Rating: 
Summary: Genius
Review: Comedy, tragedy, adventure, history, religion, and ideas collide in this astounding and wonderful work of historical fiction. Told via the diary-like entries of some twenty or so different narrators, the first two-thirds of the book alternates between two separate tales, which then converge in the final third. The first storyline is set in the 1850s, and initially appears to be about Captain Illium Quillian Kewley, who wishes to do nothing more than a little harmless smuggling of brandy, tobacco, and French pornography. Through a series of comic misadventures, he and his crew of Manxmen (men from the Isle of Man) find themselves en route to the other side of the world with the English passengers of the title.This trio of Englishmen are a squabbling group of explorers seeking the Biblical Garden of Eden, which they believe to be in Tasmania. This psuedo-scientific notion sprang from the wholly delusional backwater vicar/amateur geologist who leads the expedition. The picture of Victorian self-righteousness and hubris, he irritates everyone he comes in contact with his smug piety. The other two members are a sinister doctor with definite ideas about racial superiority, and a feckless, young London botanist. Each embodies one of the worst traits of the Victorian era: the vicar is a model of religious and moral bigotry, the doctor is a zealot whose belief in quack science is dangerous to all, and the botanist is a dissolute and limpid soul. The other storyline takes place some thirty years earlier, in the late 1820s, and provides a depressing social history of Tasmania. The colonization and transformation of the island into a penal colony by Victorian administrators comes alive through the narration of half-caste Peavay and various English convicts and colonizers (including landowners, schoolmasters, governors, prison superintendents, and their wives). Kneale has taken a little-known topic and brought it to vivid (if sordid) life, as he details the genocide of the Tasmanian aborigines at the hands of brutal British colonists. It's as brilliant an indictment of the "white man's mission" as any work of history could hope to be. Structurally, the travails of the Manxmen and their grumbling passengers are juxtaposed with the tragedy of the colonization of Tasmania. Either one on its own would have grown stale--the first too picaresque, the latter too grim--but by switching back and forth, Kneale is able to present both and maintain the page-turning pace. The third section of the novel tells of the English passengers arrival in Tasmania and their quest for the Garden of Eden. This all dovetails with the aboriginal attempt to survive, and climaxes in a thrilling wilderness chase. The action doesn't stop there however, as there's the trip all the way back to England, which is its own adventure. Yet, for such an elaborate and sprawling narrative, Kneale does a wonderful job of maintaining a page-turning pace by creating distinctive voices for each character. From Captain Kewley's straightforward narration (peppered with Manx idiom and dialect), to Dr. Potter's hilariously quirky shorthand, to half-caste Peavay's indignant aboriginal cadence (which grows more and more sophisticated as he grows older and more learned), Kneale has complete command and artistry. The historic detail is wonderful, and the entire book is one that begs to be reread every few years. Simply stunning.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book suffers from sermonizing
Review: English Passengers is a good story from beginning to end. There's not a boring page in the book. It's funny, quirky, and beautifully written-every sentence is worth reading. Unfortunately, it's got a lesson to teach (colonialism was a bad thing), and some of the characters suffer for it. The main characters come across as one-dimensional expressions of type: the fanatic clergyman, the scientist blinded by his theories, and, to a lesser extent, the noble savage. This is a novel about the worst aspects of colonialism, so it's hard to expect sympathetic portraits of the colonists, but weren't they really every bit as human as the indigenous peoples they extinguished -- a mundane mix of good and bad? But most of the English characters in this book are competent only at killing and dehumanizing. The few exceptions are just fooling themselves, blind to the harm they are really doing. The minor characters are more complex, and it's their distinctive voices (many of them related in the first person) that make the novel so fascinating. There are dozens of characters and points of view, all of them memorable. Still, because the main characters fall flat there's little emotional power to the book, just a sense of satisfaction at the bad ends suffered by the rotten Englishmen. The epilogue, which contains a genuine letter written by an English schoolmaster praising his "native" student as an example of the humanity of all peoples, is more emotionally powerful (truthful?) than the novel itself. It demonstrates not just the humanity of the native Tasmanias but also of at least a few of their British killers.
