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Fortune Cookie
It's the 1960s and the world of advertising is coming alive and it's an exciting world to be part of. Simon Wong, a Chinese-Australian and promising young advertising executive, is sent to Singapore to establish an office.
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First published May 14, 2010
About the author
Bryce Courtenay
67 books2,175 followersArthur Bryce Courtenay, AM was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book The Power of One.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
March 13, 2012
Courtenay does it again! In this excellent historical novel, we enter the life of an Aussie with strong Chinese family ties, as he moves from his home in Oz to work in an advertising firm being created in Singapore. Courtenay draws on his years of experience in advertising and peppers it with his excellent desire to teach the reader about the history of the region. What seems like a book that takes you down one path leads you to many other outcomes as the forks in the road take you to another dimension entirely.
Courtenay paints some of his usual romantic enticement with the main character and has us begging for the two of them to end up together. While spice up the story with the locals (and the struggles of linguistic discrepancies) and some of the historical goings-on during the time, Courtenay pushes the story forward and leaves the reader in the dust, unless they pick up their jaw and forge ahead. Just when you think you know how it will all end, BAM, the major change leaves you tying up all the loose ends and shaking your head. I had to admit, Courtenay drew me in and left me laughing.
Well done Mr. Courtenay. I have yet to find a book of yours I did not adore!
Courtenay paints some of his usual romantic enticement with the main character and has us begging for the two of them to end up together. While spice up the story with the locals (and the struggles of linguistic discrepancies) and some of the historical goings-on during the time, Courtenay pushes the story forward and leaves the reader in the dust, unless they pick up their jaw and forge ahead. Just when you think you know how it will all end, BAM, the major change leaves you tying up all the loose ends and shaking your head. I had to admit, Courtenay drew me in and left me laughing.
Well done Mr. Courtenay. I have yet to find a book of yours I did not adore!
January 17, 2011
I'm intrigued enough to keep going, but I do find the main character - the narrator - annoying. Courtenay requires that the reader maintains the image of an extremely stocky chinese man, which is fine, but then he has to also continually ram in the fact of his (Simon's) Australian-ness. Fourth Generation. Yup I got it, thanks... Simon's as Aussie as they come, he just doesn't look like it and he just can't help but use every corny Aussie expression that ever was even though he just has to keep explaining them to everyone he speaks to. Again and again and again.
Contrived, cliched, corny and condescending. Completely lacking any wit whatsoever. Tediously repetitive running unfunny "jokes" throughout referring jockstraps and bad breath (to cite just two).
The history lessons (which I actually enjoyed very much and, I think, are pretty much the only time the author spent some actual effort with the writing) contained within the book notwithstanding, it's been written for readers who really hate to think.
He also spends so much time and energy repeating in various ways the notion that he Respects Women Enormously. To such a degree that I actually don't think he does and, having now Googled the question, I find that I may just be correct.
I've read 2 of Courtenays previous novels and April Fools Day(which had me blubbering in all the right places) even though the novels were almost as contrived, cliched etc. as this one. But it's the first time I find myself actively disliking the author.
Am I older and wiser or simply old and bitter?
Contrived, cliched, corny and condescending. Completely lacking any wit whatsoever. Tediously repetitive running unfunny "jokes" throughout referring jockstraps and bad breath (to cite just two).
The history lessons (which I actually enjoyed very much and, I think, are pretty much the only time the author spent some actual effort with the writing) contained within the book notwithstanding, it's been written for readers who really hate to think.
He also spends so much time and energy repeating in various ways the notion that he Respects Women Enormously. To such a degree that I actually don't think he does and, having now Googled the question, I find that I may just be correct.
I've read 2 of Courtenays previous novels and April Fools Day(which had me blubbering in all the right places) even though the novels were almost as contrived, cliched etc. as this one. But it's the first time I find myself actively disliking the author.
Am I older and wiser or simply old and bitter?
January 30, 2011
I think I need to start off this review by saying that this novel is quite different from the other books I’ve read by Bryce Courtenay (I haven’t read all of them though). He is most well-known for his Australian historical books (such as The Story of Danny Dunn, The Potato Factory) but this book is a departure from those.
