Rating: 
Summary: How to build a new world . . .
Review: Richard Morgan, a Bristol publican's son and Jack-of-many-trades, is caught up in the devious machinations of the British class system. In circumstances exacerbated by economic disruption caused by the American War of Independence, he's convicted of a contrived crime. After spending time in British prisons and hulk ships, he's transported to New South Wales to complete his seven year sentence. Morgan is a gifted survivor. Closed upon himself, he maintains a precarious balance between despair and fatalistic acceptance. It's a narrow path, but he manages it successfully. With close attention to details, McCullough uses Richard's tortuous path to display her research into everything from the details of building the famous British "Brown Bess" musket through convict and guard relations. Morgan's trials and incarcerations give McCullough the canvas to portray the Georgian justice system. It's not a pretty picture, but his prosecution and detentions give the author time to build Morgan's emerging character. The loss of two children and a wife might have left a better man hopelessly melancholic, but McCullough uses the pieces of his shattered life to forge a new, stronger being. With the support received from uncles and unexpected friends, he emerges as an unwilling leader among the convicts. His abilities are recognized in the convict ships and settlements, places where artisans were at a premium. After time in Port Jackson [Sydney], he's sent to Norfolk Island where he truly blossoms. Given Norfolk Island's reputation as a convict hell-hole, this came as something of a surprise. Building on his artisan talents, Morgan's role takes a departure, becoming respected among convicts and marine guards alike. In sum, she paints the image of this man too boldly. His stature stands far above lesser mortals in surroundings where such prominence is unlikely. Many years after this story a debate raged in New South Wales over the status of redeemed convicts. No trace of that issue arises with Morgan, who, as a free man assumes a place in Norfolk society with amazing ease. He establishes a property straddling a stream - Morgan's Run. Writing historical fiction presents numerous problems. To establish firm credibility, there must be a realistic mixing real and fictional characters. Today's writers on the early days of Australia as a convict colony tend to elevate their characters above the normal run of society. They're uniformly innocent or dupes. Just once, i'd like to see a portrayal of a real villain transported to Port Jackson. McCullough follows the path set by many good historical novelists - a treasury of research transcribed into a wealth of information. In unskilled hands, such abundance can overwhelm the reader, erode the characters and subdue the plot line. McCullough is anything but unskilled, but in this book her story line is timid and the characters only short of stereotyped. Also, her Australian roots led her away from the consensus view of most writing on the convict colony. Not one of the felons expresses a strong desire to return to Britain. The novelty of the land is expressed clearly, but the homesickness most writers convey is lacking here. It's not even fatalism, just indifference. McCullough is a good read and anyone unfamiliar with the circumstances involved with the transportation of convicts will learn much from this book. As the first volume in a series, it's clear her research will bring forth new and entertaining circumstances. Morgan, only forty years of age at the end of this volume, will certainly find new fields to conquer. I look forward to the sequel, more for its information than from any interest in Morgan, who's bigger than life already.
Rating:
Summary: Good historical fiction
Review: I have not read McCullough's "Thornbirds", having seen the movie, but I have been a huge fan of her "Masters of Rome" historical fiction series, so I thought I would give "Morgan's Run" a try. I certainly wasn't disappointed. It is about the first colonization of Australia and Norfolk Island as penal colonies by Britain. Some may find it lacking because it is, after all, closely based on the real-life story of an actual penal colonist. It is not action-packed (the beginning gets off to a slow start as she builds the background of the main character, but still interesting) nor a sweeping epic, but she drew me right into the story and as usual with this gifted author, I found it hard to put the book down. You immediately become immersed in another time and (due to the author's meticulous research) really come to understand the commonly overlooked details of life in our interesting and varied past. She is also a master at fleshing out historical figures and unknowns alike, able to plumb the depths of men's souls and deftly imbue them with personalities as varied and interesting as real life, able to play them together like a concert pianist. Truly a master author, as usual, I eagerly await her next novel.
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Summary: Tim Curry?!??! Oh, my God!!!
