Fishing for Stars

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 22 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Simultaneous release of the sequel to the best-selling The Persimmon Tree.

Nicholas Duncan is a semi-retired shipping magnate who resides in idyllic Beautiful Bay in Indonesia, where he is known as the old patriarch of the islands. He is grieving the loss of his beautiful Eurasian wife, Anna, and is suffering for the first time from disturbing flashbacks to WWII, the scene of their first meeting and early love. His other wartime lover is the striking Marg Hamilton, a powerful and influential political player in Australia who has remained close to Nick. Marg suspects Nick is suffering the onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and organises for a specialist to meet with him in Sydney. But when they meet, Tony Freedman stirs long-buried emotions in Nick and the two men don't hit it off.

Nick leaves in an explosion of anger and finds himself in hospital after being hit by a car. Tony visits and encourages Nick to write as a form of therapy - to write about Anna. So he sets about writing about the woman who has inspired him since his late teens, and in doing so draws us into the compelling tale of the life he has lived post war-hero days building a shipping empire, navigating international corruption, supporting his wife's third-world education crusade and loving the women who inspire him. Set in the exotic locale of the spice islands during the excitement of post-war prosperity and possibility, and driven by strong, colourful characters, this book is truly epic in scope. Is it possible for a man to love two women?

©2013 Christine Courtenay; 2008 Bryce Courtenay (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing

Excellent narration!

Great story, excellent voice acting by narrator. Story paints a picture with interesting characters, and scenery you can see with your minds eye. A part of history I wasn't very aware of, or the different cultures and countries and how they were affected.

Okay Bryce I Just Finished Fishing For Stars

There is so much within this book that I know I will listen again this summer.
You know when I listen to a Bryce Courtenay novel they really don't seem to be stories. I feel as though I've sort of moved in with the characters. Humphrey Bower I'm sure plays a strong part in that feeling.
Yes there is mention of sex and violence but it's all done in good taste. And these subjects are not dwelt upon at any length at any rate.
And finally I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting better than just a good listen. I'm now in the position of yearning for his next penning. While waiting though I will absolutely take Fishing For Stars out again this summer. And enjoy the experience all over again. And it'll be like the first time.
I tend to relisten to all of Bryce Courtenay novels. The experience is usually better than the first time.

I found myself saying, “go back to Anna. I want to know what has happened to Anna!”

While some of this story is unrealistic in my world, I realize that many people’s stories might really be what we would find unrealistic.
I found myself wanting to know what was happening with each character. It was like they were real people that I somehow knew.

Fishing for a Disappointment

Having heard other Bryce Courtenay books, including The Persimmon Tree ( which is excellent and to which this is the sequel) I was excited to read the completed story of Anna. Unfortunately readers weren't warned that to do so would cost them a lot of time while the writer tried to catch everyone else up. So first and foremost, expect a lot of rehash if you've read The Persimmon Tree.

The second complaint is almost worse. As another reviewer mentioned, get ready for the attempt to be converted to a tree hugger. When I listen to audio books, I want to be taken to other places, to be immersed in entertainment and enjoyment. I do NOT purchase audio books so I get get someone else's political take on an issue. This is not entertainment since if you agree, it's like a sermon to the choir and if you disagree it's like being held captive while someone else beats your brain with their political views.

There are redeeming values to this book, but these two issues irked me so much that I was sincerely disappointed.

ok

it was a good listen but not a favorite. Bryce has definitely wrote better stories

Not finished with him yet

Read all you can for he is worthy of your interest and while he may not have long on this mortal coil there will be a legacy that not many achieve

Bryce was off his game

Would you try another book from Bryce Courtenay and/or Humphrey Bower?

Definitely, but this was not his best work.

Has Fishing for Stars turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

Any additional comments?

Bryce got us lost in the weeds of international politics and business history. It tells the story of that region of the world but was missing the usual Dickensian characterizations that I love. True, the "Persimmon Tree" needed a sequel, but it just seems like Bryce lost his story-telling mojo on this one.

Humphrey Bower is his usual superb best at accents of all sorts.

Amazing author, great narrator

Almost as good sequel to the Persimmon Tree. Great narration. Long read/listen but worth the time

Audible Bought the Wrong Book

There is no such thing as a "bad" Bryce Courtenay when combined with Humphrey Bower as the reader. This one was released simultaneously with The Persimmon Tree and is a sequel to it. I strongly suspect that the first was a better book with more plot to it. It would also have been a better read if one had all the characters and events in the context of the original. Hopefully, Audible will still get it and I don't think having listened to the sequel will much damage the reading of the first book.

If you have stumbled across this review and have not listened to other Courtenay/Bower combinations, this is NOT the one to start with. Try the Power of One and the sequel of Tandia or the three part history of Australia that begins with The Potato Factory. Courtenay is a great story teller and Bower is an even better reader.

I think I'm finally sated -my 10th Courtenay

and the least interesting. I admit, it could be that I've simply heard too much of the same but I really liked the first book of this story, The Persimmon Tree. In Fishing, I was hopeful given the underlying green messages but it just didn't do it. Better are Tommy's more subtle observations (in Four Fires) of the hurt being done to the Australian ecosystem. Also, as it began, I was struck that Humphrey Bower, whose voice I have come to know and love, was not quite up to par.