The Company: The Story of a Murderer (2000) is the debut novel by Australian writer Arabella Edge. It was originally published by Picador in Australia in 2000.
Synopsis The novel is based on the 1629 voyage of the Batavia, a flagship of the Dutch East India Company. One of the passengers on board, Jeronimus Cornelisz, incites a mutiny and the ship is wrecked on a chain of small islands off the western coast of Australia.
Publishing history
After its initial publication in Australia by Picador in 2000, the novel was reprinted by Picador in 2001 and then published as follows:
Simon & Schuster, Australia, 2001 and again in 2003 Picador, UK, 2002 Picador, USA, 2003
The novel was also translated into Dutch in 2001, German in 2003, French in 2005, and Serbia in 2008.
Critical reception Writing for the Historical Novel Society John R. Vallely noted: "This is a dark and chilling view of the inner workings of a psychotic mind...Based on a true story, The Company is most assuredly not for the faint of heart. Those who can digest Cornelisz will be struck by Arabella Edge’s undoubted capabilities as a master of nuance and descriptive powers. It is a good, even compelling, story. One just has to be able to see the world through Cornelisz’s eyes to be able to enjoy it."
Awards Commonwealth Writers' Prize — South East Asia and South Pacific Region — Best First Book Award winner 2001 Miles Franklin Award shortlisted 2001
See also 2000 in Australian literature
References