Rating:
Summary: In search of the Garden of Eden
Review: ENGLISH PASSENGERS is an enjoyable and fun work of historical fiction. The character's journeys and adventures come alive and the reader is instantaneously transported back in time. There are two separate plotlines for the first two-third of this book that eventually become joined at the end. First, there is the story of Captain Kewley and his crew from the Isle of Manx who are smugglers of tobacco and liquor. In order to get themselves out of the hands of the British customs Kewley accepts an offer to carter his ship for three Englishmen on a voyage that was destined to change the foundations of religion and science forever. Reverend Wilson, the leader of the expedition, is certain that the Garden of Eden is located on the yet explored island of Tasmania off the coast of mainland Australia. He is destined to prove wrong the atheist scientists back in England. The members of the expedition are unaware of Captain Kewley's special hidden cargo and they don't get along much with the crew or with each other. What follows is a delightful account of their voyage to Tasmania. The second subplot deals with the plight of the aboriginal people of Tasmania as the British colonized the island. The lead protagonist is Peevay, a half-caste member of a tribe who is determined to fight back against the white man who has destroyed much of their livelihood. He is determined to win the approval of his mother while she sets out to kill the white man who kidnapped and raped her. The first subplot is light and funny while the second is much more sorrowful and sad. While reading I found that these two combined elements created a necessary balanced tone of this book. There is no doubt that this book would be entirely different if Matthew Kneale only focused on the voyage of the Sincerity or the destruction of colonization. For this reason Kneale succeeded in creating a finely balanced narrative of a time and place that no longer exists. I admit that ENGLISH PASSENGERS is not a perfect book. There are several elements that could have been improved. For example, some of the characters were stereotypes of the times such as Dr. Potter and his theory of the hierarchy of men. There is no doubt that this type of thinking was prevalent during the 19th century (and even today to a lesser degree), but his characterization includes no other features or elements. He was simply portrayed as a man with a crude agenda. Second, there was no reasoning provided for the manner in which Potter's narratives were written. It got boring real fast with all the symbols (+, =, v, etc.) that Kneale included. One more aspect that irked me was the constant use of the phrase "hither and tither" by Peevay. Notwithstanding this isn't a perfect book but I have to admit that it was a highly entertaining one. Putting the faults aside I enjoyed reading this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others. Kneale provided a convincing yet grim account that hooked me from the first chapter. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding.
Review: I have not even finished the book yet, and I don't want to--I hate to see it end. I will simply second every bit of praise offered in the other reviews--this is a masterpiece. I'm not surprised that certain British reviewers here took offense--sorry, folks, but the caricatures are accurate. Its attack on English racism and colonialism is all the more devastating for being wrapped in ironic humor. It reminds me of another all-time favorite of mine--The Sot-Weed Factor. Do not miss this one.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding.
