Rating: 
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: I found this book extremely difficult going. The story, while somewhat interesting unfolded excruciating slowly and the writing style did not flow smoothly. Additionally too many extraneous characters with little or no development cropped up incessantly. Frankly I lost all interest in the characters and the story by the middle of the book and I had to force myself to get there. A cardinal rule I've employed in reading books is that I abandon them if they fail to please and by 2/3rds of the way through this book I gave up on it. I only made it that far because of previous efforts which were far better on McCullough's part.
Rating: 
Summary: Lengthy, tedious, disconnected, poorly written.
Review: I found this book extremely difficult going. The story, while somewhat interesting unfolded excruciating slowly and the writing style did not flow smoothly. Additionally too many extraneous characters with little or no development cropped up incessantly. Frankly I lost all interest in the characters and the story by the middle of the book and I had to force myself to get there. A cardinal rule I've employed in reading books is that I abandon them if they fail to please and by 2/3rds of the way through this book I gave up on it. I only made it that far because of previous efforts which were far better on McCullough's part.
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.
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 have to admit that I abandoned the book halfway through. Although I was expecting a story about the hardships of settling in the penal colony of Australia, I reached the novel's midpoint and Morgan was still on the convict ship, sailing past the coast of Europe. I grew tired of reading about fouled bilge pumps, shipboard diseases, and the quarrels among the ship's officers. Richard Morgan was a cardboard cutout of a protagonist. His personality radically changed, according the situation at hand, from a quiet tavernkeeper's son to a rum-sotted grieving father to a wise leader of men. Morgan seemed to be no more than a vehicle for the author's detailed treatises on 18th century England and Australia and their history, public health issues, criminal justice system, and shipboard life. If you are a historical novel buff with a preference for the factual over the fictional, then perhaps this novel is for you. It did not appeal to me.
Rating: 
Summary: Richard Morgan-What a Hottie!
Review: I know Colleen McCullough's attention to detail can put some readers off but that is what makes her books so ultimately rereadable. Richard Morgan - strong,steadfast,silent and a great bod to boot! Yes he does seem a little "God the Fatherish" but this story is about him. He's not so unlike Caeser in intelligence and resourcefulness. I am going to reread this more than once and am looking forward to any and all sequels Ms. McCullough wants to send our way. This is a very good read, enjoy it for the great storytelling that it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't sustain my interest
Review: I made it through about the first two-thirds of the book. I really did feel suspense about whether they would EVER make it to Australian. I felt like I was on that transport ship, it took so long. Once Morgan was in Australian my interest rapidly waned. I think it was because he was such a cold fish. There seemed to be no driving force in his life, no romance, no burning desire to do anything. At best, he came across as an able manager. Yawn.
Rating:
Summary: Historical fiction at it's absolute best!
Review: I should have known when I picked up this book that Ms. McCullough would have me crying by it's end. What an amazing combination of excellent prose, insightful historical interpretation, and spellbinding affection for the main character. As the descendant of a first-fleet convict who was transported on the Scarborough, I feel that I now have a much better understanding of how people became convicts--as well as what they did to survive. This book will please romantics, scholars, and history buffs alike. I cannot wait for the sequel!
Rating:
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: my review
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This is the first time I have read about the convict sentencing in England that led to the beginning of a new nation, Australia. I have read books by Colleen McCullough and have always enjoyed them and this is certainly no exception. The writing is always interesting, the facts are very well presented in a plot that keeps the reader glued to the pages and all characters and places are extremely well described and feel very alive and present. Very good book.
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