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Four Fires
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 29 hrs and 5 mins
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The four fires in this story are passion, religion, warfare, and fire itself. While there are many more fires that drive the human spirit, love being perhaps the brightest flame of all, it is these four that have moulded us most as Australian people. The four fires give us our sense of place and, for better or for worse, shape our national character.
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Weeds
- By: Amanda Wilkin
- Narrated by: Lesley Sharp, Adelle Leonce, Joshua James, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Original Recording
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Climate activist Shirley Watts has dedicated her entire life to protecting the planet for future generations. But constantly fighting for Mother Earth has taken its toll over time, leaving her in a precarious relationship with her adult daughter, Lela. When Shirley’s latest climate stunt lands her in serious legal jeopardy, Lela reluctantly lets Shirley stay with her and her boyfriend while awaiting her upcoming trial.
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Excellent story
- By Jeremy J. Hanes on 03-22-24
By: Amanda Wilkin
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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
- By: Stephen Fry, Washington Irving, M.R. James, and others
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
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Find Her
- By: Sarah A. Denzil
- Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s Christmas Day at Wilder House, and three magical winter weddings are set to begin. But as the tables are arranged, and the food is prepared, a perfect storm hits, cutting every guest from the rest of the world. Most little girls dream of the perfect wedding. But this bride stumbles alone into the snow, her silk train dragging through dirt, her hands bloody from the murder she just committed. Now there is at least one killer roaming the unforgiving landscape surrounding Wilder House. Who else will die on Christmas Day?
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a little bit of wicked fun
- By A. Bohn on 01-25-24
By: Sarah A. Denzil
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The Bedroom Window
- By: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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My darling little boy Albie adores playing at our new neighbours’ house. And after the terrible year we’ve had, I feel so lucky that we can start over in this perfect place, with new friends who treat Albie like the son they never had. He can’t stop talking about the tree house they’re building him, and the cookies they bake together. But as time passes, something starts to feel wrong. Why don’t they ever open the front door more than a crack? They told me they had no children so who does the small pink tricycle I saw in their hall belong to?
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Miss Lucy-price Lewis
- By Angie on 06-07-23
By: K. L. Slater
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Always leave a little salt on the bread. Ikey Solomon's favorite saying is also his way of doing business, and in the business of thieving he's very successful indeed. Ikey's partner in crime is his mistress, the forthright Mary Abacus, until misfortune befalls them. They are parted and each must make the harsh journey from thriving nineteenth century London to the convict settlement of Van Diemen's Land.
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Best audiobook of the year!
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No light reading!
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An excellent sequel
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Oh Danny Boy!
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You need a refresh Mr Bower and Mr Courtenay
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a departure for Bryce
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By: Bryce Courtenay
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April Fool's Day
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This is Bryce Courtenay's moving tribute to his son, Damon, a hemophiliac who died from medically acquired AIDS on April 1, 1991, at the age of 24. April Fool's Day is controversial, painful and heartbreaking, yet has a gentle humor. It is also life-affirming, and, above all, a testimony to the incredible regenerative strength of love: how when we confront our worst, we can become our best. This tragic yet uplifting story will change the way you think.
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This is A Love Story
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By: Bryce Courtenay
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Thommo returns from Vietnam to an Australia that regards him as a mercenary guilty of war crimes. He begins to develop all kinds of physical and mental problems, and thinks it must only be him until he finds he is not alone. Ten mates, all who remain of his platoon who fought and died in the Battle of Long Tan, are affected the same way.
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Australian Vietnam vet with Agent Orange
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Mrs. Moses is a small woman with a big heart and enormous courage. The only survivor of a Cossack raid on her village, she takes with her a big cast-iron frying pan, so heavy that she can only sling it over her back. Yet this is no ordinary frying pan, it's The Family Frying Pan, blessed with a Russian soul.
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Bad Narrator Decision!
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By: Bryce Courtenay
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The story of a drunk, a boy, and a cat. Billy O'Shannessy, once a prominent barrister, is now on the street where he sleeps on a bench outside the State Library. Above him on the window sill rests a bronze statue of Matthew Flinders' cat, Trim. Ryan is a 10-year-old, a near-street kid heading for the usual trouble. The two form an unlikely bond.
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Extraordinary Story
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The Silver Moon
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Each of us has a place to return to in our minds, a place of clarity and peace, a place to think, to create, to dream. For Bryce Courtenay this place was a waterhole in Africa where he used to escape to as a boy, in search of solitude. One evening, while lingering there, he witnessed the tallest of the great beasts drinking from the waterhole in the moonlight, and was spellbound. Ever since, he drew inspiration from this moment.
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Wish it was longer!
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By: Bryce Courtenay
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An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.
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Probably the best performance I've listened to.
