April Fool's Day: A Modern Love Story

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Summary: April Fool's Day: A modern Love Story
Review: Before you bash me for not giving this book 5 stars, please listen to me first.

I truly loved this book. Bryce's family and the suffering that his son, Damon, went through nearly broke my heart and it was vividly written with plenty of emotion.

On the downside, the book was at least 30 pages too long. There were unnessecary parts, such as going on about the lighthouse light in the apartmenmt window and Damon's junk-bucket car that really got to me because they were repeated and dragged out too much for my liking. Also, the graphic descriptions of Damon's injuries and infections are not really something good to read with you lunch.

Also, I found the book to be a little bit overrated.

I don't consider it a masterpiece like "The Power of One" but it's definitely not a cold fish like Courtenay's "The Potato Factory," which bored me to tears. I'd rate it at about a 7.5/10 or 8/10, putting it in the same league as "Tandia."

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Summary: A Beautiful and Moving Book!!
Review: Courtenay does it again!! A difficult, but MUST read. It brought this grown man to tears.

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Summary: You will cry while reading this book, for it's all truth.
Review: I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay, and have read all his books. This one tells the true story of his last son, Damon, who was born with haemophilia and went through a very hard life, still one full of love and joy. I found myself crying for what happened to Damon, from the purple head episode in hospital to the AIDS he caught during a blood transfusion. And I do completely agree with what Damon said, whatever your problem is, HEALTH is a gift, the most precious one we possess, together with LOVE. The book is about love against the odds, the prejudice, the injustice of a health and political system in Australia in the 1980s; it is full of details and vivid images, and I can imagine how hard it was for the author to write about his own experience, and the suffering in trying to explain in a clear way what exactly happened to him and his family those days. Everyone who has been through a quite serious illness will love this book, as I did. Thanks, Bryce.

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Summary: April Fool's Day: A modern Love Story
Review: I bought this book when we lived in Australia from 1993/1994. I have since read the book over and over again and have lent it to family and friends under the strict mandate that they must return it to me upon completion. This is the most moving book I have ever read and it will be one that I will keep forever. I cried, I laughed, I cheered and I was inspired by Damon's courage and determination to not only live a normal life but to overcome the stigma associated with HIV/AIDs. Bryce Courtney has written a beautiful testimonally to his son's life. I hope every parent loves their child as much as the Courtney's did to not only let him live his life but to also allow him to die with dignity. His girlfriend, Celeste, was also amazing. How many of us could stand by our significant others knowing what she did about the ultimate outcome.

This book is a must read on everyone's list, I am only sorry that it is out of print.

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Summary: Moving and inspirational. A must read!
Review: Since purchasing this book when it was first released I have read and reread it yet it still has not lost the power that gripped me originally nor the need for tissues. Bryce Courtenay tells a personal, emotive story with a great deal of feeling. His descriptions of the life of a person with aids are thought provoking and compassionate. I feel as if I know Damon and Celeste just through what is written. April Fools Day is a must read for all people. It will keep your attention right through to the end.

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Summary: A heartbreaking story full of love and life!
Review: This book affected me so deeply and has stayed with me since I first read it years ago. Having lost a loved one to AIDS I could relate to Bryce Courtenay's pain and I could feel the anger and passion he felt writing this book. Through Bryce's amazing talent for telling a story I felt I really knew Damon and his family. When I got to the last page I let out a deep sigh and cried for Damon, for my own loved one and for everyone affected by AIDS. I thank Bryce for having the courage to write this important book and for sharing Damon's life with us all.

I've read several of Bryce Courtenay's books and every one is a gem. I'm only disappointed that his books are not published in The United States and not readily available in our local bookstores.

I highly recommend this book to everyone and I know you'll be hooked on Bryce forever afterward.

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Summary: FANTASTIC
Review: This book was fantastic.I laughed and cried all the way through it.Bryce was very honest I thought.He has an impeccable memory for detail which made me really see things how they were.Damons life was short and tragic but his bravery and selflessness awed me.What can i say about Celest....from her not so traditional childhood to her young and not always wonderful relationship with Damon she was always there.Im sure she was a gift from god for the whole family and especially Damon who im sure rested in peace because of her.I felt myself hoping the whole way through the book that a miraculous cure would be found for Damon which would enable these young lovers to grow old together...(even though you know it wont).I read this book 3 times and it made me as emotional every time.Bryces book the Power of One(based on his childhood) is also a wonderful descriptive account of his own life.I reccomend The Power of One...Tandia folloewd by April Fools Day.Read this(especially the end)at home alone snuggled up on a cold winters day....I wouldn't advise reading it on any form of public transport as it is very emotional.

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Summary: One book you will never forget...keep a kleenex handy!
Review: This is BC's non-fiction novel that tells the story of his son Damon - in heart-wrenching detail - about his plight with AIDS. Oh, and lest I forget, AIDS that was injected into him by the Australian medical community, thanks to their lax policies on blood donorship.

For those not up on BC, a short history - BC was under a deadline to produce TANDIA (the "Power of One" sequel), and many fans were lukewarm about Tandia - well, it was because everything you read in 'April Fools day' was going on while he had to finish it!

Back to this novel - it is a must-read for anyone with a curiosity about what a family goes through in the face of tragedy, and one that doesn't mind LIVING through the REAL life drama and frustration of a father and mother doing EVERYTHING they can to save their son dying of a disease. It got this grown man some major lumps in my throat, fists on the table, and some tears here and there - I cannot say that about anything I have ever read before in my life. Bryce really puts all his heart and soul to make you, the reader, feel his anger, pain, helplessness and sorrow about someone you will never know. This is a major literary achievement for one of the most brilliant authors of our time.

As I have said in some of my other BC reviews - it is a shame that he does not get more 'exposure' in the US. My wife and I have read everything he has ever done, and not 1 page is a dud amongst the thousands he has written - and we can name thousands of duds out there right now on your supermarket shelves...

Rating:
Summary: amazing and powerful...but you will cry!
Review: This was strongly recomended to me by my Mum, and as I am still very young I didn't think our taste in books would be the same. I was very wrong! Bryce Courtenay has shown through the story of his son Damon that love and persistance can over come all evil. The thought of your own son not being 'normal' would frighten every parent, especially when you know very little about what is wrong with him. Courtenay allows the reader to experience everything as it is experienced by his family. I love how Courtenay isn't biased towards himself and doesn't make himself out to be some Super Dad. He knows he isn't perfect, just like the rest of us. He tells us about the hard days that he had and he is honest about them. He tells it as it is. I feel the Courtenay family and Celeste(Damon's Girlfriend)are amazing people that deserve all the good that comes to them in life. As I am a lover of true stories I would recomend this to all. And would like to tell you to always have a spare tissue. Not only do you feel the love that each character has for the next, but the hate, shame, and anger that is also felt.