Customer Reviews

Fisher's Hornpipe

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to second (third? fourth?) the other reviewers with five stars and a huzzah for this delightful book, which I first read some 14 years ago and several times since. The protagonist Fisher is a lovely, pleasant creation who gets into the unlikeliest scrapes which will indeed make the reader laugh out loud. Watch for yuppie Alison and her red pen. Anyone who knows Boston and Cambridge will recognize many of the eateries and watering holes presented in thin disguise (unless they've closed since I lived there). If this book is and remains out of print, this is a crime!

I have to agree with all of the other rave reviews here. Fisher's Hornpipe is one of the funniest books I've ever read. When it first came out, I was working at a bookstore and when I saw it on the shelf I started reading it on my lunch break. Had to buy it, told all of my friends about it and we all thought this was the start of a major career for Mr. McEwen. Sadly, I've not seen another book by him. It's a shame this book has been let to go out-of-print. I urge you to do an out-of-print search for a trip through New England that you will NEVER forget.

I'm always hoping to find a book as funny as this one. The only other book I know at all like it is "A Confederacy of Dunces", but this one is a bit more succinct. One of my favorite books. Especially funny if your life seems to be crashing down around you and you suspect everyone is out to get you. I have discovered I have large sections of it memorized, but I still laugh out loud when I read them.

I also read this book about 5 years ago on the recommendation of a friend, and have been recommending it to others ever since. It truly is laugh aloud funny, which is rare for me. Though I've never been to Boston, I KNOW those commune granolas from living in Seattle for 10 years... Any time I find a copy of this book in a used bookstore I buy it and send it along to another friend. While I'm not terribly satisfied with the last 15 pages or so, the rest of the novel more than makes up for what seemed like a little trouble from the author in ending the story. I've been hoping for years that Todd McEwen would write another novel. Let's hope this one gets a 2nd print, at least.

A friend told me to read Fisher's Hornpipe. I did. It's a quiet classic, an eloquent satire on life, liberty and a small town called Boston. I still can't figure out why the popular media didn't embrace this novel and shout about it. Some of Todd McEwen's finest short works can be found in older issues of Granta, and keep your eyes open for another novel. It should be out in the coming months. McEwen's style excels when he looks at life from the extreme view. He is perhaps one of the greatest stylists today.

This first novel of Todd McEwan's is a stylistic tour de force, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is truly a shame that the book has gone out of print -- if it is ever rediscovered it has the potential of becoming an American classic. The book follows the cranky antics of its protagonist, William Fishers, as he fumbles through his disastrous relationships with work, women, Boston, and Guinness Stout. A cutting satire on political correctness, Yuppies, and American life

I first learned of Todd McEwen through his short stories (Granta Magazine most frequently) and enjoyed his style so much that I was compelled to find all that he'd written. Amazon found the out of print "Fisher's Hornpipe" and sent it to me before a train trip to Boston (how appropos) --and I laughed the entire time. Fisher is a loveable, likeable character who charmed me into reading late into the night. The unique form Mr. McEwen chose (sans punctuation) adds to the fun. If you have a sense of humor that borders on the odd...you'll like this. Just beware if you start talking to your pens!