Review: THe book is brilliant AND historically correct. I love it and am nearly done with it (pp 475). But I just want to say that if Tim Curry is doing books-on-tape, RUN DON'T WALK to get it! Besides his many fantastic albums and acting roles, he's got the most expressive voice I've ever run across! (His version of "Cold Blue Steel, Sweet Fire" written by Joni Mitchell, provided me the first comprehension of what Ms. Mitchell was actually singing about.) If this is a books-on-tape thing, I have no doubt that Curry can and will utterly blow life into the very interesting plot. I have read all Colleen McCullough's books and she is quite an amazingly good writer (whoa, that end-of-the-world one was fantastic). But, gee, Tim Curry the actor/musician? Wow! Hey, this is just a 30-second commentary from me -- look for the real, thoughtful version later...
Rating: 
Summary: From the author of THE THORN BIRDS.
Review: Richard Morgan is the kind of man that makes people sit up and pay attention. An honest, hard working man that has been duped by a dishonest group of people, he finds himself a convict, indentured for 7 years to the New World of Australia. We travel o're the globe with him and can't help but enjoy the straightforward and consistent manner that brings him respect from nearly all that he meets, including the officers aboard the ship he is transported upon. It is in the New World that he makes a name for himself and finds those things that complete a man's life.I was a great fan of THE THORN BIRDS so I picked up this book expecting more of the same. What I found instead was a book that is more technical and very well researched but lacking the emotion I was looking for. I would give this book a 3.5 if I could. There is also an abridged version on tape that might cut down on the technical details. All said and done it was a very good ending but too little too late. Kelsana 6/11/01
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Summary: Don't give up!
Review: I suffered through the first 3/4's of this book. I only stuck with it due to a lack of other reading material. With every page, I thought, why am I putting myself through this! I had trouble with the dialogue, I was in no way whatsoever interested in the story and I thought that Richard was the most pathetic character ever created. Nevermind all that. The last quarter of this story had me riveted. You can't get to the end of this story without the beginning. It is one of the best books I've read in the last ten years. I can't think of another character in fiction that is as well developed as Richard. I AM SO GLAD I FINISHED THIS BOOK!!! Stick with it, it's more than worth it!
Rating:
Summary: Can't Wait
Review: This is one of those books that you can't wait to finish so you know how it concludes -- but then you are sad because you don't have it to read anymore. McCullough says there will be sequels. I can't wait.
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Summary: I love this book!
Review: Colleen McCullough is wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: Detailed but not inspiring
Review: I have read all of Colleen McCullough's novels, and found the Masters of Rome series to be absolutely riveting as well as informative and "real" - Rome at that time came alive for me and the characters had real depth. In addition, she managed to create riveting plot lines that brought me into all the action and helped to make sense of a very far away and ancient time. Unfortunately, I did not have this same experience with Morgan's Run. I really wanted to know about the beginnings of Australia, and in her usual thorough manner, Ms. McCullough taught me a lot. Even though Richard Morgan is a complex and interesting character, I did not feel myself really caring about him or the many, MANY people he comes into contact with. Near the end of the story I started to finally get into the message that I think she was striving to convey....quiet strength ultimately overcomes adversity, but Richard was SO quiet that he almost bored me. The character, Meghann, in The Thorn Birds, came totally alive for me and Caesar is incomparable in the Rome Series (I am in love with this man and wish I could time travel, even if only half of her description of him is true!). Richard Morgan seems to be more of a plot mechanism and she almost uses this poor man as badly as the people of his time tried to do. He is admirable but there is so much detail written about what happens AROUND him that I barely got to know HIM. I will, however, read the sequels because of the historical knowledge I will gain and because I am now familiar with the main characters and am beginning to see them as more three dimensional.
Rating: 
Summary: slow going
Review: I'm glad I've read it, now that it's over, for the book provided many interesting historical details; however, as fiction it is less than first rate, particularly because of the slow pacing. I think 3/4 of the book was over before the characters ever made it to Australia. Also, the main character, Richard Morgan, did not have as much depth or complexity as I would have liked; at times he seemed to be too perfect, to have risen to a position of leadership and sustained good judgment too easily or quickly. Still, there were many fascinating details in the story.
Rating:
Summary: Good story/Boring read
Review: The jacket cover of Morgan's Run implies that this novel is as sweeping in scope and emotion as "The Thorn Birds". Although the story is wonderful, it's the telling that is stagnant. Instead of a compelling novel of intrigue, emotion and three dimentional characters, this book reads like a dry history chronicle. It tells a story, but lacks the insight to satisfy the reader. Maybe the problem is that the publishers promised a "Thorn Birds" but delivered a 19th century history primer.
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