Review: I have not even finished the book yet, and I don't want to--I hate to see it end. I will simply second every bit of praise offered in the other reviews--this is a masterpiece. I'm not surprised that certain British reviewers here took offense--sorry, folks, but the caricatures are accurate. Its attack on English racism and colonialism is all the more devastating for being wrapped in ironic humor. It reminds me of another all-time favorite of mine--The Sot-Weed Factor. Do not miss this one.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Novel
Review: I really enjoyed English Passengers, it was fun to read. The story of English passengers is rather odd though enjoyable. One day, a priest after reading a book of geology formulated an idea of "divine refrigeration" an idea that seeks to abolish the un-bibical idea of a long creation. After much argument, he comes up with the idea that the Garden of Eden lay on a special rock with allowed life to flourish on it and that this rock must be in Tasmania. So, he then sets off to discover the Garden of Eden with a Doctor and a Biologist. They charter a vessel, which happens to be trying to make a profit smuggling but not doing a very good job, to get them to Tasmania where they can search for the Garden of Eden. Meanwhile on the other side of the world, an orphan aborigine boy dreams of his mother, and later finds her, though she's not what he expected. In the end the rather unexpected happens giving the book are rather nice ending. Overall, English Passengers is an enjoyable novel with no bad points. This book is written in first person from the perspective of multiple characters. How book differs from other books I've read with multiple perspectives on how each character is unique and distinct, and how each is in his/her own story-line. The differences in the characters lead to several story lines that interact with each other, weaving a complex tapestry of events. While there are many story lines, the book is never confusing. This is due partly to the distinctness of the characters, which helps you keep in touch with what the character is talking about. Most of this is due to the difference in writing style for each character. For example, the Aboriginal boy narrates in broken English with the doctor writes journal entries in shorthand. This allows for a complicated but clear story line, which keeps boredom to a minimal. Another notable feature is how the characters reveal themselves over the course of the story. You first begin the story with only a vague knowledge of each characters views and ideals, however, as the story progresses it becomes clear what each character is trying to achieve. This makes your perception of the characters change over time and shifts your loyalties for one character to another. To facilitate the creation of a large amount of distinct characters means that many of the characters are far extremists, which while not exactly reasonable, allows for a humor in an otherwise humorless environment. This book is also rather deep in its views of how Europeans during that era viewed other races. Its portrayal of extremists allows you to get a feel of people during that era might have been like. This books portrayal of social ethos of the time period making this book enjoyable on an intellectual level as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping, amusing, and thought invoking novel.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Novel
Review: I really enjoyed English Passengers, it was fun to read. The story of English passengers is rather odd though enjoyable. One day, a priest after reading a book of geology formulated an idea of "divine refrigeration" an idea that seeks to abolish the un-bibical idea of a long creation. After much argument, he comes up with the idea that the Garden of Eden lay on a special rock with allowed life to flourish on it and that this rock must be in Tasmania. So, he then sets off to discover the Garden of Eden with a Doctor and a Biologist. They charter a vessel, which happens to be trying to make a profit smuggling but not doing a very good job, to get them to Tasmania where they can search for the Garden of Eden. Meanwhile on the other side of the world, an orphan aborigine boy dreams of his mother, and later finds her, though she's not what he expected. In the end the rather unexpected happens giving the book are rather nice ending. Overall, English Passengers is an enjoyable novel with no bad points. This book is written in first person from the perspective of multiple characters. How book differs from other books I've read with multiple perspectives on how each character is unique and distinct, and how each is in his/her own story-line. The differences in the characters lead to several story lines that interact with each other, weaving a complex tapestry of events. While there are many story lines, the book is never confusing. This is due partly to the distinctness of the characters, which helps you keep in touch with what the character is talking about. Most of this is due to the difference in writing style for each character. For example, the Aboriginal boy narrates in broken English with the doctor writes journal entries in shorthand. This allows for a complicated but clear story line, which keeps boredom to a minimal. Another notable feature is how the characters reveal themselves over the course of the story. You first begin the story with only a vague knowledge of each characters views and ideals, however, as the story progresses it becomes clear what each character is trying to achieve. This makes your perception of the characters change over time and shifts your loyalties for one character to another. To facilitate the creation of a large amount of distinct characters means that many of the characters are far extremists, which while not exactly reasonable, allows for a humor in an otherwise humorless environment. This book is also rather deep in its views of how Europeans during that era viewed other races. Its portrayal of extremists allows you to get a feel of people during that era might have been like. This books portrayal of social ethos of the time period making this book enjoyable on an intellectual level as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping, amusing, and thought invoking novel.
