-
The Potato Factory
- The Australian Trilogy, Book 1
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 23 hrs and 22 mins
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Probably the best performance I've listened to.
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Publisher's summary
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.
In the backstreets and dives of Hobart Town, Mary learns the art of brewing and builds The Potato Factory, where she plans a new future. But her ambitions are threatened by Ikey's wife, Hannah, her old enemy. The two women raise their separate families, one legitimate and the other bastard. As each woman sets out to destroy the other, the families are brought to the edge of disaster.
Critic reviews
"In the tradition of Charles Dickens, Courtenay creates a unique cast of characters from the outset of this epic novel....Humphrey Bower's performance is a marvel...making this one of those rare books with a sweep of characters the readers come to care about deeply." (AudioFile)
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Prepare to be captivated by acclaimed crime writer Candice Fox’s gripping audio thriller, Hunting Game. Featuring an all-star cast including Krysten Ritter, Anthony Mackie, and Tony Goldwyn, you’re about to enter a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. NYPD Detective Esme 'Es' Compran (Krysten Ritter) finds herself torn between her duty and her own desperate circumstances when a child is kidnapped. The victim's father, Jack Dengate (Tony Goldwyn), is a controversial big pharma CEO whose company's price hikes on life-saving drugs have dire consequences for Es' ailing daughter.
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Man what a GREAT story….BUT……
- By ShawniqueLovesToRead on 03-15-24
By: Candice Fox
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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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You need a refresh Mr Bower and Mr Courtenay
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April Fool's Day
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This is A Love Story
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a departure for Bryce
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Distracted by poor rendition of the South African accent
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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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The touching story of a young, mortally ill priest who spends his last days working among the Kwakiutl Indians of British Columbia.
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Uncanny insight...
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The Family Frying Pan
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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!
- By Johnnie Walker on 04-29-10
By: Bryce Courtenay
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The Winds of War
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Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events - and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II - as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.
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A Masterpiece
- By Robert on 05-24-13
By: Herman Wouk
What listeners say about The Potato Factory
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jennifer
- 05-22-14
Why do I care how you take your tea?
Many reviewers have compared this book to Dickens. I wasn't looking for Dickens. I was looking for a very compelling story, which this had potential to be. Unfortunately, the book headed south for me after the first half.
There are many authors who get very descriptive in the details. One of my favorites is Diana Gabaldon. She really puts you in the moment. I some how find myself imagining the sprawling meadow sprinkled with a very detailed account of some yellow flower. It adds to the experience of the book. And in this novel, buried under far too many descriptions about how each character takes their tea (and pretty much everything else), there is a really good story. I just didn't want to work that hard to find it.
I was not bothered by topics of race, religion, sex or overall very disturbing, graphic violence, but it is worth noting for those with a stronger moral reading compass than I. These things for me invoked emotion that made me vested in the characters outcome, and eventually made it possible for me to get to the end of the book.
The book did start out great. The story does pull you in rather quickly, but I can't help the feeling that the last 3 hours or so, was just fluff combined with a meandering need to complete the book. I wish the book had ended as strongly as it started.
A couple of audio specific things to consider: 1. The narrator does speak a little quicker than I was accustomed to, but I was able to adjust to the faster cadence after a few minutes. 2. The prologue goes on for a while and comes close to spoiling some of the suspense of the story. I recommend skipping it and if you haven't gotten tired of tea descriptions by the end, go back and have a listen. 3. They split the sections in really inconvenient places. It's like someone took a calculator and said, "Yep, that's a third... ." 4. It's harder to skim with audio, and this is definitely a book I would have wanted to skim over some details. 5. On the plus side, there was a bit of singing. Who doesn't like singing? 6. Was it me? Or did Ikey sometimes sound like Jack Sparrow?
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- Angela Gerring
- 05-05-14
Flawless Narration of a Highly Intiguing Story
This was my first time listening to a Humphrey Bower narration, and I could not be more impressed! He read this amazing tale with so much emotion and brought each character to life. Every character had their own voice, quirks, and speaking tempo. Humphrey Bower is the gold standard for narrations!
The story itself is simply excellent. Although it is quite long, it never feels to drag on - Courtenay develops each of the characters with so much depth, that you cannot help but cheer for the Despicable Isaac Solomon. Solomon and Mary Abacus make a wonderful team without falling into the typical plot lines of forcing a love story. While love is there, Courtenay stays true to the story and the desires and ambitions of his main characters. The transformation of Isaac Solomon throughout the book is fantastic - and even as he tries to move away from a life of crime and slowly becomes more human, he always remains the same, horrible person at his core. The only character I would have loved to see more of was the amazing Sperm Whale Sally.
