I had to put this book down for awhile. I was having problems going with the flow of the authors words and sentences and paragraphs. You know how it is when you first pick up a book and are on page 16 before you know it, sometimes while you're still standing in the store? Well this didn't work for me, plus the fact that I'm not ready right now to devote myself to a large epic. I'm saving it for another time. I like the idea of the main character helping to define the future of Australia...it just seemed like I wasn't going to get to that part for quite awhile."
Well I finally finished the book. I took it up at the Auntralia part and really enjoyed it. I don't think that skipping the entire middle made any difference. Great Ending...just what I was hoping for.

Do not read this if you have even a very basic knowledge of Australian history.

I cannot call this a historical novel because this author thought by throwing in some names and events she could make history out of fiction, it doesn't work that way. I have tried to read her books before and found them ponderous and excessive in description to make up for plot. Decided to give it another go and fight my way to the end. Mistake.

What I find interesting about the readers who wrote reviews, they either hated or loved this book. I found more to agree with the one, rather than five star reviews.

Part one: Richard the saint, Part two: Richard as Job, Part three: Richard the innocent, Part four: Richard the miracle worker (he kept his group clean! shaved! and happy all on a slave ship) Parts left: He was perfect, could do anything, everyone including gays, straight, superiors, inferiors, loved him. Build a house, plant a field, fell a tree, organize men, make a still, made a Garden of Eden with a totally sustainable economy and food production on Norfolk Island, he could do it all. I should put an exclamation point here.

Aborigines two sentences, legal system of England, several paragraphs, rape and sexual abuse of boys, none, of girls, none, of women, several sentences, felling trees, paragraphs beyond counting, torture zero, flogging several sentences, absolutely fairy tale.

I could write an entire book on the misconceptions of this one, enough.

I wanted to like this book, there were moments that I had hope, but alas, back the author dropped into never-never-land. Now I know why even the Australians have a misconception about their own history.

Morgan's Run, a historical fiction written by Colleen McCullough, is another amazing work by an amazing artist. Set in the late 18th century, she begins by depicting British life in a shipping town, Bristol, whose financial well being is heavily depressed by the war against the colonies. The protagonist is scooped up by a corrupt judicial system and eventually shipped off to New South Wells (Australia) and Norfolk Island.

The majority of the book portrays the lives of the first felons, free men and women, the Royal Navy, and British Marines, fixed to settle a new world, who scrape to survive the horrible plans of the British government and the corrupt commercial contractors paid to implement the flawed plan.

Mrs. McCollugh writes as if she were there. She touches on every aspect of forming a new community and the lives and deaths of its inhabitants.

A monstrous book, which I really enjoyed, thanks to the last 300 pages... which is where the plot as described in the synopsis on the back of the book actually happens. The unfortunate thing is that you have to get through almost 600 pages of tragedy, 1700s time period speech, and sickening descriptions of imprisonment to actually get there.
Yes, the characters are riveting, and it is an "epic saga". But it shouldn't take a writer nearly 600 pages to actually get to the point of the story -- Ms. McCullough seriously needs an editor.

That being said, the portion actually taking place on the experimental convict settlement in Australia were very interesting, and I flew through the last 1/3 of the book. A good read if you're interested in historical fiction and have some serious reading-time on your hands.

This review is from: Morgan's Run: A Novel (Kindle Edition)
I Tried to finish this book, but at about 1/2 way through, I just gave up and read another book.

In the beginning I thought that it would be interesting, but I got so sick of all the extra characters who just took up pages.

I read to enjoy the story, and the story was good. The telling of it was not.

fgdf

I find it amazing that Colleen McCullough can write a novel like this in between writing the wonderful Masters of Rome series of which I have read four.

All her books are well worth reading. South Africans had their own issues that sometimes corresponded with the circumstances of these Australian settlers in 'Morgan's Run' The questions the author asked at the end of the book were very relevant.

very compelling - an excellent read

Colleen McCullough always tells a good story, and this one is no exception. In addition, the historical knowledge about the birth of Australia as a British colony is invaluable. Included also is the effects of the American Revolution on the Mother Country, something that Americans rarely take into consideration. The story is so interesting that one doesn't realize there's learning going on. I would love to read the next books the author promised in this series.

Wrenching story of England around the time of America’s revolution. With the importation of convicts shut off to England’s colonies, a scheme is hatched to send them to Australia. With uncanny realism McCullough recreates the harshness of life in England, their despicable criminal justice system, and their treatment of prisoners. Survival of the grueling year long voyage to Botany Bay and implantation of the colony in extremely hostile conditions takes the ultimate in human courage and adaptability. The novel starts slow with a goodie two shoes protagonist but picks up with his imprisonment.

:( What happened?! I was really looking forward to reading another Colleen McCullough's book after falling in love with The Thorn Birds
Though this book will be a great read: it's about early Australia, the convicts, England's criminal system, it's long...On the surface this book has everything I am looking for. Even the style of writing didn't bother me at all and I got used to it fast. However, all of the sudden, somewhere around page 300 I realized that I didn't care at all for Richard or for his other "friends". I didn't care what happened to them. I simply couldn't stand reading even another sentence :(

"Colleen McCullough possui uma capacidade notável: transforma o mais entediante dos acontecimentos num momento de verdadeira emoção. Pode haver uma grande história a servir de bandeja mas, o que conta é o que está a ser servido!" in http://devaneiosdajojo.blogspot.pt/20...