Why? For starters, this book is set in the 1960s and very little of the action takes place in Australia. The majority is set in Singapore, just after Lee Kwan Yew came to power with the PAP. The protagonist, Simon Koo is an Australian born Chinese (his family arrived during the gold rush in the 1850s) and he is the most Chinese looking of all of his family (in fact, he is often referred to as looking like a ‘Chinese peasant’ – well-built and not the prettiest). He speaks little Cantonese and although he harbours dreams of becoming an artist, he works in advertising.
Sent to Singapore as creative director of a new multinational advertising company, Simon finds his path is fraught with obstacles. He needs to learn the Chinese idea of ‘face’, battle his bosses and try to support his alcoholic half-day colleague, Dansford Drocker. There’s a little of the Mad Men touch here as advertising campaigns are explained. Fortunately, Simon has a friend and eventually lover in Mercy B. Lord but there are problems in that area too. Where does Mercy B. Lord disappear to on Thursdays? Why is she so secretive?
There’s a lot of interesting snippets too about the reform of Singapore as well as Chinese-Australian history. You don’t see a lot of the Singapore that exists today apart from The Raffles and Goodwood Park Hotel (which I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t yet been into). The characters are fantastic too, from Molly Ong (former Miss Singapore) to Dansford and his wife, Chicken Wing and Willy Wonka. There’s also a character called Louie da Fly, a reference to Mortein’s own advertising campaign for Louie the Fly which Bryce Courtnenay wrote himself.
The ending of this book was fantastic – didn’t see that one coming! I read this quickly, it’s a book to be devoured in big chunks. As a Singapore lover, I enjoyed the references to the hotels, humidity and food. I’ll definitely be looking for the ghosts of Dansford at the Goodwood!
I’d be interested to know if this book will be published in Singapore and what Singaporeans think of it.
Why? For starters, this book is set in the 1960s and very little of the action takes place in Australia. The majority is set in Singapore, just after Lee Kwan Yew came to power with the PAP. The protagonist, Simon Koo is an Australian born Chinese (his family arrived during the gold rush in the 1850s) and he is the most Chinese looking of all of his family (in fact, he is often referred to as looking like a ‘Chinese peasant’ – well-built and not the prettiest). He speaks little Cantonese and although he harbours dreams of becoming an artist, he works in advertising.
Sent to Singapore as creative director of a new multinational advertising company, Simon finds his path is fraught with obstacles. He needs to learn the Chinese idea of ‘face’, battle his bosses and try to support his alcoholic half-day colleague, Dansford Drocker. There’s a little of the Mad Men touch here as advertising campaigns are explained. Fortunately, Simon has a friend and eventually lover in Mercy B. Lord but there are problems in that area too. Where does Mercy B. Lord disappear to on Thursdays? Why is she so secretive?
There’s a lot of interesting snippets too about the reform of Singapore as well as Chinese-Australian history. You don’t see a lot of the Singapore that exists today apart from The Raffles and Goodwood Park Hotel (which I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t yet been into). The characters are fantastic too, from Molly Ong (former Miss Singapore) to Dansford and his wife, Chicken Wing and Willy Wonka. There’s also a character called Louie da Fly, a reference to Mortein’s own advertising campaign for Louie the Fly which Bryce Courtnenay wrote himself.
The ending of this book was fantastic – didn’t see that one coming! I read this quickly, it’s a book to be devoured in big chunks. As a Singapore lover, I enjoyed the references to the hotels, humidity and food. I’ll definitely be looking for the ghosts of Dansford at the Goodwood!
I’d be interested to know if this book will be published in Singapore and what Singaporeans think of it.
March 15, 2017
waaaa, terrible. I had to stop reading after finishing 2/3 because I. Just. Could. Not. Anymore. And I ALWAYS!!! finish the books I read (it's basic respect to the author, if you ask me). The book goes on forever, the characters are tedious, the setting is dull and... I can't even find the words to describe it right.
The only reason I went on so far because I wanted to find out what happened to Mercy B. Lord. And I still want to know. Can someone tell me?
