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5.0étoiles sur 5
Europeans in Africa, Déc 14 2001
The Sound of Thunder is apparently the sequel to When the Lion Feeds, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was looking forward to continuing the story of the explosive relationship between Sean and Garrick Courteney, but was somewhat disheartened by the lengthy section of the book dedicated to war. I found myself reading quickly through the parts that dealt with war strategy and killing, and upset by some of the grisly details of the way men and horses suffered and died. I did learn, however, something about the Boer War, and was struck how two European nations (the English and the Dutch) had invaded Africa, and then set to killing off each other for control of it, a land which wasn't theirs to begin with. Getting beyond the war scenes, when the Courteney brothers return home, for me, the juicier, more satisfying part begins. Sean Courteney, the main character, is really quite a character, an unlikely hero who is not always noble in thought or action. He occasionally gets drunk and gets into fights, but otherwise he's simple, honest straightforward, and quite lovable. Unfortunately there's a huge misunderstanding between him and his brother Garrick which has caused an ugly division between them. In this book, it seems that the difficulties they share will be passed on to the next generation, for there is enmity between Sean's children, who are unknowlingly half-brothers. Sean's devilish son Dirk is a disappointment to him, whereas Michael makes him proud. Having read this book, I am set to find out what happens among them in the next book, A Sparrow Falls.
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