced Jaffy assumes that the tiger was a normal resident of his new home, an area where exotic birds are sold:'Just as the birds of Bermondsey were small and brown, and those of my new home were large and rainbow-hued, so it seemed that the cats of Ratcliffe Highway must be an altogether superior breed to our scrawny south-of-the river mogs. This cat was about the size of a small horse, massively chested, rippling powerfully about the shoulders. He was gold and the pattern painted so carefully all over him, so utterly perfect, was the blackest black in the world'
The tiger picks him up in his jaws but not being hungry, drops him unharmed. To make amends for his experience, Jamrach, an importer an exporter of exotic animals, from whom the tiger has escaped offers him a job caring for the animals of his menagerie. And there Jaffy stays until he's grown, making friends and being teased in turn with Tim, Jamrach's existing keeper, and falling in love with Ishbel, Tim's nail-biting twin sister. When the chance comes to go on a sea-voyage to bring back a semi-mythical dragon (evident to the reader as a Komodo dragon) both Jaffy and Tim jump at the chance. But perhaps capturing a dragon is as unlucky as killing an albatross and things start to go badly wrong.
I felt like I should have liked this more than I did. The book splits into three main sections and while I liked the first section in London and was interested in the second section about catching the dragon (I've always had a bit of a thing about Komodo dragons), the third section (which is quite gruesome) didn't hold my interest as much. Somehow, the horror of the situation in which the characters found themselves didn't quite ring true for me.
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LibraryThing member polarbear123
Agree with one of the reviewers who said that this book would stay with them. Me too. You could see this novel as a love story in a traditional sense but it is much more than that. The detail is incredible and in some of the more intense parts of the plot you really do feel you are there where it
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is all happening. This book will involve you make no mistake about it and at times it is not pleasant but I can't remember reading such vivid passages for a while. Good stuff! Show Less
LibraryThing member edgeworth
While wandering the streets of 19th century London, in the harbour district of the East End, eight-year old Jaffy Brown encounters a Bengal tiger and brazenly strokes it on the nose. The tiger takes Jaffy up in its jaws, and he is only rescued by the timely intervention of its owner, Mr. Jamrach.
Jaffy is enchanted by the animals and grows to love his job dearly. He becomes half-friend and half-enemy to an employee a few years older than him, Tim Linver, as well as falling in love with Tim’s sister Ishbel. They grow up together on the filthy streets of Dickensian London, and when Jaffy is sixteen, he and Tim find themselves dispatched by Jamrach to the Dutch East Indies, charged with finding and capturing a mysterious “dragon.”
Jamrach’s Menagerie is one of the novels on the Booker shortlist that I was most looking forward to reading, largely based on its intriguing plot synopsis. And the novel, while dripping with deserved literary grandeur, certainly has that wonderful sense of adventure to it: leaving London behind on the “watery road” of the Thames, serving aboard a whale ship, the serene volcanoes of the Azores, and the culmination of the dragon expedition on a stifling tropical island swarming with terrifying monsters. Yet it’s what comes after all this that truly makes the novel: a calamity befalls the ship, and the story suddenly leaps from a rollicking boy’s adventure into a struggle for survival that is grisly, horrifying and profoundly sad. I don’t want to spoil anything, but those of you familiar with the notorious tale of the whaleship Essex should be able to guess what lies in store for the crew.
This sounds like a very disconcerting jump, and it was to a degree, but Birch is a hugely talented writer who is able to make the novel’s various parts – Dickensian urchin days, mariner’s adventure, monster-hunting expedition, survival at sea, and bittersweet homecoming wracked with guilt – come together without ever straining the flow of the story. I was personally ambivalent about the first half of the novel, and felt that it only truly began to pick up once the crew landed on Komodo Island; however, beyond the wreck of the ship, I was completely hooked and finished it in one sitting. Jamrach’s Menagerie is an excellent, multi-layered novel that combines an exotic adventure with a more subtle story about the sweetness of life and the inevitability of death, and it’s one of those books that I’m certain would only grow stronger with multiple readings.
BOOKER PREDICTION
A very serious contender, definitely knocking Half-Blood Blues out of the running. It would be a worthy winner, too, superior to several other Booker winners I’ve read in the past.
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By way of apology, Jamrach gives young Jaffy a job at his warehouse, where he imports and sells a diverse menagerie of exotic creatures: a lion with the “stern, sad face of a scholar,” snakes “faintly flexing upon one another like ropes coiled high on the quay,” and a giraffe, “immense, coming down at me from the sky to wet me with the heat of it flexing nostrils.”Jaffy is enchanted by the animals and grows to love his job dearly. He becomes half-friend and half-enemy to an employee a few years older than him, Tim Linver, as well as falling in love with Tim’s sister Ishbel. They grow up together on the filthy streets of Dickensian London, and when Jaffy is sixteen, he and Tim find themselves dispatched by Jamrach to the Dutch East Indies, charged with finding and capturing a mysterious “dragon.”
Jamrach’s Menagerie is one of the novels on the Booker shortlist that I was most looking forward to reading, largely based on its intriguing plot synopsis. And the novel, while dripping with deserved literary grandeur, certainly has that wonderful sense of adventure to it: leaving London behind on the “watery road” of the Thames, serving aboard a whale ship, the serene volcanoes of the Azores, and the culmination of the dragon expedition on a stifling tropical island swarming with terrifying monsters. Yet it’s what comes after all this that truly makes the novel: a calamity befalls the ship, and the story suddenly leaps from a rollicking boy’s adventure into a struggle for survival that is grisly, horrifying and profoundly sad. I don’t want to spoil anything, but those of you familiar with the notorious tale of the whaleship Essex should be able to guess what lies in store for the crew.
This sounds like a very disconcerting jump, and it was to a degree, but Birch is a hugely talented writer who is able to make the novel’s various parts – Dickensian urchin days, mariner’s adventure, monster-hunting expedition, survival at sea, and bittersweet homecoming wracked with guilt – come together without ever straining the flow of the story. I was personally ambivalent about the first half of the novel, and felt that it only truly began to pick up once the crew landed on Komodo Island; however, beyond the wreck of the ship, I was completely hooked and finished it in one sitting. Jamrach’s Menagerie is an excellent, multi-layered novel that combines an exotic adventure with a more subtle story about the sweetness of life and the inevitability of death, and it’s one of those books that I’m certain would only grow stronger with multiple readings.
BOOKER PREDICTION
A very serious contender, definitely knocking Half-Blood Blues out of the running. It would be a worthy winner, too, superior to several other Booker winners I’ve read in the past.
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Subjects
Awards
Booker Prize (Longlist — 2011)
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2011)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2013)
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2011
Physical description
295 p.; 25 cm
ISBN
038553440X / 9780385534406