Smoky Joe's Cafe

by Bryce Courtenay

Book Overview

Thommo returns from Vietnam to an Australia that regards him as a mercenary guilty of war crimes. He begins to develop all kinds of physical and mental problems, and thinks it must only be him until... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014029807X
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.1" x 0.7" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

smokey's joes cafe

great received in good order and condition adds to my collection of byrce courtney books thank you very much judy

Smoky Joe's Cafe

This was a great story about a Australian Vietnam vet and his family and friends.

Dear Mr. Courtenay, Marijuana Is NEVER The Answer!!!

This book is about a troubled Vietnam Veteran whose daughter has cancer. Instead of getting a legitimate job and saving hard to finance her much neded operation this guy decides he is going to become a drug dealer and sell marijuana with his buddies!!!No doubt in a couple of years time some of his customers will have graduated to using Heroin but this fact is conveniently overlooked by the author. The message that the author sems to be sending out in this book is that "It is okay to turn to a Life of Crime and Illegal Activity if you have got a good enough reason.This is a very disappointing book by an author who has done much better work in his career as a writer.I give this book 5 stars because the author manages to almost convince the reader that a Life Of Crime is a viable Career Option of you don't have any cash to spare.

A short but sweat look at a not so sweat issue...

Smoky Joe's Café by Bryce Courtney in brief is a story about a Vietnam vet that has to raise marijuana in order to save his young daughter from cancer. The language is full of Australian slang making it a flavorful read. Interesting in relation to this particular war because I had no idea that Australia contributed. It portrays a character that is troubled by the fact that he could never have the respect of his fellow countrymen mixed with a post stress trauma disorder making his story tragic as well as sorrowful. He does not have the opportunity to achieve anything other than this `grow operation'. His wife seems to stick by him through it all and claims to be a vet herself. I think that this is interesting because she claims to have the experience of a vet and yet not have had to actually go to Vietnam. Vicariously achieving some kind of experience is a greater point that I think is trying to be achieved in this story. Something perhaps that people that read this book might get out of it.

Smoky Joe's Cafe

This was a book about Australian Vietnam Vets who get together after several years to discuss their shared horrors, failures, and medical problems. They decide to do something about it, as a unit. The rest is a story that makes you think about how far your frustrations with government inaction on a variety of issues might take you, and what your action would be.Good novel.