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Jamarach's Menagerie: A short review

Finished reading 2nd book of this year. Jamarach's Menagerie. Interesting book, it was. A bit dull in places but well written in terms of language and description. The first chapter hooks you in with an excellent opening but the rest of the book doesn't proves to be so exciting. Don't read this for plot or the story. This book should be read for the vivid descriptions of a time and place unknown to all of us.

The Story starts with a young boy Jaff who lives with his mother in an impoverished and filthy part of London. Jaff comes face to face with a Tiger and somehow survives and walks away with a brave and fearless reputation. Thus begins his attachment towards animals. Jamrach, the owner of the tiger, offers him a job as a caretaker for his stock of animals. Later, Jaff gets a chance to go on a voyage on a whaling ship to catch whales. And Dragons.

Now let me tell you something before you get too excited. This book is not about the Tiger. Neither the dragons play any important role in the story. It is a book of adventures and growing up. It's a book about struggling and surviving against the most brutal elements of the mother nature. It's a book about frustrations. Hope. Life. Death. Friendship. eccentricity.

Personally, I enjoy reading genre fiction a lot more than literary fiction. However, I am trying to explore literary fiction now to grow as a reader. It can be a bit dull and heavy lifting for the brain cells but it does improves your language. And it makes you think too. Looking forward for a year of exciting books!

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