The criticisms that the story was vulgar or racist are simply unfounded. There is certainly language, and some pretty graphic sexual scenes, they are never over the top or out of context. Everything is well written and intricately planned to develop the characters and progress the story line.
I cannot wait to start book two, as the development of Hawk's character towards the end of this book left me yearning for much more!
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- Mike
- 05-01-14
The journey
This book tells of the life of two main characters, their struggles, character growth, strength and endurance through great hardship. Survival in a tough brutal life and the opportunity to start fresh in a new land. It is very well written and the narration is superb. A very entertaining journey. I have purchased the next book and will continue the story in book 2
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- Sherry
- 04-16-14
Great Charaters
If you could sum up The Potato Factory in three words, what would they be?
An interesting story.
Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Humphry Bower is an amazing character reader. He does the story justice and can sing pretty well, too.
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- Craig
- 04-14-14
Exceptional writing and memorable characters
If you could sum up The Potato Factory in three words, what would they be?
Full of surprises.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Isaac Simon, and his panoply of narcissistic, antisocial and paranoid character traits. Although they were modified at a glacial pace, he evolved over the course of decades, into an individual who was able to love, mourn, and lose more than a scintilla of his self-defeating character pathology. His intelligence permitted him to gain partial insight into the role that he played in the creation and influence of the vicissitudes of his life and of some of those he encountered during the course of his lifetime.
Which scene was your favorite?
Isaac Simon's search for "Sperm Whale Sally".
Who was the most memorable character of The Potato Factory and why?
Mary "Abacus", whose kindness and evolving willingness to forgive and to persevere in spite of severe, recurrent acts of cruelty, to which she was repeatedly exposed. She was willing to do almost anything in order to survive and assist those she loved.
Any additional comments?
I am planning to acquire the second book in this series, and then the third and final book in the series,
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- Gr
- 04-13-14
Epic Tale
Well written historic fiction with wonderfully highly developed characters and a world-class narrator. Courtenay does not shy away from the baser side of the criminal world, but depicts it accurately. I chanced upon this novel while looking for a good read and reading the reviews of others. This book is not for everyone and some do not like it. It is not bright and shiny feel good novel. It is a dark tale depicting human misery and a side of humanity that was prevalent in the early 1900s. The naive and poorly traveled would like to think that such aspects of the human character no longer exist in the world, or that they did not exist within the history of the United States. In the face of evil, the indomitable spirit of a few who struggle to retain their dignity and survive, provides for an outstanding tale.
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- Tom
- 04-10-14
a wonderful surprise
I expected a story of Australia. And yet, the first third (almost) of the book is spent in London. The intrigues abounded and when I realized that much of what I read had actually happened. The story grew, the characters expanded into the most interesting people. As with many of the best audio books, the narration is so very good, reminiscent of Simon Vance's performance of David Copperfield.
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- carmel
- 03-28-14
This is the first book that I could not download
Would you try another book from Bryce Courtenay and/or Humphrey Bower?
Lost my confidence in audible because of this book. I really wanted to read it. I love Humphrey bower also. But if I can't download, what is the purpose of wasting my money
Would you ever listen to anything by Bryce Courtenay again?
Yes
Would you be willing to try another one of Humphrey Bower’s performances?
Yes
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- Cathleen
- 03-26-14
Unforgettable! Engaging Story, Great Performance
What did you love best about The Potato Factory?
I loved the characters, and how multifaceted they were. I also loved learning about New Zealand and Australia during this time.
What did you like best about this story?
The indomitable Mary's strength, integrity, courage and compassion in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances.
What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?
He did all of the characters voices beautifully.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When Mary saw the parrots as she first arrived and made them her talisman.
Any additional comments?
This entire series is absolutely gripping. Especially books 1 and 2. Book 3 is still good, but it diverges from the central characters and is weighed down by the first world war, losing momentum towards the end.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Aawendel
- 03-06-14
Characters Come to Life
Where does The Potato Factory rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I've listened to a number of audio books. This is one of the better ones because of both the story and writing style and the excellent narrator.
What did you like best about this story?
The characters were very real; very well brought to life and given individual personalities.
Which scene was your favorite?
Can't say.
If you could take any character from The Potato Factory out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Mary, for her strength and ongoing positive attitude.
Any additional comments?
This is first in a series. I have moved on to the second book, and it is even more rivetting!
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