The only reason I went on so far because I wanted to find out what happened to Mercy B. Lord. And I still want to know. Can someone tell me?
November 6, 2011
This is a tricky one to review. On one side this was a great story with great characters. On the other hand the Courtenay clearly isn't a fan of brevity. In fact in this book he gave brevity a running kick to the nuts. This book could (should) have been a third shorter. Some of the descriptions were agonising, and yet I finished it in just over a week, so really I must have enjoyed it :)
December 30, 2014
I am audible book addict, and this is why listening to a good narrator is vital to me. I think the main reason that I listen to Bryce Courtenay's books is that Humphrey Bower remains one of my favorite narrators. He makes the story interesting, just by all his different voices and accents. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book, but I did. I found the history of Singapore, the Chinese, the reformation to be quite interesting. I got a little tired of hearing Simon referring to himself as ugly (flat-faced, build like a trunk... yadda, yadda, yadda). Okay, I get it. But that was minor. The ending had a great twist or two. I found myself going on a marathon "listen" to get to the end of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and now I'm off to find another one of Mr. Courtenay's stories to listen to, bless his soul.
Read
August 28, 2016Abandoned it about 200 pages in. The narrator's voice didn't capture me the way it did in his novel The Power of One, which I liked a lot. And because the narrator summarizes a lot, I found myself craving more scenes, more action, not just his talking at me. Of course if the voice was captivating, I wouldn't have minded.
September 22, 2018
Looking back on a book I've read, I tend to remember most clearly the ways it disappointed me. This has troubled me to some degree because this book in particular deserves a stellar review, with much praise paid to the intricate characters and its wonderfully realized world, praise for Bryce Courtenay's skill with suspense and the seamless way his story progresses. And yet, these achievements are overshadowed in my mind by the feeling that he just gave up while writing the final chapters. As I sat and listened (my book being read by Humphrey Bower), I had a vision for what the ending could have been: somehow, Guanxi, would prove to have poetic justice in store for the Wing brothers whom thought so much of it. But, Bryce Courtenay is a down-to-earth writer. Poetic justice in his stories is often only a character's passing fancy. In his stories reality is often more mundane than fiction.
November 23, 2011
Ah Koo, the lone survivor of his ancient family and great-great-grandfather of the book’s protagonist, Simon Koo, flees his home in China during the Taiping Rebellion and begins a new life in the gold fields of 1850′s Australia. Through hard work and perseverance, Ah Koo eventually acquires a bit of land (10 acres of plundered cedar beside a permanently running creek), a Chinese wife named Little Sparrow (thanks to an arrangement with the headman of his village in China, of whom he requested that she should be strong and willing to work and must come from a lucky family with a reputation for predominantly male offspring), and a full set of carpenter’s chisels.
Little Sparrow’s recurring dream and it’s subsequent interpretations left me cold and had me wondering if I was going to finish reading this book. Unless it’s sci-fi, dream sequences and premonitions or anything not grounded in reality (yeah, I know, it’s my reality – your mileage may vary) usually indicate a lazy author who doesn’t know how to stay in control of their storyline. So at this point I’m thinking maybe a 2-star rating.
As the story continues Ah Koo and his new bride set about creating the beginnings of what soon becomes a familial dynasty of lawyers, doctors and businessmen.
Fast forward a few generations to the 1960′s where Simon, who wants to be his own man and prove himself, is reluctant to go to work for any of the family businesses. Instead, he says goodbye to Australia and his well-to-do family and finds employment in Singapore as an advertising executive for Wing Brothers Advertising, a terrible trio of odd and crooked brothers.
Things pick up as we are introduced to Singapore, the squeeze and the culture of the Orient (where saving face is valued more than money) and meet a cast of interesting new characters.
While Simon is busy learning the ins and outs of Singapore’s advertising world and becoming more aware by the day of the Wing Brothers peculiarities, he meets the impeccably beautiful, and seemingly unobtainable, Miss Mercy B. Lord. What a great name for a gorgeous woman, eh? That alone merits a bump up in the ratings—3 stars! Simon is quickly warned by the Wing Brothers, in no uncertain terms, to stay away from Miss Mercy B. Lord, but it’s too late. He has already fallen in love with her.
