Super Short Summary

Jack Maggs by Peter Carey follows the story of Jack Maggs, a Londoner transported to Australia for his crimes, who returns to London in search of his surrogate son, Henry Phipps. While navigating the city's dark and grimy streets, Maggs becomes entangled with Tobias Oates, a writer obsessed with Maggs's criminal mind. The novel explores themes of identity, redemption, and the effects of colonialism. The story includes graphic depictions of violence and exploitation.