Review
'In Jamrach's Menagerie, Carol Birch quickly sucks you into a world of the senses, from the filthy streets of Victorian London to the rolling hills of the South Seas. Jaffy Brown, the gifted narrator at the center of this mythic tale, rivals David Copperfield and Ishmael of Moby-Dick with his gift for storytelling. His `rare old time' becomes, in due course, a fable of friendship, and a tribute to human survival. What a beautifully written and engaging novel!' --Jay Parini, author of THE PASSAGES OF HERMAN MELVILLE and THE LAST STATION
'Never mind not being able to put it down--there is a 100-page section in Jamrach's Menagerie in which you will not be able to breathe. Rarely have I read a book that so deftly marries high literary value with unbearable suspense.' --Robert Hough, author of THE FINAL CONFESSION OF MABEL STARK, THE STOWAWAY and THE CULPRITS
'One of the best stories I've ever read. [Birch] tells the most extraordinarily good story. A completely original book.' --A S Byatt
'Whenever I read of people moaning on about the dire state of British fiction, I think of Carol Birch (and people like her) who are writing such good novels . . . her forte is feelings , about which she is so acute.' --Margaret Forster
'Birch is a naturally literary writer who can, with a simple image, evoke the deepest emotion.'
--Guardian
'An imaginative tour-de-force ... gripping, superbly written and a delight.' --Times
'Riveting ... Masterful... A teeming exhibition of the beautiful and the bizarre.' --Sunday Times
'A juicy tale of 19th-century dragon-hunters, wombat-pedlars and Jolly Jacks Tar ... [the] words sing on the page.' --Financial Times
'Magical ... A sustained feat of imagination and diligent research.' --Daily Mail
'A captivating yarn of high seas and even higher drama.'
--Guardian
'A career-defining book. Thoughtful and elevating as well as effortlessly readable.' --Ben East, The National
As good as anything Peter Carey has done in this line and, in certain exalted moments, even better. --D J Taylor, Independent
'Never mind not being able to put it down--there is a 100-page section in Jamrach's Menagerie in which you will not be able to breathe. Rarely have I read a book that so deftly marries high literary value with unbearable suspense.' --Robert Hough, author of THE FINAL CONFESSION OF MABEL STARK, THE STOWAWAY and THE CULPRITS
'One of the best stories I've ever read. [Birch] tells the most extraordinarily good story. A completely original book.' --A S Byatt
'Whenever I read of people moaning on about the dire state of British fiction, I think of Carol Birch (and people like her) who are writing such good novels . . . her forte is feelings , about which she is so acute.' --Margaret Forster
'Birch is a naturally literary writer who can, with a simple image, evoke the deepest emotion.'
--Guardian
'An imaginative tour-de-force ... gripping, superbly written and a delight.' --Times
'Riveting ... Masterful... A teeming exhibition of the beautiful and the bizarre.' --Sunday Times
'A juicy tale of 19th-century dragon-hunters, wombat-pedlars and Jolly Jacks Tar ... [the] words sing on the page.' --Financial Times
'Magical ... A sustained feat of imagination and diligent research.' --Daily Mail
'A captivating yarn of high seas and even higher drama.'
--Guardian
'A career-defining book. Thoughtful and elevating as well as effortlessly readable.' --Ben East, The National
As good as anything Peter Carey has done in this line and, in certain exalted moments, even better. --D J Taylor, Independent
Product Description
'I was born twice. First in wooden room that jutted out over the black water of the Thames, and then again eight years later in the Highway, when the tiger took me in his mouth and everything truly began.' 1857. Jaffy Brown is running along a street in London's East End when he comes face to face with an escaped circus animal. Plucked from the jaws of death by Mr Jamrach - explorer, entrepreneur and collector of the world's strangest creatures - the two strike up a friendship. Before he knows it, Jaffy finds himself on board a ship bound for the Dutch East Indies, on an unusual commission for Mr Jamrach. His journey - if he survives it - will push faith, love and friendship to their utmost limits. Brilliantly written and utterly spellbinding, Carol Birch's epic novel brings alive the smells, sights and flavours of the nineteenth century, from the docks of London to the storms of the Indian Ocean. This great salty historical adventure is a gripping exploration of our relationship to the natural world and the wildness it contains.
About the Author
Carol Birch is the author of nine previous novels including Scapegallows and Turn Again Home, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize. She has won the Geoffrey Faber Award and the David Higham Award. She lives in Lancashire.
