Saturday 25 January 2014

Jack Maggs by Peter Carey


"Jack Maggs was famously fast on his feet, but now he was half-crippled by his dead man's shoes."


How appropriate that I finished reading an Australian novel, and a past winner of the The Miles Franklin Literary Award on Australia Day -well the very early hours of it at any rate. This particular story was very helpfully lent to me by a generous friend and massive Peter Carey fan. While I confess it was not my absolute favourite book, however it was undoubtedly enjoyable.

A modern take on the Dickens novel proves for a great read, which is perhaps a little more accessible (being quite definitely smaller in size) than the original. Echoes of Magwitch, from Great Expectations are rife and yet this tale comes from a different perspective. 

Crime, mystery, lost sons, sleepwalking, there is quite a lot to take in and all delivered in an intriguing manner. This was a like, rather than a love from me.

 4 out of 5 Victorians object to their footmen drinking.

No comments:

Post a Comment