As Simon and Mercy begin to hook up, also very much against the sternly expressed desires of Mercy’s fearsome boss, Beatrice Fong, who, evidently, has it within her power to make life miserable for Mercy, things begin to heat up. It turns out that Mercy and Beatrice have a mysterious secret which Mercy is keeping from Simon and the rest of us. It’s a secret that could put an end to Simon and Mercy’s budding romance, and Mercy puts it to Simon just that way—accept her as she is and ask no questions or she will leave and he will never see her again.
Fortune Cookie was my introduction to Bryce Courtenay. I like the way he writes and I’m looking forward to reading more of his books. I initially rated the book at 3-stars. It wasn’t until a few days later that I decided I really liked it and bumped it up to 4-stars. Strange how that happens sometimes.
Little Sparrow’s recurring dream and it’s subsequent interpretations left me cold and had me wondering if I was going to finish reading this book. Unless it’s sci-fi, dream sequences and premonitions or anything not grounded in reality (yeah, I know, it’s my reality – your mileage may vary) usually indicate a lazy author who doesn’t know how to stay in control of their storyline. So at this point I’m thinking maybe a 2-star rating.
As the story continues Ah Koo and his new bride set about creating the beginnings of what soon becomes a familial dynasty of lawyers, doctors and businessmen.
Fast forward a few generations to the 1960′s where Simon, who wants to be his own man and prove himself, is reluctant to go to work for any of the family businesses. Instead, he says goodbye to Australia and his well-to-do family and finds employment in Singapore as an advertising executive for Wing Brothers Advertising, a terrible trio of odd and crooked brothers.
Things pick up as we are introduced to Singapore, the squeeze and the culture of the Orient (where saving face is valued more than money) and meet a cast of interesting new characters.
While Simon is busy learning the ins and outs of Singapore’s advertising world and becoming more aware by the day of the Wing Brothers peculiarities, he meets the impeccably beautiful, and seemingly unobtainable, Miss Mercy B. Lord. What a great name for a gorgeous woman, eh? That alone merits a bump up in the ratings—3 stars! Simon is quickly warned by the Wing Brothers, in no uncertain terms, to stay away from Miss Mercy B. Lord, but it’s too late. He has already fallen in love with her.
As Simon and Mercy begin to hook up, also very much against the sternly expressed desires of Mercy’s fearsome boss, Beatrice Fong, who, evidently, has it within her power to make life miserable for Mercy, things begin to heat up. It turns out that Mercy and Beatrice have a mysterious secret which Mercy is keeping from Simon and the rest of us. It’s a secret that could put an end to Simon and Mercy’s budding romance, and Mercy puts it to Simon just that way—accept her as she is and ask no questions or she will leave and he will never see her again.
Fortune Cookie was my introduction to Bryce Courtenay. I like the way he writes and I’m looking forward to reading more of his books. I initially rated the book at 3-stars. It wasn’t until a few days later that I decided I really liked it and bumped it up to 4-stars. Strange how that happens sometimes.
March 9, 2012
Bryce Courtenay is without a doubt my favourite author but this book was a disappointment. I got tired of hearing about the fact that in spite of the main character being short and stocky he was considered a good lover. Tell us once...perhaps twice, but for goodness sake, don't insult the reader by telling us over and over! I actually found myself skipping over some pages which for me is most unusual. I think in this case Mr. Courtenay committed the dreaded sin against which Elmore Leonard cautions: to leave out the boring parts [sic].
I'm still a Bryce Courtenay fan, and I will read this book again and hopefully enjoy it more the second time. I tend to gobble them up the first read - have read ALL of his books (except The Family Frying Pan, which I can't get) three or four times!
I'm still a Bryce Courtenay fan, and I will read this book again and hopefully enjoy it more the second time. I tend to gobble them up the first read - have read ALL of his books (except The Family Frying Pan, which I can't get) three or four times!
February 27, 2012
I loved this book. It was a little slow going but it made it all the better. The characters are lively and engaging. You get caught in the story and find yourself relishing the exotic time travel experience offered.
