Jack of Diamonds

On the Day we lost Bryce

I finished the book on the day Bryce Courtenay passed away. A sad day for listeners, his family, his fans and for Humphrey Bower, the voice that brought BC’s words to life. Some may well say that this was not his greatest work, the first in a planned series like Tommo & Hawk, but Humphrey Bower did an extraordinary job in bringing it to life with his ‘Canadian’ accent. He is a master and BC was lucky to have him. I enjoyed the tale, it was easy, rich and scene connected well into scene. Good easy listening and I urge all Audible folk who like works from writers outside the US to give this one a go. Buy it as a salute to the living story tellers everywhere who give us joy and take a moment to think about our own mortality. All story tellers like you and me the reader/listener pass on of course but they leave a legacy and BC’s is a great one. Thank you mate for showing the world that the world through Australian eyes is a rich one and we have many a tale to tell.

87 of 90 people found this review helpful

I really wanted to like this more.

Any additional comments?

I have loved many of Bryce Courtenay's books and bought this when I heard he had passed away. I finished listening to it in honor of the other Courtenay books I loved.................but I didn't love it. I could have stopped listening. It had similar elements to many of his other books and the story moved slowly. It could have been much better.Try The Power of One, The Potato Factory Trilogy and Four Fires for outstanding writing and interesting stories that you can't put down. Humphrey Bower was outstanding as the narrator (once again!). I buy books just because he narrates them.I will miss new additions from Bryce Courtenay. Rest in peace.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

I Am Devastated.

Mr. Courtenay usually writes about South Africa or Australia and we have gotten some real history lessons about these regions as well as entertaining stories. I have learned more history from great stories than I ever did in school. I really enjoyed Jack Diamonds. To absorb the life of someone "just across the road" from the United States in Canada during the turbulent "pre and post" World War II era was great fun. I quite simply love a good story (Bryce) read by a great reader (Humphrey).

I want to say here that Mr. Courtenay brought me to tears with his afterward. As I listened I could only hope (I realize quite selfishly hoped) that he had time for another story or two. I greatly appreciate his thoughtful goodbye - to me it was extremely personal because I always thought of Bryce Courtenay as one of my personal writers. I was absolutely devastated to learn that he passed away.

As a young person, I lived all over the world and the United States. I never got to Australia or Africa. Thanks to you and Humphrey Bower for the extraordinary journeys. I have always finished one story by looking for and anticipating the next one and have read each of Mr. Courtenay's books at least twice and some of them four or five times. Although I have not said much about this particular novel, I am sure that I will read and re-read and re-read Jack of Diamonds.

I am going to miss you. May God bless you and your family.

49 of 52 people found this review helpful

A StoryMaster's Finale

If you haven't read/listened to Courtenay and Bower and you crave a good story, start now, but perhaps don't start with this book. Courtenay is an absolute gem and master, and this novel, though strong in concept, seemed so "sketched" and rushed to me-- especially in the last half. Well, being an American and not recipient of the latest news in the Australian arts community, I didn't realize that this was Courtenay's last novel, and that he died last year. That explained all.

The book is flawed but still saturated with signature Courtenay -- a rags to riches story, messaging around literacy that was a little less subtle in this book but never gets old for those of us who love WORD, a commitment to creating excellent female characters and a true storyteller's understanding of the arc of story and how to deliver upon it.

So any Courtenay lover should read/listen to this, and his personal after-word will make you cry, but if you do not know Courtenay start earlier in his canon and enjoy a true story telling master at his peak!

So, so sorry that we shall no have another work from Courtenay, and thank to Humphrey Bower for delivering an exceptional reading once again.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Bryce Courtenay Fan

I love Bryce Courtenay books and shall miss him! However, this was not my favourite book. A bit repetitive material from his other books.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

The Final Book From Bryce

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

A Great read, an amazing roller-coaster of a story, it will bring tears and laughter.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jack of Diamonds?

I found that Jack placing himself in harms way to prevent the beating of a cook the most memorable part of the story. It really resounded with me.

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

Joe, my absolute favourite

If you could take any character from Jack of Diamonds out to dinner, who would it be and why?

It would be Joe, and very wise man indeed.

Any additional comments?

Bryce was an amazing writer, we will miss you and your amazing fabrications.

33 of 37 people found this review helpful

Bryce should have left well enough alone

After listening to The Power of One, which I recommended to everyone I know, I went on to listen to Tandia, Brother Fish, Four Fires, and the Australia trilogy, all of which were great. Then came this, the last book Bryce wrote before he died. Sadly he seems to have had nothing left. This book is largely a rehash of stories contained in his earlier books: Harmonica player, piano player, poker player, even a rehash of the great mining story at the end of The Power of One.

The other problem with this book is the narrator. As it is, you have to overlook the fact that all of Bryce's protagonist are Boy Scouts, but Humphrey Bower's narration just exacerbates this problem. I would describe his voice as Jocular. Even when something bad is happening he sounds upbeat about it.

I gave all the aforementioned novels five star ratings, and I'll be forever grateful to Bryce and his enormous talent, and because of this, I feel a little guilty about panning this book, but that's the way I see it.

26 of 30 people found this review helpful

'LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME'.. HE LOVED US BUT LEFT US!

Another wonderful layered story from Bryce Courtenay full of relationships, love, drama, glimpses of other decades and an undercurrent of racial tension. An absorbing novel that underscores the loss of a wonderful author who when faced with his own mortality thought of his readers and gave us the epilogue. Humphrey Bower did his usual fabulous narration.

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

My First Courtenay

This was my first Bryce Courtenay, won't be my last. It's a long one - 26 hours so be prepared to make an investment of time. Great story that reminded me of some Sidney Sheldon epics from the 70-80s.

Jack's youth and his Vegas experiences are detailed and comprise 85% of the book. His African experience is hurried and compacted. The reader learns in the epilogue why that had to be the case. Courtenay's health.

Jack's Vegas days reminded me of the movie - Casino. Crazy Sammie was Joe Pesci's character in Casino.... quite insane and scary.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Bryce Courtenay: A Damn good story-teller

Towards the end of the epilogue Bryce Courtenay, aware that this is his last novel, says he hopes he will be remembered as a "damn good story-teller". That he is and so he will be remembered. "Jack of Diamonds" starts in Toronto and takes us to Las Vegas, New York, London and finally back to the copper mines in Northern Africa mentioned in Courtenay's earlier novels and where the author himself worked as a "grizzly" when he was 17 years old. His hero is Jack Spayd who grew up in Cabbage Town, Toronto who climbs out of his poverty thanks to his mother's support, good black friends, the love of his life, Bridget and his exceptional talent as a jazz musician and an elite poker player, the latter which almost costed him his life on several occasions.
This novel reminds me in some ways of "Whitehorn" and I enjoyed it immensely although I found it difficult to realize that this was BC's last novel.
Humphrey Bower is one of my favorite narrators. What a terrific job he does as a Canadian from Toronto. I could never see anyone else doing Bryce Courtenay's books. Bower brings all the characters to life.
This is another must-read.
So sad to know that this wonderful Australian author has produced his final book.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful