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Four Fires

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Four Fires

By: Bryce Courtenay
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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Summary

 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.©2001 Christine Courtenay, a recording of the book published by PenguinBooks Australia Ltd. (P)2001 Bolinda Publishing Historical Fiction Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

"A superb storyteller." (The Times)
"Humphrey Bower, speaking as Mole, delivers every possible nuance and emotion of his character's story, and shows a startling aptitude for other dialects as well. Close family friends and enemies include surviving Polish Jews, an East Indian healer, an Irish Catholic priest, Japanese prison camp soldiers, and many others. All of them, young and old, male and female, spring to vivid life in Bower's versatile voice. Narrative passages and dialogue elicit tears and laughter by turns, without a minute of boredom in the 30-hour production." (AudioFile Magazine)
All stars
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A brilliant listen. This book is gripping from start to finish. Informative, detailed, heartwarming, funny, sometimes horrifying, you get to know the principal characters so well that you could be part of the family. It covers so many events and experiences in gripping detail. This is not a book you are likely to nod off to

Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay

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Once again Bryce Courtenay and Humphrey Bower enthralled me to such an extent that I just could not put this book down (so to speak). So much attention to detail. I went through the whole gamut of emotions for this unfortunate family. The Master storyteller does it again .......

Another triumph

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a story of a family living in Australia starting after the second world war and through to modern times. This book is a real page turner even though it is in audible fashion, I recommend it to everyone. It has real pace and I found it difficult to turn off and often went into the early hours listening to it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mole the leading character gets my vote for favorite character, but the whole family (including the Suckfizzles) all play their part

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The part where Tommy (the father) take Mole to see the Maloney Tree and tells him how all of his friends have died is so poignant.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are parts in these books that make you laugh and parts where you want to cry,it bring out all the emotions .

Any additional comments?

This is the first work by Bryce Courtenay that I have come across, but it defintely will not be the last.

four fires, fires the imagination

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A powerful story told beautifully. Some very moving aspects in this tale of kids struggling to grow up in the shadow of a father/father figure suffering from PTSD before it was really understood. The occasional disjoint in the story where the author has tried to elbow in aspects that don't necessarily allow the story to flow naturally. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. As is often the case with Bryce Courtney, this book stayed with me for a while after finishing.

A powerful story

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What did you like most about Four Fires?

The story of a family in a small rural town, living through war, prejudice, struggles, success - Courtenays ability to bring characters to life is outstanding. In the end, I felt like a part of the family! The story moves at perfect pace throughout, even though it spans decades. It also helps that Humphrey Bower's narrations is completely engaging.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Four Fires?

Difficult to say, but the first few chapters - where all the characters are introduced - stuck with me right to the end, and that doesn't happen very often.

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

All of them - he makes them all individuals, and it is difficult to pick one. Mole as the storyteller is brilliant, but his performance as Mrs Rika Ray made me smile!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely - but I also wanted it to never end!

Brilliant story, brilliant narration

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