There is a mix of plausible, incredible and totally possible that makes this book stand out...Maybe I am going to be hated when I say this but it's almost the feeling I get when I read a James Bond novel, except that I appreciate it a lot more because I don't spend a quarter of the read scoffing at some of the stuff the main character does.
There is a mix of plausible, incredible and totally possible that makes this book stand out...Maybe I am going to be hated when I say this but it's almost the feeling I get when I read a James Bond novel, except that I appreciate it a lot more because I don't spend a quarter of the read scoffing at some of the stuff the main character does.
July 17, 2012
As with many of his later books I find I want him to get on with it and not digress so much. I loved his first books and am still hooked after The Power of One and The Potato Factory, the first of his trilogy. There were many interesting details of Asian cultural ways and thinking in this book but the characters lacked somehow. This said, I am still always waiting for another of his books to appear.
May 3, 2014
My first Bryce Courtney book and I loved it. Have been to Singapore and could relate to the place and also the time frame of the 1960's.
December 11, 2014
The story is easy to read. There are some repetitions here and there, but overall a pleasant novel masterfully portraying the intricacies of dealing with a foreign culture.
March 3, 2018
The novel is told from the point of view of Simon Koo a adverting specialist who moves to Singapore. He falls for a mysterious, forbidden fruit of a woman name Mercy B. Lord.
Fortune Cookie was a frustrating read. Glad I read it and finished it. But I do take umbrage regarding the way the story was told. Simon’s quest isn’t the most interesting and events play out around him, happen to other people or despite him. It’s a problem I have with a beloved Dickens novel so Bryce Courtney is in good company in this regard.
Okay it’s called Fortune Cookie, this ordinary person bites into his has no idea what he is in for. Sure, it can be suspenseful to be fed bread crumbs about what is going on but series of revelations near the end felt like late exposition. I never felt the character had plunged to the depths of hell to complete his heroes journey. Not every character has to become a badass and fight Darth Vader at the end but I felt this was a story problem that hadn’t been solved rather than an informed creative choice.
I will read Bryce Courtenay again, ‘Power of One’ I hear is awesome, but this felt too slight to be fulfilling.
Fortune Cookie was a frustrating read. Glad I read it and finished it. But I do take umbrage regarding the way the story was told. Simon’s quest isn’t the most interesting and events play out around him, happen to other people or despite him. It’s a problem I have with a beloved Dickens novel so Bryce Courtney is in good company in this regard.
Okay it’s called Fortune Cookie, this ordinary person bites into his has no idea what he is in for. Sure, it can be suspenseful to be fed bread crumbs about what is going on but series of revelations near the end felt like late exposition. I never felt the character had plunged to the depths of hell to complete his heroes journey. Not every character has to become a badass and fight Darth Vader at the end but I felt this was a story problem that hadn’t been solved rather than an informed creative choice.
I will read Bryce Courtenay again, ‘Power of One’ I hear is awesome, but this felt too slight to be fulfilling.
March 26, 2019
I found this book a little bit slow at the beginning, but when I looked back later, it was handy to have been given the historical perspective! Once the action started, there was no stopping it!!!
Simon Koo ( an Aussie with Chinese heritage) goes to work in Singapore for an advertising agency.
He falls completely in love with a woman called Mercy B. Lord (named so because when, as an orphan, she was found on the orphanage steps by a nun who exclaimed "Mercy be Lord"!!!)
He is warned off this beautiful woman in no uncertain terms, but he takes little notice.
Mercy disappears every Thursday, and vehemently refuses to tell Simon where she goes and why.
Simon and Mercy are under the power of very influential people and their lives are, at times, in danger.
People it seems are not always who you think they are!
The ending is action-packed and, as the reader, you never know what will happen next!
I highly recommend this book by the master storyteller Bryce Courtney!
Simon Koo ( an Aussie with Chinese heritage) goes to work in Singapore for an advertising agency.
He falls completely in love with a woman called Mercy B. Lord (named so because when, as an orphan, she was found on the orphanage steps by a nun who exclaimed "Mercy be Lord"!!!)