- By Mickey on 04-15-14
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Prince of Thorns
- By: Mark Lawrence
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- Unabridged
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Author Mark Lawrence has won over audiences everywhere with Prince of Thorns, his exciting debut novel. Nine-year-old Prince Jorg is forced to watch as his mother and brother are slaughtered. Fleeing the palace, Jorg joins a bloodthirsty band of thugs. But he’s determined to take back what’s rightfully his, so he returns to the castle a few years later - unaware of the dark and powerful magic that awaits.
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It sticks in your head.
- By Door on 09-07-13
By: Mark Lawrence
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The Academy
- A Short Story
- By: Robert Dugoni
- Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
- Length: 1 hr and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Quitting her job as a high school science teacher to join the Seattle Police Department was an easy decision for Tracy Crosswhite. Years earlier, what should have been one of the happiest days of her life instead became her worst nightmare when her younger sister, Sarah, disappeared. After the murder trial, while her family disintegrated, Tracy turned her heartbreak and her lingering questions into a passion for justice.
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As a female cop I found the book offensive.
- By TP on 10-10-16
By: Robert Dugoni
What listeners say about Four Fires
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Robert
- 01-07-11
Hit in the solar plexus
I try to rate a book not so much on how much I liked it but on how well I thought it was written. This becomes even more compounded/confounded by the fact that I mostly listen to audiobooks and there is the matter of this person called the narrator. I cannot say this too strongly, I believe a narrator can make or break a book. So, for my reviews, there is this other dimension to consider.
I believe that Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay is a phenomenal book all by itself. It is not, however, a book I probably would have gravitated to nor enjoyed as much in paper form. I picked this selection based on reviews and particularly the reference in these reviews to the narrator Humphrey Bower. I was not disappointed. To call Mr. Bower a narrator does not do him justice. An actor? Okay, that works. He flawlessly plays the roles of so many of the characters in this book. And that would make him an artist. That's good too. But, like the author himself, Bower is a Storyteller extraordinaire and for me, that was the magic of this selection.
I was blown away by every aspect of this book in a "good way" until Mole's dad takes him into the bush and tells him of his time in the war. For me, at that moment, the book became something completely different. It was like it was not even the same book written by the same person. And, while I concluded that the descriptions of all the brutality of war could be taken in context, it might not be for everyone. These events are not pure fiction, but, we are told, are descriptions based on historical facts and perhaps we should not avoid nor look away from such things if we are to diminish their chance of reoccurrence in the future.
So, for the record, I give the Four Fires:
5 stars for personal enjoyment
5 stars for general skill in writing
5 stars for storytelling, acting and narration.
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112 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Johnnie Walker
- 07-22-10
Hey Audible - You Blew IT
There is no absolutely no better combination of author and narrator than Bryce Courteney & Humphrey Bower, yet you slipped this one into your library with no fanfare. I stumbled across it by accident and I cannot be the only fan of this combination. Of his earlier books, this one most reminds me of “The Power of One.” The characters are a delight and joining in on the lives of this ordinary/extraordinary family has had me walking around for days with headphones on with a goofy smile on my face.
Come on Audible! Give this author/narrator the promotion they more than deserve.
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77 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Karen
- 07-27-10
The BEST of Courtenay
I have been an audible member for 4 years and have listened to over 1000 books since my job keeps me traveling so much. This is the first review that I have written. I have listened to all of Courtenay's books and enjoyed all of them. However, Four Fires is in my opinion the BEST. As for the narration as always there are no words to express how wonderful Humphrey Bower is.
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46 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 08-26-10
His very best!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the intriguing characters, the humor, just everything about this book. Nothing else can be added about Humphrey Bower - he brings the pages to life. I could listen to Humphrey Bower read a telephone book.
I have read most of Bruce Courtenay and I agree with other reviewers, this is his best.I didn't want the story to end. Another feature I enjoy about Bruce Courtenay is that he teaches the reader - I learned a lot about forest fires. Fascinating.
This is a "must listen" book. Why Audible didn't give it front page headlines is mystifying.
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33 people found this helpful
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Overall
- G.
- 11-12-10
Four Fires, Three-and-a-Half Stars
(Assuming you have read the publishers summary) This is a pretty good book. I've read or listened to most of his works and at times can get a little sick of the upbeat attitude and good luck of his downtrodden characters. Four Fires has this problem, but the story ultimately won me over. Courtney has a gift for descriptive writing and vivid characters, and he has put the gift to full use. Like the people, the places are also fully fleshed out and nuanced. I'm feeling a trilogy coming on... If you have never treated yourself to Bryce Courtney I suggest beginning with THE POWER OF ONE or BROTHER FISH. If you are a fan wondering if this is a gem or a dud, I recommend it. Also, as usual, great narration from the wonderfully gifted Humphrey Bower. There is a lot of dialogue in this book and I'm amazed at his ability to create unique voices for everyone and keep them all straight.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kerry Myers
- 09-14-10
Fantastic!
Wow, what an enthralling story presented by a very talented narrator. Humphrey makes the characters come alive with superb personalisation of each voice. I came away with a new appreciation of the rough, yet tender life in rural Australia. I loved the aussie slang that is peppered throughout the book.
Bryce wrote this novel with such exquisite detail that it made me feel like I was a part of the Maloney family, experiencing the ups and downs of fire, war, religion and relationships.
Highly recommended!
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22 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Linda
- 10-15-10
Waiting Again
I loved this book - it was pure Courtney! The characters - especially all of the Maloneys were believable, larger than life, comic and sympathetic. I have been waiting for another Courtney family to follow. I kept checking his website to see what was coming and to make sure that I had not missed a book. I gobbled this one up so quickly that I find myself waiting again for the next one (sigh).
I can always determine who is speaking when Humphrey Bower creates his vocals. I recommend the book and Humphrey Bower is the bonus.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall
- CBDC
- 09-04-10
Very moving and powerful
My favorite Bryce Courtenay book before reading FOUR FIRES was TANDIA (although I rated most of his books 5 stars or 4 stars), but FOUR FIRES is right up at the top of my favorites. Courtenay's books are so well-researched that you learn a lot whether it be about AIDS, apartheid, alcoholism and (in this book) personal history slowly revealed in a powerful and beautifully written final "going bush" trip with Tommy and Mole (the son). Humphrey Bower as always reads the book so well that I have trouble hearing anyone else read something by Bryce Courtenay (as I did with JESSICA although it was also the worst of Courtenay's books). It's a long saga of this family (the Malonie's) and people they interact with including an Indian herbalist, two concentration camp survivors, snobs, a pries tin the Catholic Church, bigots, fire fighters, the garment district, the Australian soldiers in World War in the struggle with Japan, and ends with Australia's role in Vietnam.
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16 people found this helpful
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Story
- Mimi Routh
- 12-27-12
SEVEN-STAR LISTEN!
I was distracted by the publisher's blurb. In fact I thought this might be four novellas or something like that. Australians are much like Californians or anybody else. They do indeed have great brush fires, but we have forest fires, too. Anyway, the book is a story about one small town in Australia and one family in that town. The family members struggle to look good in the community; they're really fine, hard-working smart people, but some in the town hold their noses even higher in the air. As it happens, the family are Irish Catholic with a dad who drinks too much and a large, outspoken mom. Most of the kids are not from that father, who has problems from the war. The mom and older kids (and dad if he's out of jail) have a garbage route to run before dawn every weekday. The kids scrub and bathe in cold water before dressing for school. The mom supplements that income with her fancy sewing -- what we call in the U.S. "heirloom" sewing. This huge woman comes in from the garbage run and sits down to an old Singer to turn out fancy christening gowns! One of the boys submits his embroidery in the local fair under his mom or sister's name and wins every time. The kid telling the story grows up as the story is happening. This injects unintended humor as he learns about people having to go to special camps to learn to concentrate. Soon, an old East Indian woman herbalist and a Jewish couple from Poland join the family circle of love.
As the kids grow up and head out for further education, our young story-teller is the last. The last part of the book is about military life. We have already seen the pretty sister fight her own battles and the clever brother with his transit company and the other brother -- the one who embroiders -- charm the sewing ladies. So it's time for Mole to tell about time in the bush with his dad and then fight fires with his dad, and then learning jungle combat. This hit me hard for some reason; I am a veteran and have strong ideas about how veterans are dealt with. But Mole is so successful that he just moves on up and up. I have only listened one time so far. I believe Courtenay has balanced the lives of the four kids. He even tied things up for the little sister who is engaged to the nephew of a family friend.
Through the 29 hours, whether it's walking in the bush or rushing a sewing order or trying to outrun a bush fire pedaling a little kid's bicycle -- there are absolutely no dull moments. Bryce Courtenay has written a masterpiece right up there beside Power of One or Brother Fish. And without Humphrey Bower, I can't imagine how it would be. Bower can talk like an old Indian lady, a wily Irish priest, a 300-pound Australian-Irish momma, a little Polish Jewish doctor and a big sweet African-American dude.
This is the best kind of fiction. It teaches things. We find out what happened and then we listen again to admire HOW it happened. I am sorry Mr. Courtenay is gone now. We will just have to keep listening again.
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Overall
- Paddington
- 11-27-10
a great read
This was a great read. I wasn't sure at first why so much of the WW2 experience was in it, but then it became clear. It was very moving and tragically only too true. The story has some wonderful and very believable Aussie characters in it, but perhaps they are not unique to Australia. Interesting relationships. I was sorry when it finished. Highly recommended.
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