The Tower, The Zoo, And The Tortoise (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
3 1/2 stars, maybe 4, depending on how I look at it. A funny, charming, book about the lives of those who live and work in the modern-day Tower of London, centering mostly around Balthazar Jones, who oversees the new Tower Zoo containing all the animals given as gifts to the Queen. Not what you'd call a "page turner", but a story of their everyday lives, relationships, and what it's like living in a place so full of history. I loved reading about the tower, with the ghosts and memories of its former occupants/prisoners, and the dry British humor had me chuckling on every other page. Beneath it all, the residents struggle with their own heartaches and disappointments, yet always maintain that "stiff upper lip", sometimes with comical results. I don't give out 5 stars too often lately, but I loved this book! I was attracted to it for its setting as I love The Tower of London and visited several times. I have a soft spot for Beefeaters after one helped me find my lost daughter there (We found her in the chapel) so the main character appealed to me. I've also been fascinated by the real-life menagerie kept at the Tower. The book jacket seemed to promise a cast of colorful characters and sounded amusing so I thought I'd give it a go. It delivered!I first thought it would be just a fun, humorous book, but it was much more. While the absurdist humor made me laugh out loud, I also found myself crying at some points. Much of it read like a series of vignettes with Balthazar and Hebe's story at its core. The observations on human nature were nothing new or earth-shattering, but the unusual circumstances of many of the characters made this so original and a real pleasure.Really clever, refreshing read. I'll be reading more of Julia Stuart's books in the future!
What do You think about The Tower, The Zoo, And The Tortoise (2010)?
Loved it. Such a fun book with amazing characters and fun historical stories. Loved it!!
—oakridge23
quirky, funny and a lovely story. makes me want to visit the Tower of London.
—arihann
I thought it was brilliant. Clever, quirky, and yet very poignant many times.
—aniee4
