Note: I've now read The Fisherman five times, including two audio book listens. It's simply one of the best books I've ever read. I absolutely love it. My book club read it (they all loved it) and below is a mix of my original take on it, as well as a take on my book club's thoughts.
Our book club read this book this summer. There were eight persons in attendance, ages 32 to 43, of varying backgrounds and lifestyles. We rate books on aspects such as quality, readability, likability, and overall book club cred (discussion, games, themes). This book rated our second highest scored read of all time. The book club absolutely loved this read… perhaps adored is a better word. There was just so much to discuss. The most common feedback was that this book is an absolute FEAST for the imagination. We were wild with it. The discussion was rapid, excited, and deep. We could have easily gone on for several more hours, but time ran short. What surprised everyone is that this genre (the horror/fantasy aspect) is not our usual taste (we love contemporary thrillers and literary pieces) but somehow it just worked for everyone, including the most select of us. We fell down the rabbit hole on this one, shooting literary references back and forth that we found within the pages. Folklore, mythology, religion, and of course the classics…. The list could go on and on. But it’s not a pretentious read. The story is very natural and smooth, with word play, wit, and references just beneath the surface. We loved pretty much all of the characters. I feel like I cannot do this book justice, but here are some of my personal thoughts down below.
I always add book club triggers to these reviews. To avoid spoiler issues, it’s at the very bottom of this review. Please scroll down if you have concerns about this book in a discussion setting.
Personal notes as a reader:
Rarely do I become so obsessed with a book. I am in love with The Fisherman, and have been thinking about it near constantly. Looking at good and bad reviews, it seems like some negative reviews focus on the "story within a story" aspect of this novel. So it's no spoiler to share from the top that this book has two tales in it: the current day story of Abe and Dan, two widowers who find friendship and a mutual love of fishing together, as well as a complete backstory and history of both the region and The Fisherman. These two stories are about equal in length. If you go into this expecting this story to simply be Dan and Abe's story, you could be frustrated. I personally loved the "backstory" portion of this book and I almost wish the description of the novel was clearer in this aspect. I was also pleased that the story didn't go back and forth between times as these stories often do (The Winter People, The Chalk Man, Bring Me Back, etc.). It's a common enough trope to tell a story this way, but it was refreshing to try something new. It basically allows the backstory to roll out in one long narrative, completely enrapturing. I supposed the irony of the Fish Tale may have escaped some (or perhaps, they got the joke, but didn't find it funny) but the middle yarn wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining if it didn't channel the concept of a Fish Tale - perhaps one of the biggest you'll read.
Although I adored this love letter to Melville (my heart be still) as an examination of the pasteboard mask (and indeed, I feel like Langen succeeded at punching through a wall between our void and the next) as well as the white whale and Leviathan, I was far more enraptured by the love letter to Lovecraft. I was obsessed with Lovecraft when I was younger, and this novel brought back so much joy and imagination to my adult heart. I haven't felt so carried away by fantasy since I was much younger, when this type of macabre seemed real, when magic seemed like a possibility. My cynical adult mind enjoys fantasy in novels with the Knowing that it's simply not real - like watching a horror movie but seeing the cowl edge in the mask, knowing it's only silicon and red paint. I love horror and fantasy, but I'm too skeptical at this point to be taken away. The Fisherman, in all its glory, was the first book I've read in years that I literally forgot my surroundings and was transported to a fantastical world where anything seemed possible. The child inside of my heart was terrified, excited, thrilled, sad, amazed.... and for that I gave this book the full amount of stars. I found myself quite literally in this magical place.
Triggers: Please do not read if you do not want spoilers. The purpose of this review is, again, as a candidate for a book club setting. I used to get asked a lot about discussion “triggers” (concepts that could cause harm a person in discussion if not handled properly). This particular book has a single topic that comes to mind that could present a trigger issue. This book is about widowership. There are at least half a dozen different explorations of men being widowed. Not only the two main characters, but many of the side characters, including the villain and his sponsor. To be completely honest, and though there was at least more than one person there who could relate to this trigger, not a single person was affected in a negative way and, in fact, thought the exploration was beautiful and elegant. This is also not a huge spoiler as the concept is laid out right away, within the first few chapters. Otherwise, this book handles many of the common tropes in horror and fantasy... death, magic, religion, etc.
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Cosmic/Water Horror that evokes a feel of creeping unease throughout. This will go down as a modern classic.
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L
Amazing
Reviewed in India on August 13, 2019
L
Reviewed in India on August 13, 2019
And this edition has the most wonderful book cover i have ever seen...period
Go buy it...you won’t regret it
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