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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
You probably know by now that I love Bryce Courtenay, and will eventually read everything by him I can put my hands on. This is the story of Ikey Solomon, "Prince of Fences" in London, eventually sent to Tasmania on a convict ship. What brings Ikey alive is Courtenay's dialog, which is almost indescribably fun to read. Compared to Tandia, this book is less brutal, and Ikey, while a villain, is one you come to love. Still, it's a Courtenay book, so be prepared for some nasty violence.
3.5 stars
South African born (and later banished), this author has many well-known titles under his belt, yet this is my first book by him.
The beginning of the book reminded me a bit of [b:The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper|37570548|The Five The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper|Hallie Rubenhold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519263139l/37570548._SY75_.jpg|59148767] in so much as the descriptions of London were so vivid, the poverty and struggles so real.
I was not really a fan of Ikey’s character, even if he was based on a true historical figure. I did like his criminal activities in London but once he got shipped to Van Diemens Land my interest wavered a bit. Had it not been for the interesting side characters like Sperm Whale Sally and Billygonequeer I probably would have enjoyed those sections less.
I loved the character of Mary Abacus and she is the reason I rounded my rating up to 4 stars. Time and again she showed determination and perseverance in the face of so much cruelty and curveballs that came her way.
And talking about cruelty – it felt as if the author took pleasure in torturing his characters, coming up with more and more inventive ways for the story to break them.
This is a vivid historical adventure showing life in 19th century London and the Tasmanian Penal colony.
Well worth the read.
South African born (and later banished), this author has many well-known titles under his belt, yet this is my first book by him.
The beginning of the book reminded me a bit of [b:The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper|37570548|The Five The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper|Hallie Rubenhold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519263139l/37570548._SY75_.jpg|59148767] in so much as the descriptions of London were so vivid, the poverty and struggles so real.
I was not really a fan of Ikey’s character, even if he was based on a true historical figure. I did like his criminal activities in London but once he got shipped to Van Diemens Land my interest wavered a bit. Had it not been for the interesting side characters like Sperm Whale Sally and Billygonequeer I probably would have enjoyed those sections less.
I loved the character of Mary Abacus and she is the reason I rounded my rating up to 4 stars. Time and again she showed determination and perseverance in the face of so much cruelty and curveballs that came her way.
And talking about cruelty – it felt as if the author took pleasure in torturing his characters, coming up with more and more inventive ways for the story to break them.
This is a vivid historical adventure showing life in 19th century London and the Tasmanian Penal colony.
Well worth the read.
The only other book I've read by Courtenay was The Power of One, and it's been long enough that I don't remember it terribly well. This was a very entertaining and well-researched read. I'll be putting the rest of the trilogy on my to-read list as well.
It took me some time to get into this one. Everything about this book is so descriptive. About a quarter in it finally hit, I couldn’t stop reading this soap opera drama. My Australian husband recommended I read this series. He read it when he was much younger and thought it would be a good history lesson of sorts about Australia through this historical fiction series. If you’ve started and can’t get into it, hang on!! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Well worth the read. Bryce Courtenay is a wonderful storyteller. I loved the character Mary Abacus. Looking forward to continuing the Australian Trilogy.
I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I really liked it, but it was very long and at times I didn't feel like reading it. I loved the early history of Australia. It is hard to imagine dumping all your criminals in another country and then letting them become a new nation. Some of the scenes were very disturbing, especially the story of what a pack of monsters did to an aboriginal woman. I don't remember learning much at school about aboriginal history, besides they were here. It was all about captain cook. Perhaps if Australia was just settled (instead of being populated by criminals) it would have been a different story. I will probably read Tommo and Hawk, but I will have a break.
This book has the quality of a folk legend re-imagined. The characters loom larger than life and protagonists endure years of the worst kinds of suffering before triumphing over their oppressors. The first half of this novel, set in nineteenth century London, is slowly-paced, but packed with eccentric, Dickensian characters, complete with dialect. The very eventful second half takes place mostly in Australia during its penal colony days, as the feud that boils for over 700 pages comes to a head. The ambitious scope of the story is realized with solidly-crafted prose and compelling characters. Though some of these characters come uncomfortably close to stereotypes, the feeling that the story was being shared with me by an eccentric uncle made this feel okay somehow.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence
Though vividly disturbing in some spots, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, despite the occasional nightmare or two. The author's note in the beginning is right. There isn't that much written about Australia, and I'm all about learning about it.