Jack Maggs, by Peter Carey (Faber, £6.99 in UK), is the story of a powerful character who dominates the narrative at every turn.
Jack is a convict who has returned from Australia to his native London, determined to seek out a man from his past. His large, broad-shouldered frame and his courageous disposition seem to tower over the frail English individuals who surround him. The setting is Dickensian but there is a contemporary edge lent by the presence of Jack, with his blunt honesty and disregard for authority, that kept me thoroughly engrossed in the entire story. My prevailing image of this book is Jack's desperate helplessness, despite his strength, set against the impenetrable web of polite English society. It is a fantastic book, filled with potent imagery that remains with me long after I had, regretfully, reached the final page.