Parrot and Olivier in America was published by Random House Australia in 2009 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The novel is a fictional reimagining of Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1831 journey to America. Olivier de Garmont, a frail French aristocrat, is sent to America to study its prison system (as Tocqueville was); he is accompanied by John Larrit (Parrot), a rough-hewn English servant who is secretly reporting on Olivier to his political patrons.
The dual narration — aristocrat and servant, master and spy — allowed Carey to examine American democracy from two radically different class perspectives simultaneously. Olivier sees America through the lens of European aristocratic culture and is alternately horrified and fascinated; Parrot sees it through the lens of working-class experience and finds it liberating.
Collecting Parrot and Olivier in America
First edition (Random House Australia, Sydney, 2009): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Australian first edition, fine in jacket: $25–$60
- UK first edition (Faber): $15–$30
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation. Booker shortlisted.
Tocqueville Reimagined
Carey’s reimagining of Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1831 journey to America pairs a young French aristocrat (Olivier, a thinly disguised Tocqueville) with his English servant Parrot, an engraver and working-class radical. The two narrate alternately, and their contrasting perspectives on American democracy — Olivier’s aristocratic bewilderment, Parrot’s working-class scepticism — produce Carey’s most politically complex novel. The book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Carey won other awards besides the Booker? Yes. Carey has won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Miles Franklin Award (three times), and numerous other Australian and international literary prizes. He is one of the most decorated living writers in the English language.