He is warned off this beautiful woman in no uncertain terms, but he takes little notice.
Mercy disappears every Thursday, and vehemently refuses to tell Simon where she goes and why.
Simon and Mercy are under the power of very influential people and their lives are, at times, in danger.
People it seems are not always who you think they are!
The ending is action-packed and, as the reader, you never know what will happen next!
I highly recommend this book by the master storyteller Bryce Courtney!
November 3, 2024
Protagonist Simon Koo is presented to us as a successful fourth-generation Australian who takes up work in an advertising agency in Singapore in the period when the island country began its transformation under Lee Kuan Yew. Simon is an engaging character, a creative whose actions reveal his independent thinking as he encounters the machinations of a culture that adheres to saving face as a business norm. The personal narrative is engaging, though I found the ending a little tame. What most captured my attention, though, was the thread of political history in the making, as Singapore was being transformed into the world-class city it became during Lee Kuan Yew's period as its prime minister.
July 25, 2017
Courtenay is a wonderful storyteller. I was first introduced to him with "Jack of Diamonds" and "Power of One", both of which I loved. Wasn't as crazy about "Jessica" but still a good read. This was better, probably a 4-1/2, which I've rounded up. He loves self-deprecating, capable and decent heroes. Main complaint is that the book description on the jacket cover was a spoiler, giving info that didn't emerge until near the end of the book.
June 27, 2018
I'm a huge fan of Bryce Courtenay and this book is no exception. Well written, and exceedingly well-researched. A novel about Singapore, the Chinese way of thinking and doing business, and the history of both the Chinese gold diggers in Australia, the Chinese in Singapore, and what happened in Singapore, and to the Chinese during the Second World War. A truly wonderful novel filled with exceptional characters.
September 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, fast moving and engaging. Simon Koo son and heir to the Koo fortune decides to move to Singapore to start a creative department for an advertising agency. A young girl is there to meet him at the airport and be his guide for his first two weeks in the city. Simon is smitten and soon finds Ms Mercy B Lord is so much more than she seems, so is the agency. Excellent novel.
January 17, 2023
One of the most boring books I have ever read. The blurb on the inside cover talks about the main character saving his girlfriend from the human trafficking trade but apart from a few pages at the end, this does not come into the story at all. The main character is admirable but the other characters are less than ordinary and the story is confusing with too many minor characters that are not easily explained. Definitely pass.
November 11, 2017
My second Courtney book and it was an ok read. Too long and too much repetition. The story line was set in Australia and Singapore. Rich Chinese Australian kid goes to Singapore to work as a creative director in an Ad agency. Triads, drug, human trafficking is included here. As Courtney is well known for his research, this story doesn't fail on that score.
October 9, 2017
A decent story well told, but one would expect no less from the author of The Power of One. I wouldn't go so far as to say, "excellent" or recommend it to my book club, but it's worth reading if only for insights into a bit of Asian history.
January 6, 2020
There are some great bits in this book, but there is also a lot of unnecessary repetition. If it's the writer's job to create the brilliant stock for the editor to carve down to a brilliant novel, then this book was let down by the editor not the writer.
September 1, 2020
A very slow starting book but by the end I didn't want it to finish.
Gives a really good insight to the Chinese establishments.
Oh what money can buy and how peoples lives can change so quickly.
Would recommend if you want a little culture experience
Gives a really good insight to the Chinese establishments.
Oh what money can buy and how peoples lives can change so quickly.
Would recommend if you want a little culture experience
March 16, 2022
This has got to be his worst book with more characters you feel no empathy with. It started out as a typical family saga and 400 pages in turns into a spy novel. What the? I really hate how he appropriates historical events and makes his characters the most important thing in them.
January 24, 2025
Unlike a number of reviewers, I really enjoyed this book. I found the main character really engaging and likeable. I also enjoyed the history lesson about Singapore as it under went change. This was a bit different and I always enjoy that.
April 21, 2018
Very much enjoyed this book.
August 30, 2019
Really well written, and a good sense of time and place but I didn’t really connect with the characters that much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews