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Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions Paperback – May 15, 2012

by Daniel Wallace (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,741 ratings
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The classic novel that inspired the beloved Tim Burton film and the Broadway musical.

In his prime, Edward Bloom was an extraordinary man. He could outrun anybody. He never missed a day of school. He saved lives and tamed giants. Animals loved him, people loved him, women loved him. He knew more jokes than any man alive. At least that’s what he told his son, William. But now Edward Bloom is dying, and William wants desperately to know the truth about his elusive father—this indefatigable teller of tall tales—before it’s too late. So, using the few facts he knows, William re-creates Edward’s life in a series of legends and myths, through which he begins to understand his father’s great feats, and his great failings. The result is hilarious and wrenching, tender and outrageous.

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  1. Print length
    196 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 15, 2012
  4. Dimensions
    5.45 x 0.6 x 8.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    9781616201647
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1616201647
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From the Publisher

the classic noval that inspired the beloved broadway musical

big fish, daniel wallace

Big fish, daniel wallace

big fish, daniel wallace

This Isn't Going to End Well: The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew
Big Fish
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars 268
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,741
Price $15.32 $10.07
Also by Daniel Wallace “The exceptional first memoir from Big Fish author Daniel Wallace is loving, honest and haunting… [with] honed prose and hypnotic pacing.”―BookPage The classic novel that inspired the beloved Tim Burton film and the Broadway musical.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A charming whopper of a tale.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune

“Both comic and poignant.” —The New York Times

“Refreshing, original . . . Wallace mixes the mundane and the mythical. His chapters have the transformative quality of fable and fairy tale.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A comic novel about death, about the mysteries of parents and the redemptive power of storytelling.” —USA Today

“An audacious, highly original debut novel . . . An imaginative, and moving, record of a son’s love for a charming, unknowable father.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Back Cover

“A charming whopper of a tale.” ―The San Diego Union-Tribune

In his prime, Edward Bloom was an extraordinary man. He could outrun anybody. He never missed a day of school. He saved lives and tamed giants. Animals loved him, people loved him, women loved him. He knew more jokes than any man alive. At least that’s what he told his son, William. But now Edward Bloom is dying, and William wants desperately to know the truth about his elusive father―this indefatigable teller of tall tales―before it’s too late. So, using the few facts he knows, William re-creates Edward’s life in a series of legends and myths, through which he begins to understand his father’s great feats, and his great failings. The result is hilarious and wrenching, tender and outrageous.

“Refreshing, original . . . Wallace mixes the mundane and the mythical. His chapters have the transformative quality of fable and fairy tale.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A comic novel about death, about the mysteries of parents and the redemptive power of storytelling.” ―USA Today


“Highly original . . . An imaginative, and moving, record of a son’s love for a charming, unknowable father.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1616201649
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Algonquin Books; Reprint edition (May 15, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 196 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781616201647
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616201647
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.45 x 0.6 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,741 ratings

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Daniel Wallace

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,741 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book delightful and engaging, filled with heart and humor that makes them laugh out loud. Moreover, they appreciate its originality and imagination, with one customer noting how it explores different dimensions of life. However, the movie adaptation receives mixed reactions, with several customers noting it's not like the movie. Additionally, the character development receives mixed feedback, though many find the characters enjoyable.

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109 customers mention "Storytelling"109 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling of the book, finding it delightful and a good bedtime read, with one customer noting it provides a respite from serious literature.

"...It is a story about the importance of imagination, the beauty of the human spirit, and the bonds between fathers and sons." Read more

"...A tall tale. The book illustrates well the warped (often in a good way) perception sons have of their fathers-as mythic heroes...." Read more

"...The telling is so lively, you will likely enjoy them anyway. The ending took my breath away. It may be yet another tall tale, but who knows?..." Read more

"One of my favorite books." Read more

36 customers mention "Enjoyment"28 positive8 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and engaging, with lots of laughs throughout, and one customer describes it as heartwarming.

"...Big Fish is a heartwarming and thought-provoking novel that explores the power of storytelling...." Read more

"...unsatisfying and transformed it into a linear story that was delightful and engaging...." Read more

"...Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions is charming and witty. It's fun and easy to read...." Read more

"...I just thought the book wasn't concieved near as much as the movie was, it seemed that Tim Burton put more fore-thought in the movie than Mr...." Read more

28 customers mention "Writing quality"25 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it extremely witty and easy to read, with the novel being full of humor that made them laugh out loud.

"...The novel is full of humor, magic, and adventure...." Read more

"...The book also contains a lot of ancient jokes and wheezes, and you've probably heard them all before, but it doesn't matter...." Read more

"...Indeed, his use of humor and exaggeration, to me, worked in ways parallel to the character of Edward Bloom (the narrator's father), who also uses..." Read more

"...It's fun and easy to read. Being, however, that I'm a more practical type, Edward's tales grew more and more outrageous as the book went on...." Read more

26 customers mention "Emotional content"23 positive3 negative

Customers find the book emotionally rich and insightful, with one customer describing it as a charming recollection of a father's life.

"...The novel also explores the themes of fatherhood, identity, and the importance of storytelling...." Read more

"...book is basically a collection of fantastic incidents, the myths of the father's life...." Read more

"...I loved this book. Wallace's use of the fantastical was both richly metaphorical, and slyly comic, a balance that cut right through my defenses as a..." Read more

"...Nevertheless, Big Fish has a big lesson for men and boys and has excellent writing." Read more

9 customers mention "Imagination"7 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's imagination, with one noting how it explores many different dimensions of life, while another mentions how it adds rich detail to the narrative.

"...there are some lessons to be learned but it is just pure fun and imagination...." Read more

"...There are many different dimensions to our lives for those who love each other, but when it is given to you to receive or leave these understandings..." Read more

"...as Grandma would say. This fits with what life is about." Read more

"...There is very little elaboration or description, just a recounting of outlandish details...." Read more

5 customers mention "Originality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book original and imaginative.

"...The book and its characters are such a joy and so imaginative...." Read more

"...There are some pretty original (and good) stories, and some jokes too that are funny." Read more

"Emotionally resonant and lyrical. Brilliantly structured and original , a beautifully realized slice of larger than life yet personally touching..." Read more

"One of the most unique books I have ever read. Creativity at its finest. Outstanding job. I recommend this book to everyone." Read more

13 customers mention "Movie quality"5 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the movie adaptation of the book, with several noting that it doesn't match the source material.

"The story itself is fine, but it was so different from the film, which I had already and loved so much and the way Edward was written in the book..." Read more

"This is my all time favorite movie. The book is just as quirky and even in its own way, a bit better!" Read more

"...the father baffling in the beginning of the book and never really gains any meaningful insight into him, never resolves anything...." Read more

"...You really care and connect with the characters. The Book however is not magical the characters are terrible and unlikable, I actually didn't have..." Read more

8 customers mention "Character development"3 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some enjoying them while others find them lacking.

"...This made it difficult to feel any connection to any character. All relationships and interactions lacked an important emotional depth...." Read more

"...The book and its characters are such a joy and so imaginative...." Read more

"...about the protagonist's emotionally distant father, with zero plot or character arc...." Read more

"...Wallace has an amazing writing sense and really captured the characters beautifully...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Obsessive Reader, Traveler and Documentary Addict
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Big Tale with a Big Heart
    Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I recently revisited Tim Burton's film "Big Fish" and enjoyed it so much that I decided to read the novel by Daniel Wallace that the film was based on. The book and its characters are such a joy and so imaginative. I didn't really connect with the film when it first came out, but couldn't have loved it more, and the book is even more wonderful. One can see why it connected so deeply with Burton.

    Wallace's novel tells the story of Edward Bloom, a larger-than-life figure who tells his son, William, exaggerated stories about his life. As William grows older, he becomes skeptical of his father's stories, but he eventually comes to understand the importance of storytelling and the power of imagination. The novel is told in a non-linear fashion, jumping back and forth between Edward's past and William's present. This structure allows the reader to see how Edward's stories have shaped his son's life, and how William's own understanding of his father evolves over time.

    The novel is full of humor, magic, and adventure. Edward's stories are both fantastical and believable, and they often have a moral or philosophical message. The novel also explores the themes of fatherhood, identity, and the importance of storytelling. Big Fish was adapted into a film in 2003, directed by Tim Burton. The film starred Albert Finney as Edward Bloom and Billy Crudup as William. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it won an Academy Award for Best Original Score.