Rating:
Summary: A TOUR DE FORCE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS
Review: In 1857, Illiam Quillian Kewley, captain of the Sincerity, sets sail from the Isle of Mann with three mysterious English passengers who hope to discover the Garden of Eden. There is the Reverend Geoffrey Wilson, bent on proving the literal accuracy of the Bible against atheist geologists, Timothy Renshaw, a "sometimes" botanist, and the sinister, egomaniacal Dr. Thomas Potter, who is developing a revolutionary theory on the races of man. Each passenger has his own agenda, and, unknown to all three, Captain Kewley has desires of his own--he just wants to smuggle some tobacco and brandy, with a little French pornography thrown in for good measure. After the Serenity sets sail, the book jumps back thirty years, to 1828 Tasmania where a revolution is in the making. At its center is a young, half-breed boy, Peevay, whose mother was raped and abandoned by a white convict. This rightfully embittered aboriginal woman is now in the midst of a war against the encroaching whites and Peevay, so anxious to win her love and approval, can't help but join her. When Kewley's timeline intersects with Peevay's, worlds collide and lives are forever changed. English Passengers is told from the point of view of more than twenty different narrators, each distinct, yet recognizable and each adding his own necessary piece to a seamless and beautiful whole. That the individuality of each voice shines through, yet never disrupts, is testimony to Kneale's extraordinarily artistic storytelling ability. The most compelling voice, however, belongs to Peevay, who tells a fascinating and vivid story of aboriginal life. This is a novel of epic proportions, spanning forty years, replete with adventure and rich with historic detail. The mutinies, wars and the melodrama aplenty are finely handled and well-balanced with high comedy bordering on farce. English Passengers is definitely a novel to be savored, and afterwards, long-remembered. It lacked nothing.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant Historical Farce
Review: In this wonderful historical farce, a dopey 19th century English vicar convinces himself that the original Garden of Eden is to be found in Tasmania. A rich patron finances an expedition consisting of the vicar, a physician obsessed with racial theories, and an indifferent naturalist. Meanwhile, other threads are developing involving Tasmanian officials, sundry ne'er-do-wells, a down-to-earth Manx smuggler, and a band of doomed aborigines. The explosive convergence of all these paths makes for a fascinating story. I bought the book because a reviewer likened it to the work of John Barth. It is more than a little reminiscent of the Sot-weed Factor, with its ironic twists of plot and attention to language. One of the best features of the book is that the diverse characters take turns at narration, giving hilariously and poignantly differing views of the same events, as, for example, by vicar and doctor who are ever at each others throats. This reaches its height when contrasting the views of the Europeans and the Tasmanian Aborigines, The comic misunderstandings of the early chapters ultimately give way to madness and mayhem as those whose ideologies fail to fit reality are doomed. Like much great comedy, it becomes tragedy as well. The historical and geographical details are well-researched and realistic. I'd say it's the best novel I've read in several years, I savoured every page.
Rating:
Summary: Comedy and pathos.
Review: Kneale has put together a delightful, witty and at the same time sad book. He neatly contrasts the fates of two islands that have been stripped of their heritage by english domination. On one side of the world, right under the arms of her coloniser, lies the Isle of Mann, and across the globe lies Tasmania. A crew of hapless Manx smugglers find themselves unexpectedly circumnavigating the globe to Tasmania to deliver a team of eminent english gentlemen to the antipodean island, where they intend to prove that the Bible was chronologically correct, that the earth is only 6,000 years old, and the rocks solidified according to "refrigeration theory". The respectable scientists little suspect that they are travelling in a ship loaded to the gunwhales with contraband brandy, tobacco and naughty french paintings. They spend the voyage picking at each other spitefully in a game of professional one upmanship. Meanwhile in Tasmania, the aboriginal people are being systematically eraticated. Midguided attempts to protect the inhabitants are more damaging to their population that shooting them on sight ever was. We see the eradication of these gentle natives over the period of a single generation of colonisation. This genocide is served in contrast to the cultural genocide in Mann caused by the anglicisation of the island and the loss of its unique language and customs. Kneale has excelled in creating the different voices for his characters, the norse/celtic speech of Captain Kewley, the pseudo scientific claptrap of Dr Potter, the mealy mouthed whinging of the Reverend and the native/biblical creole of Peevay. The comic elements of the book left me with tears in my eyes from laughing, as the Manx crew do their level best to see a profit from their smuggled goods. But the lasting impression from this book is the sad fate of the tasmanian aborigine.
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