Blues [Hardcover]

John Hersey (Author), James Baker (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 1987

The pleasures of a summer's bluefishing off Martha's Vineyard are marvelously evoked as John Hersey reflects upon the angler's art, wonders of the teeming oceans where fish and fisherman confront each other, and the web of interdependence they share. 14 drawings.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

They meet by chance on a dock at Martha's Vineyarda young man and an old fisherman on his way to catch bluefish for dinner. With some reluctance, the stranger accepts the fisherman's invitation to join him; over the summer, a new world opens to the stranger. Hersey (Hiroshima, A Bell for Adano discourses with eloquence on the natural history of bluefish, Vineyard Sound, wind and weather. The stranger and fisherman go out 12 times between June and October, observing fish, birds and fish migrations. On each return, the fisherman prepares the bluefish a different way. In the course of conversation the two recall poets who have written about fish and the seafrom Homer and John Donne to Elizabeth Bishop and John Ciardi. Readersespecially fishermen and naturalistswho can surmount the artificial framework will find this a rewarding book. Illustrations. BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This book about fishing for bluefish off the coast of Cape Cod features a wide array of information about that one group of fish, but not in straightforward fashion. It is written in the form of fictional conversations between the "fisherman" and "the stranger," who discuss everything from the blues' mating habits to recipes for preparing them. They also cover sea lore, fishing, and ecology, with frequent references to literature and poetry. Unfortunately, this "dialogue" has serious drawbacks. Exclamations like "Hold it! There's a fish on my line!" seem contrived, and the extended explanations of scientific theory do not ring true. Despite the array of facts and reflections offered here by Pulitzer Prize-winner Hersey, the artificial presentation makes it difficult to recommend the title for most libraries. Susan Klimley, Columbia Univ. Libs.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf; 1st edition (April 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394559606
• ISBN-13: 978-0394559605
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,785,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There's something fishy about this book, May 10, 2001

By 

Andrew Needel "Henway" (Chatham, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues (Paperback)

This book was given to me late last summer after I had pulled a blue out of the waters of Chatham, Ma.. I am a year rounder on Cape Cod, but I hadn't caught a fish since I was a boy. I was positively giddy for days. The blues are a mean spirited fish. They'll bite a hook with no bait on it when they're feeding. Anyhow, I caught me a fighter (my tale is growing as I type!).

A week or two later, my birthday rolled around and I was given a copy of this book to whet my newfound appetite for angling. I read the book over the course of the winter, a chapter here, a chapter there.

Hersey's portrayal of a summer's worth of fishing trips with The Fisherman and The Stranger is charming, informative & humorous. I learned more than I think I'll ever get to employ about snatching a blue. The notion of the sea's natural progression through the seasons is held dear to The Fisherman.

The narrative format seemed a bit of a stretch at times. The Fisherman's long, fact-filled, oceanic diatribes were hardly conversational. I found myself shrugging this off easily though and accepting the info for what it was.

I guess it would be nice to have the time to fish everyday. Alas, I live a minute from the beach and can rarely find the time to enjoy it. The book inspired me to get back out there this summer and catch me another blue. This time it's going to be a maneater!

If you enjoy the sea, and the life within, you'll learn a little something by reading this book. Happy fishing...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A celebration of life and nature, July 18, 2001

By 

George P. Shadroui (Memphis, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues (Paperback)

John Hersey's book is a treasure. It is conceived as a series of conversations between an accomplished fisherman and a stranger, who, in the beginning at least, is predisposed to dislike fishing as a brutal pastime. But Hersey, page by page, chapter by chapter, lures the stranger (and the reader) into the deep mysteries of the sea and the complex world of ocean life that so many of us take for granted. The detail about the habits of fish, particularly the bluefish, is fascinating, but this is also a celebration of life and the way that man and sea are inter-dependent. Without being sentimental, Hersey teaches us what it is to love oceans, fresh air, and even the brutal cycles of life. If that is not enough, the book is sprinkled with anecdotes, poetry and recipes. A book that cannot but help you appreciate our oceans and John Hersey's skills as a writer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A wee fishing book!, March 16, 2005

By 

M. T. Guzman "squeakychu" (Rockville, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues (Paperback)

A fisherman takes a stranger out bluefishing along the shore of Massachusetts. On his boat Spray, the fisherman explains to his guest the habits of bluefish, fishing tips, species of native flora and fuana, problems with invasion of non-native species of sea-plants, and chemical pollution. After each fishing trip, they both go back to the fisherman's house where the fisherman's wife prepares a different fish dinner (with recipes included for the reader). Each chapter of this book is followed by a fish-related poem, most of which are too dense for me to enoy.

For people who love fishing, this is a great little book. It offers new insights into a sport we love. The pace of the book is slow, though. For an action-packed adventure, this is not the book to read. However, it does contain a wealth of information. It's the perfect book to leave cozily tucked away for visitors of a beach cottage to find.