    The main message of Big Fish is that the stories we tell about ourselves are just as important as the reality. Edward's stories may not have been entirely true, but they helped him to make sense of his life and to connect with others. They also helped William to understand his father and to come to terms with his own identity. Big Fish is a heartwarming and thought-provoking novel that explores the power of storytelling. It is a story about the importance of imagination, the beauty of the human spirit, and the bonds between fathers and sons.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • J. Bosiljevac
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2004
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book because I heard Tim Burton was directing the movie. If I hadn't known he was directing it, I would never have picked him for it. This book is far from a typical Tim Burton story-there's very little darkness, certainly nothing macabre. This short novel is the story of a dying man told through the eyes of his son. A tall tale. The book illustrates well the warped (often in a good way) perception sons have of their fathers-as mythic heroes. The book is basically a collection of fantastic incidents, the myths of the father's life. Breaking up these chapters are several versions of the actual death of the father, which the son writes and re-writes. It's in these chapters that you get to know the complicated feelings of the son toward a father who was never completely straight, always hiding behind jokes and fables. It's a good, touching story. Read it before you see the movie if you can, but it's worthwhile afterward too.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Steve Schwartz, Greenville
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful. One of the best I've read in a while.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I'm a sucker for the supernatural done well -- by which I mean an accommodation between the supernatural and the dominant realist tradition. Henry James finds one way to do it in The Turn of the Screw, James Joyce another in Ulysses, Thomas Pynchon yet another in Against the Day. Wallace has found his own way -- a mix of Twain and perhaps Faulkner. The novel concerns the relations between an extraordinary father and his son, Edward and William Bloom. The novel's present concern is the father's dying and eventual death. That gives the novel its narrative spine. However, most of the novel spends its time in a comic past. Corn and theatrical sentimentality have no place here. The book proceeds largely by outrageous and snappy anecdote. Wallace's prose, like Twain's, performs little miracles without losing its colloquial qualities. Indeed, a good deal of the book's success with the mythological comes from the matter-of-fact tone. Yet Wallace trivializes nothing. There is still a sense of the amazing in all of it. Edward has performed his own small-town labors of Hercules, which establish him in his son's mind as a classical hero. A fine father is usually looked on by his children not as perfect, but as a hero. Edward has flaws -- mainly wanderlust -- which keep him from his family for weeks, if not months at a time. So he is (as his surname implies) also Odysseus, and his wife a Penelope who waits.

    The book also contains a lot of ancient jokes and wheezes, and you've probably heard them all before, but it doesn't matter. The telling is so lively, you will likely enjoy them anyway. The ending took my breath away. It may be yet another tall tale, but who knows? It's also set up throughout the book, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts you won't catch Wallace as he false shuffles and deals seconds or even fifths. He's a pleasure to read and in my opinion one of the best American novelists around.

    NOTE: I first saw Tim Burton's movie (for me, his best) and it rook me until now to read the book. The movie and the book are two different things, each superb in its own way. The movie, if you've seen it, will not prepare you for the book.
    24 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    One of my favorite books.
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  • Nik Valen
    3.0 out of 5 stars Great movie ... skip the book
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The movie is one of my favorites of all time. It seems they took the core story, which I found rote, bland, repetitive and ultimately unsatisfying and transformed it into a linear story that was delightful and engaging. The movie made changes to add meaning and relevance to the book that IMHO was missing.

    The book was a big "Why?" to me. Why mythologize a man with really no special or even endearing qualities and many unendearingly ones. What made Edward Bloom special, let alone worthy of his mostly self-adulation but at the last moment, also adulation from his son? The book leaves this unanswered which made me feel that reading it was an empty investment. Fortunately, I did skip one chapter so I felt vindicated there.

    It seems many loved the book. I don't see why but I'm happy for them.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Martin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wundervolles Buch
    Reviewed in Germany on August 16, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Ein wundervolles Buch, welches die fantasievollen Geschichten eines Mannes aus der Perspektive seines Sohnes erzählt und es ist genau gut wie der Film davon. Außerdem ist es auf Englisch sehr angenehm zu lesen.
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  • Leda Meireles
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entrega pontual . Livro bom
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 20, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Comprei para meu filho e ele gostou muito
    Report
  • Oswaldo Fabila
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great!!
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Great novel, I’d had only seen the movie so far and really enjoy it. Easy to read and good letter size.
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  • Kristan Leroy
    5.0 out of 5 stars cleverly crafted
    Reviewed in France on May 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Great story of a man full of life however unwilling to share it with his son. I gained a new meaning to the words Big Fish, and fully enjoyed this cleverly crafted book.
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  • Lisa W
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great:)
    Reviewed in Japan on August 30, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of my favorite movies and I really wanted the book.
    The price was reasonable and it came pretty quick so i am really really satisfied with how it came out.
    Thanks alot and I would love to buy from this place again.
    Report