Customer Reviews

Jack Fish: A Novel

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

 

 

High-powered, hip and funny and definately the best book I have ever read about a novice, water-breathing assasin from the lost city of Atlantis let loose in Manhattan.

I don't know who this guy is but I hope he starts writing more books pronto.

A funny, lively, frenetic sci-fi novel chock full of frequently easy and occasionally clever satire, imaginative action sequences, and highly colorful, amusing characters whose brilliant idiosyncracies go a long way towards offsetting the hurried feel of the writing (was this one of those 'write a 50,000 word novel in a month' projects?)and the sudden sensation of incompleteness that the reader experiences upon realizing that the book ends halfway down page 216 (are we being set up for a sequel?). Jack Fish is a trained asassin from the sunken city of Atlantis cast ashore on Coney Island. What follows is like a drunken pastiche of Douglas Adams excerpts, reruns of "Third Rock from the Sun", hit or miss attempts at Vonnegut-style wit, and spoofy, pomo takes on the genre of seedy, urban noir. Highly entertaining, embarrasingly hip, and perfect for the Mcsweeny's generation, this is a novel to save for the beach or your next three-hour layover. You won't regret reading it but, depending on your tastes and/or literary pretensions, you may feel a little disgusted with yourself for enjoying it. Whatever though, this is the 21st century man, why not narrow your horizons a bit? Read gluttonously and purge shortly thereafter, lest you unwittingly sell your (wholly metaphorical) soul to the raging bandwagoneers of the post "Infinite Jest" literary anti-establishment. Peace.

I have literally read this book three times. And each time it has gotten better. I don't mean that it "seemed" better. I mean it actually got better!

Try it for yourself. I can't wait to review more books by J Milligan.

J Milligan opens his debut novel with the emergence of the most inept assassin ever. Agent Jack Fish is sent to the Topworld as an operative of the government of Atlantis. His mission is to kill a rogue agent, and it isn't as easy as they said at the secret agent academy. Jack finds himself caught up in the mad hustle of the boroughs of New York as he tries to assimilate with the natives and locate his target. Now, if only he can get the breathing air part down.

Milligan's humor is raw and irreverent. He speaks to the young urbanites of today, and if you don't understand their lingo, you just might be lost. His imagination is tremendous as he effortlessly contrasts the sometimes seamy denizens of performance art, raves, mosh pits, and crowd surfing to the preppy, sleek Barney's-clad young corporate-types in the glass towers.

JACK FISH sparkles with fluid, descriptive passages that would stir envy among more seasoned authors. Milligan's characterization is excellent; each voice is dynamic and unique. The plot falls a little flat at the end which is a minor disappointment after the distinctive style and charisma that flows through the rest of the book, but it is nevertheless a quick and entertaining read.

Reviewed by Kim Anderson Ray
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Jack Fish starts off with a good premise, but it doesn't pan out. There's lots of promising characters and concepts, but they never come together.

The novel falls short because Jack is a passive character. He's nowhere near as compelling or funny as the weird characters he meets along the way.

Some of the weirdness is a lot of fun, while other elements seem forced.

At its worst, the book reads like the first draft of an author's first novel. What's supposed to be a "love letter" to New York feels empty (It's 2005 and the author has characters using tokens instead of Metrocards. Small detail, but it's an example of the little things that don't work in this flawed novel.)

Hilarious and poignant. This story is really a backdrop to yet another author's love story to his city, New York. However, this story was completed without the typical superiority that usually comes across in this type of novel, which makes it less than fun for those of us who do not live in Manhattan. Unlike many of his peers, Milligan took potshots at problems in NY - the bridge & tunnel attitude by Manhattanites, issues with the G train, etc. And all of this was done with such hilarity that you could tell he did not take himself too seriously.

On to the plot. Jack Fish is a spy from Atlantis sent to NY to assasinate a rogue agent. Jack is about as deep as my kitchen sink, which worked well, as Milligan did not try to force any phony character development on us. The story focuses on Jack's quest to become a decent agent, his incompetence, as well as his never-ending quest to get laid.

The ending has Jack failing at everything and reluctantly going home, not sure what his fate will be. I really didn't enjoy the ending, which is why I have only given this book 4 stars.

Jack Fish is a perfect example of style of substance. The book has funny characters and a great premise, and builds to an exciting conclusion. This, however, is where EVERYTHING goes wrong. The author fails to resolve any single aspect of the story, choosing to leave everything up in the air. It was an utterly unsatisfying way to bring a really promising novel to a close.

This book was absolutely hilarious and a magnificent piece of escapism.
Where's the sequel!?! Has anyone bought the movie rights?

I'd love to read another one. Get to it, J. Milligan!