The Fisherman by John Langan - Book Review
I had seen this book on many YouTube lists, but each time the description of the book is vague. This is usually the sign of a good book. You often find in-depth, spoiler reviews with books that are flawed. The reviewer will most commonly need the in depth of detail to relate their gripes. When it came to the Fisherman, all I could find were opaque descriptions and the advice that I must read this book. Does this mean the book is perfect or that reading it will change my literary outlook?
The simple answer is no. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like this book a lot, but there are considerations that must be made. I think if you read this book in hand, in your own voice, it could be difficult to finish. It is a subtle, low key story that takes its time to lull you into a sense of peace. You are meant to travel with the aged protagonist through the stages off grief. For most younger readers, it will be hard to relate. The first section of the book is a rough stretch of character building. It’s well written, but to someone used to flipping through their phone for most of the free time, it could be a drag. The best way to read this book is by audio book.
I listened to the book on Audible. Danny Campbell’s masterful narration lent the story an authenticity. It was as if I was listening to my grandfather tell me the story. His gravely voice fits the character of Abe, our protagonist to a T. For a novel of Cosmic horror, listening to this friendly old man tell us a story is calming. Even as the details blur into horrific nightmares, there’s a strange calm about it all.
The story of The Fisherman beings with Abe, a man who found love late in his life and lost it not soon after. His beautiful, loving wife died one year into their marriage. Cancer swept between them like a tide and she was gone. Abe is not a person accustomed to change. He’s worked the same boring job for decades. He’s lived in the same town. When his wife dies, he’s faced with the mundanity of this existence. He finds himself in a spiral of depression that leads to the bottom of any bottle he can find. Until, one day, he decides to go fishing. Soon he is spending every free moment doing it. His new hobby leads him to travel all over upstate New York to find new fishing grounds. When a friend from work mentions a stream Abe’s never heard of, a Dutchman’s Creek, he jumps at the chance to hunt down the mysterious fishing hole. What follows is a journey through time and space as Abe finds himself confronted by temptation, terror, and an ancient evil that’s been waiting for him.
The Fisherman is not an action-packed thriller. It’s a tale that should be told around a campfire.
Reviewing this book is difficult. For a more mature reader, a paperback copy may suffice, but in my opinion, check it out on audio book. I think you might like it.
