I'm alternating novels by Bryce Courtenay and John Irving and, while both are excellent storytellers, I like Courtenay better. While Irving seems more limited in his themes and images, always coming back to the same obsessions when you read several of his novels, that does not happen with Courtenay. He is just a master storyteller, with no frills.

I read first The Power of One and Tandia, which I loved, particularly the first one, and I have now read The Potato Factory, the first in the Australia trilogy. It's as good as the Power of One, with unforgettable characters that you get to know deeply, full of humanity and hardship. The beginning of an epic saga beginning in 19th century London, among the destitute and criminal, and continuing in Australia. Highly recommended. ( )

I taught her to use the word 'abrogate' during a briefing, and she recommended this book early on in our correspondence. Of course, being the precocious flirt that I am, I picked up a copy at a local independent book-seller.

Courtenay takes characters from Dickens and translates them into relatable anti-heroes. ( )

This was a fantastic homage to Dickens and captivating historical fiction. Most of us know of Australia's penal colony history but this book brings that history to life. The characters are memorable, imperfect and quirky. The story carries you along through the ups, the downs, the twists, the turns, the triumphs and the struggles of these wonderful characters. There are at least two scenes deeply imbedded in my psyche just as the horse beating scene in Crime and Punishment will be with me forever. That means that this book will not soon be forgotten - if ever - and I look forward to the second book in this trilogy. ( )

Bryce Courtenay never ceases to impress me with his wonderful storytelling skills. The plot, while slow in some parts, was riveting and by the last three hundred or so pages I was turning those pages as fast as I could. The characters were beautifully crafted and developed over the novel, and I am curious to know how much is indeed fact and how much is fiction. I would have liked to know what happened to the secondary characters such as Bob Marley and Sparrer Fart, but I could understand when they were no longer necessary to the plot. I look forward to getting my hands on the next two books of the trilogy. ( )

Terrific tale (first of very strong trilogy), terrific presentation, of history of Australia. Head of family is a Fagin-type low life Jew in London, eventually transported to Australia... ( )