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Jack Maggs
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Check link for latest rating. ( 4,407 ratings, 348 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Description
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Miles Franklin Award, Peter Carey's Jack Maggs is dazzlingly entertaining.
The year is 1837, and ex-convict Jack Maggs has returned illegally to London from Australia. Installing himself in the household of a genteel grocer, he attracts the attention of a cross-section of society.
Saucy Mercy Larkin wants him for a mate, while writer Tobias Oates wants to possess his soul through hypnosis. Maggs, a figure both frightening and mysteriously compelling, is so in thrall to the notion of a gentlemanly class that he's risked his life to return to his torturers.
His task is to shed his false consciousness and understand that his true destiny lies in Australia.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Jack Maggs by Peter Carey is a richly imaginative novel that has captivated many with its take on Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations," told from the perspective of a different character. Reviews applaud Carey's ability to blend history with fiction, crafting a compelling and atmospheric narrative. Critics often highlight the book's vivid characterisation and the depth of emotional complexity, noting Carey's skill in exploring themes of identity and redemption.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781760896447
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 03 March 2020
Country: Australia
Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 39.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 440g
Pages: 480
Collections
About the Author
Peter Carey was born in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and now lives in New York. He is the author of fourteen novels (including one for children), two volumes of short stories, and two books on travel. Amongst other prizes, Carey has won the Booker Prize twice (for Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang), the Commonwealth Writers' Prize twice (for Jack Maggs and True History of the Kelly Gang), and the Miles Franklin Literary Award three times (for Bliss, Oscar and Lucinda and Jack Maggs). He is an officer of the Order of Australia and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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