London: Hamish Hamilton. Very Good+. 2000. First Edition; First Printing. Paperback. Trade PB . Light reading creases and shelf wear. ; Nice tight copy, no names or marks inside. Winner of the 2000 Whitbread Book of the Year. ; 462 pages; It is 1857 and a cleric decides to sail for Tasmania, to discover the garden of Eden. Other passengers have different agendas however, as does the Captain and crew. .

Synopsis

"English Passengers is an old-fashioned book in the best sense: epic in scale, crammed with outsize characters, set in a long-ago time and a faraway place... 'A-'"--Entertainment Weekly"Robust and rollicking...unforgettable...It's tough to pull off a memorable epic, but Kneale has done it. So get comfortable, and be prepared to enter a fascinating world."--New York PostWhen Captain Illiam Quillian Kewley and his band of rum smugglers from the Isle of Man have most of their contraband--but not all--confiscated by British Customs, they are forced to put their ship Sincerity up for charter. The only takers are two eccentric Englishmen who want to embark for the other side of the globe.The Reverend Geoffrey Wilson believes the Garden of Eden was on the island of Tasmania. His traveling partner, Dr. Thomas Potter, unbeknownst to Wilson, is developing a revolutionary, and sinister, thesis of his own, about the races of men. And these passengers are perhaps only slightly more odd than the crew itself, a diverse and lively bunch better equipped to entertain one another than to steer Sincerity around Cape Horn and across the Indian Ocean. Yet they set sail, pointed southward and bound for a thrilling, epic romp across the high seas and cultures of the nineteenth century.Meanwhile, an aboriginal in Tasmania named Peevay recounts his people's struggles against the invading British, who prove as lethal in their good intentions as in their cruelty. This is no Eden but a world of hunting parties and colonial ethnic cleansing. As the English passengers haplessly approach Peevay's land, their bizarre notions ever more painfully at odds with reality, we know a mighty collision is looming.Full of dangerous humor, English Passengers combines wit, adventure, and harrowing historical detail in a mesmerizing display of storytelling. Narrated by over twenty different characters, each one so distinct that the reader has the sense of a story not so much told as dazzlingly peopled, Matthew Kneale has created a buoyant tale, beautifully presented in a storm of voices that brings a past age to vivid and memorable life.From the Hardcover edition.

Reviews

(Log in or Create an Account first!)

Details

Bookseller: Books in Bulgaria (BG)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 9497
Title: English Passengers
Author: Kneale, Matthew
Format/Binding: Paperback
Book Condition: Used - Very Good+
Edition: First Edition; First Printing
ISBN 10: 0241140684
ISBN 13: 9780241140680
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Place of Publication: London
Date Published: 2000
Keywords: Trade PB
Bookseller catalogs: Fireside Reads;

Terms of Sale

Books in Bulgaria

We endeavour to describe our books accurately, but if you are dissatisfied in any way on receipt of order or wish to cancel the contract for any reason within seven days. The period to start the day after the date on which the goods are received, in which case please contact us to arrange the return and refund of the cost of the goods and delivery. This does not affect your statutory rights. All returned goods should be packed to the same standard as sent. Unless we advise or you request otherwise, books are sent next working day, (often same day)by the method you selected on the check out page. This page also gives the shipping costs, if you have any queries or requirements about shipping please contact us before ordering. On occasion, very heavy books may require an additional shipping amount, if so we will contact you to agree this before the sale is processed.

About the Seller

Books in Bulgaria

This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.

Biblio member since 2003

Blagoevgrad Region

Ask Seller a Question

About Books in Bulgaria

The largest English Language second hand bookshop in the Balkans.

Glossary
Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Shelf Wear: Shelf wear (shelfwear) describes damage caused over time to a book by placing and removing a book from a shelf. This damage is...
Tight: Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
PB: ...
Good+: A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.