Book reviews

Four Fires
Bryce Countenay Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Bryce Countenay Books
New book search
Bryce Countenay Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Four Fires
"The four fires in this story are passion, religion, warfare and fire itself. All these fires have molded the Australian people, a small town 5th generation family of Irish Catholic descent struggling to reach the first rung of the social ladder. A story of love and the triumph of the human spirit against the odds. "
Janet Gratton, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Four Fires
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - humorous
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Inside culture (main char) - Irish
Other aspects: - story of the poor
Poverty, surviving Yes
Kind of living: - general poverty story
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Australian (mate!)
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - teacher
Age: - long lived adults
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Genius
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
Age: - long-lived adults
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 ()
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Southeast Asia - Australia
Jungles? Yes
Island? Yes
Island: - Pacific Islands
Misc setting - prison

Style
Person - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - impregnation/reproduction
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Four Fires
The Magdalen by Marita Conlon-McKenna
1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State by Morgan Llywelyn
Potatoes are Cheaper by Max Shulman
Tell It Not In Gath by C. Vernon Hines
A Raisen in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
James Patterson 12:08:13 PM
George W. Bush 2:32:02 AM
Anonymous 2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters 9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody 6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught 11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen 9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts 1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino 9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky 11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman 12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer 7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller 8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn 12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden 2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM

More message boards