The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise
Brimming with charm and whimsy, this exquisite novel set in the Tower of London has the transportive qualities and delightful magic of the contemporary classics Chocolat and Amélie. Balthazar Jones has lived in the Tower of London with his loving wife, Hebe, and his 120-year-old pet tortoise...
- Pages
- 287
- First published
- August 10, 2010
- Language
- English
- Edition
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Shelved by 1 Litcadian
Reviews
- emotionalhopefullightheartedreflectivesadSlow-paced
Started August 7, 2026 · Finished August 29, 2026
It pains me to give this book such a low score, because parts of it are so, so good. It has the best (yes, the best) depiction of serious grief I've seen, the most tender and bittersweet and tragic. It has one of the best depictions of love, both fresh and mature. I sobbed through the last 15%. But sadly in between there are so many deathly boring parts, the author shoves in the "whimsy" in your throat forcefully, everything is incomprehensible and disjointed. A shame.