Jamrach's Menagerie (2011) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters/People edit see section history

• Tim Linver: Ishbel's brother, lithe and blond, Jaf's friend even if sometimes also his tormentor. He seemed to always have the best of luck, but at the end he didn't.
• Dan Rymer: The animal handler, old for the sea but still cabable of managing in difficult situation. Like father to Jaffy, all the way till the end.
• Gabriel: Add a description of this character.
• Ishbel: Tim's twin sister
• Mr. Rainey
• Simon: Shipmate on whaling ship, harpoonist
• John Copper
• Mrs. Linver: Mother of Tim and Ishbel
• Mr. Comeragh: Shipmate
• Wilson Pride
• Sam Proffit: Shipmate
• Billy Stock: Shipmate
• Joe Harper
• Martin Hannah
• Henry Cash
• Abel Roper: Shipmate
• Felix Duggan: Shipmate
• David
• Alice: Wife of Dan Rymer
• Drago
• Lysander: Name of the whaling ship
• Mr. Fledge
• Jaffy Brown: Main character who loves animals
• Jack
• Charlie
• Mr. Charles Jamrach: Owner of an animal menagerie
• Mr. Reuben
• Cobbe
• Jane
• Mrs. Regan
• Ratcliffe Highway: Name of the street in London where Jaffy lives
• Bulter
• Albert
• Samson

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Bermondsey
• Spoony
• London
• Ratcliffe Highway
• Greenland Dock
• Malt Shovel
• Skipton
• Valparaiso
• Watney Street
• Mr Skipton
• Pulau Lomb
• Azores Islands: An archipelago of Portugese islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and the setting for the most beautiful description of a wine-soaked Mediterranean night I've ever read.

First Sentence edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• dragon: Almost certainly a Kumodo Dragon, there is a memorable scene (possibly on Java?) where a party hunts one in the hope of capturing it alive and bringing it back for a prestigious collection. There is a vivid description of a group of the creatures preying on the carcass of their own kind, which later leads to parallels being drawn between animal and human behaviour in extreme survival situations.
• Tiger: The tiger is a symbolic midwife since Jaffy's encounter with an escaped Bengal tiger, witnessed by Londoners, and from which he miraculously escapes almost unharmed, leads to what he describes as his second birth, when he is taken on by Jamrach as an assistant in his exotic animal dealership.This is based on a real incident (there's a statue commemorating it in Wapping, London), but it's also reminiscent of the enigmatic relationship between Richard Parker (a tiger) and the main character in Yann Martel's "Life of Pi".

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Carol Birch (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Man Booker Prize (Finalist, 2011, Shortlist)
• Orange Prize for Fiction (Finalist, 2011, Longlist)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PR6052.I785 J36
• Dewey: 813

Notes for Parents edit see section history

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Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Historical
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary