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Fishing for Stars  By  cover art

Fishing for Stars

By: Bryce Courtenay
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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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

What listeners say about Fishing for Stars

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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52 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Complex Love Triangle

SUMMARY, in Bryce Courtenay's own words:

"Fishing for Stars has, at its heart, two passionate, unforgettable, but very different, women. One is exotic, damaged, and shrewd; the other beautiful, determined and zealous. Both are bitter rivals for the love of the same man.

My story is set in Australia, the Pacific Islands, Japan and Indonesia during the latter half of the twentieth century. Nick Duncan is an ingenuous male with a great deal more female on his hands than he can possibly hope to understand.

The contest he is called upon to referee is the clash between the two great loves of his life: the seductive Anna Til, and the older, equally fascinating Marg Hamilton. Nick struggles between their worlds: one exploiting the world's riches for profit, the other fighting to save the environment and its creatures, large and small.

I hope you like Fishing for Stars, it is a story of ambition, destruction, love, tears and laughter, with a soupcon of hope thrown in."

###

Important Note: "Fishing for Stars" contains explicit sexual content and mature subject matter.

This book is the sequel to "The Persimmon Tree" published in 2007. This book does stand on it's own. But for me, I like to read books in the proper sequence. Hopefully, Audible will add this book to their website.

The narrator Humphrey Bower is excellent. In this book, his Japanese accents are superb. If you like his narration and want to read a great book, read Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (also an Australian author).

If you like this book, read "The Gold Coast" by Nelson DeMille. It is a intense Romance/Thriller with erotic sex scenes and mafia (instead of Japanese Yakuza).

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Hmmmmm...

I have read most of this authors stories and I have always thoroughly enjoyed them. Although I have made several attempts to finish "Fishing for Stars," I have been unable to do so. I keep thinking...can we get on with this? I'm very surprised to find one of Courtenay's stories so slow, but of all his books, I feel he was a bit unfocused on this one.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Persimmon tree part two

This is a continuation of the story of Anna and Marj from the persimmon tree. It was not as exciting and really boring at times. I loved the Persimmon Tree, but wish I had left the rest to speculation. Not a good sequel.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Ho Hum

I have enjoyed many of Bryce Courtenay's books but this one was just ho hum. What saves this book is the history about some of the places the story takes you. However, I could not believe anyone could truly love Anna, let alone stay with her as Nicolas did. I had to read the squeal (first is better). Sorry, Bryce had I know I would have let my imagination finish the story instead of reading book two.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Re-Run

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A new story without all the political statements. The first half of the novel was a re-telling of the Persimmon Tree. The second half of the novel was about saving the planet. If he wanted to write a book about saving the environment, then do it, but don't hide it in the sequel to a novel.

What could Bryce Courtenay have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Cut out about half of the novel.

Which character – as performed by Humphrey Bower – was your favorite?

None in this novel.

What character would you cut from Fishing for Stars?

Marg, Anna, Nick.......

Any additional comments?

I was so disappointed and kept holding on hoping that something would happen to make me love this book as much as the Persimmon Tree. I was excited to find out what happened to the characters, but was soon done with the story. Could there be one more coincidence that turned out well for every person involved? If I was anyone of the characters I'd a bought a lottery ticket. Even if it didn't win, something would have happened to make it okay in the end. It is all....."A funny thing happened to me on the way to the office...." So, So, So disappointed. I had several other novels in my wish list, that will be now be deleted.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

First Bryce Courtenay disappointment ever.

I have spent endless happy hours listening to the stories of this wonderful author. He is a gifted story teller, and every other book has been a great adventure. But this story dragged...on and on, filled with political, history and environmental lessons when all I wanted was to be entertained. Let this one go.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Ehh...

I love Bryce Courtenay and have listened to most of his books, loved the first book but this sequel seemed a bit like a history class, too preachy. I found myself drifting off in some parts when the detailed history became too long. Still one of my favorite writers though.

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2 people found this helpful