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gravity_free's review
The writing is terrible, there is no depth whatsoever to any character.
mschrock8's review
3.0
This is a book about convicts, sea journeys and settlements, one I picked up and put down repeatedly. I enjoyed it more than I expected once I finally put time into it.
cjyh's review
4.0
I learned a great deal reading this very interesting and enjoyable book. Appreciated all I learned about history, British culture, world geography and the flora and fauna of the region. And all this with a compelling story. A long and sometimes daunting book, but worth the effort.
tsenko2's review against another edition
3.0
Thoroughly researched—possibly too thoroughly? Despite Sydney being one of my favorite places to have ever visited, before this book I only knew the broad details of its history. I learned so much more from this story with its heart wrenching details. And yet, the pace of the story suffered with perhaps too much detail about things that weren’t necessary to drive the plot. In other words, sometimes it got boring. The book also suffers from unmitigated hero worship. Richard Morgan is too flawless. I liked the book, but not nearly the way I loved The Thorn Birds.
rebeccatc's review
4.0
Fascinating story of a man named Richard Morgan who is transported as a convict to Australia in the 1780's. As always, McCullough's attention to historical detail is staggering, while still creating compelling characters and sending them on page-turning adventures. The first 100 pages dragged a little, but it was worth it because once Morgan was sent to Bristol Newgate prison I couldn't put the book down. From his time in prison to the long journey by sea on a convict ship with horrifying conditions, to the first European settlement in Australia near modern-day Sydney to the even more remote Norfolk Island, Morgan is a survivor who is fundamentally changed for the better by his experiences. Recommended.
pelias2828's review
3.0
While I found the story interesting, I did not appreciate the latent homophobia in this book.
javamamanc's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
saj_81's review
1.0
I wanted to throw this book out of the window at least 5 times while reading it. Yet somehow I struggled to the bitter (horrible) ending. I have two main complaints:
1. Richard Morgan is seriously annoying. No real human is that perfect all the time. He has the perfect body, perfect mind, perfect manners, perfect skills for every situation and perfect ability to control himself no matter what happens. During hundreds of pages the man never does anything wrong and everyone adores him. Personally I couldn't care less what happens to him, which is already a bad sign in a book that revolves so heavily around one person.
2. The women in this book are either non-existent or completely unrealistic. There is not a single believable female in this story. The women in England are hysterical caretakers, who can't control their feelings. The female prisoners are sad victims who, if they are smart and understand their place, are being sexually abused by the men (not Mr. Morgan of course, he has no sexual desires...). The women who came to Botany Bay with the officers are only mentioned as providing sexual services to each other's husbands. At the end of the book we meet one woman who is described in more detail. Her main characteristic? Being hopelessly dependant on Richard Morgan. I find it hard to believe that this would be the whole truth about women in the 18th century. Without wanting to exaggerate, I would describe this book as anti-feminist.
In conclusion, I would have much rather read an honestly historical account about this journey.
1. Richard Morgan is seriously annoying. No real human is that perfect all the time. He has the perfect body, perfect mind, perfect manners, perfect skills for every situation and perfect ability to control himself no matter what happens. During hundreds of pages the man never does anything wrong and everyone adores him. Personally I couldn't care less what happens to him, which is already a bad sign in a book that revolves so heavily around one person.
2. The women in this book are either non-existent or completely unrealistic. There is not a single believable female in this story. The women in England are hysterical caretakers, who can't control their feelings. The female prisoners are sad victims who, if they are smart and understand their place, are being sexually abused by the men (not Mr. Morgan of course, he has no sexual desires...). The women who came to Botany Bay with the officers are only mentioned as providing sexual services to each other's husbands. At the end of the book we meet one woman who is described in more detail. Her main characteristic? Being hopelessly dependant on Richard Morgan. I find it hard to believe that this would be the whole truth about women in the 18th century. Without wanting to exaggerate, I would describe this book as anti-feminist.
In conclusion, I would have much rather read an honestly historical account about this journey.