The Sound of Thunder (The Courtneys)

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A man grows weary of the trek,' Sean mused aloud. 'There is a time when he longs to sleep two nights at the same place.' That cub roars louder than the lion that sired him,’ grunted Mbejane, but there was a fondness in his expression as he watched the rider reach the leading wagon and drag the pony from full run down on to his haunches. A violent saga-type story set on Boer War South Africa and told with vigour and enthusiasm, the author of When the Lion Feeds spins a fine tale. "Evening Standard" Courtney, Sean (1860 -1925) - big game hunter, soldier. Married Afrikaaner, Katrina Leroux and they had a son, Dirk. Katrina died and Sean married Ruth, the widow of his best friend Saul. They had a daughter, Storm. He and Ruth were killed in an accident engineered by Dirk.

Another reason why I liked this book is that in each chapter, there is an emphasis on different characters, rather than only one character. In the first book of the series, there was an emphasis on only one character - Sean. Now there is importance on different characters in the book, including Garry, Jan Paulus, Saul, and Ruth. But the drums of war are beating in town. Sean had no idea of this new situation, and it will change everything for him. The Boer War is not one I knew much about, but that is the war we all fight in this book, Sean most of all. It was bloody, ruthless, and there was much needless waste of life, as there is in all wars. A cautionary note to horse lovers. There are graphic battle scenes where horses (and men) do not fare well. I found myself wincing a bit at the cruelty in which horses were subjected to in battle situations. There is one other scene involving horses that is also fairly graphic. I see this as an accurate portrayal of history and not just gratuitous violence towards the animals. We learn more about Sean Courtney's life at Ladyburgh, his experiences in the 2nd Boer War and finally the next Courtney generation, i.e. his children by various mothers.

Table of Contents

Smith's books always have a good amount of strife, betrayal, jealousy, hardship, tragedy and sacrifice that he writes into his characters. The Sound of Thunder is a story rich in these human frailties. This story is engrossing but at a little slower pace than some of the more adventure oriented books. Sean Courtney is central to the story. We also get to into the hearts and minds of the many characters that orbit in his universe. All in the elusive search of happiness, love, revenge and/or redemption. This creates a complex and intricate character interactions making the story fun to read. I particularly like the relationship between Sean and his Zulu friend/servant Mbejane. When they have been apart for some time, they greet each other by saying "I see you." This is a rich and complex relationship that I think could have been explored a little more.

The pace would do credit to a Porsche, and the invention is as bright and explosive as a fireworks display. "Sunday Telegraph"" The Courtney series can be split into three parts, each part following a particular era of the Courtney family. Yeesh. It's amazing how... primitive this book felt. So old-fashioned in the writing style and outlook. The main character is Sean Courtney. In the beginning of the book he's returning from a years-long elephant hunt, loaded down with ivory that he will use for the enrichment of his family. He's also got his young son with him.urn:oclc:694251498 Republisher_date 20180816173643 Republisher_operator [email protected];[email protected] Republisher_time 909 Scandate 20180812021732 Scanner ttscribe6.hongkong.archive.org Scanningcenter hongkong Source He found him selling a bag of coffee beans to a gentleman who was plainly sceptical of its quality. The discussion of the merits of Mr Goldberg’s coffee beans as opposed to those of his competitor across the street was becoming involved and technical. The pace would do credit to a Porsche, and the invention is as bright and explosive as a fireworks display. Sunday Telegraph" The second book of the Courtney series by Wilbur Smith - I never expected it to be so good. This book was way better than the first book (When The Lion Feeds) and is also one of my favourite novels till now. The Sound of Thunder is a novel by the Rhodesian writer Wilbur Smith. It is the second book in the Courtney Series and it is set several years after the first book, When the Lion Feeds, focusing around the Second Boer War. [1] [2] Plot [ edit ]