English Passengers is a wonderfully entertaining and often funny historical novel centered around the how the aboriginal natives of Tasmania were wiped out literally "to the man". It doesn't sound like a very cheerful topic, and indeed it is not, but Knowles manages to paint a picture of that particularly dark chapter in English colonial history in a vivid and clever way. The story is told from multiple perspectives, both English and aboriginal, and pieces together very nicely. Much of the humor is ironic and absurd, yet he does base his story loosely on real events, or at least events similar to real historical ones. It's very well written, and although long, remains engaging throughout.
For a review of the book by The Guardian, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/mar/04/fiction.bookerprize2000
For a review of the book by The Guardian, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/mar/04/fiction.bookerprize2000
