Dec 01, 2018 grief, and what it makes of the people caught up in and then spat out of its wake, is the central theme of john langans the fisherman. Aug 17, 2016 john langan didnt set out to write a novel when he started working on the fisherman more than 12 years ago, but he ended up crafting the jaws of cosmic horror. At the very beginning of the novel, abe, the narrator, whose wife died of cancer, states that other peoples compassion quickly fades away and sooner or later you are left alone with your pain. The book never scares the reader, the reader scares himself while reading the book. The fisherman is a treasure, the kind of book you just want to snuggle up and shiver through.
The fisherman paperback june 30 2016 by john langan author 4. I just finished the fisherman by john langan after having it recommended to me here, and i loved it. John langan born july 6, 1969 is an american author and writer of contemporary horror. In upstate new york, in the woods around woodstock, dutchmans creek flows out of the ashokan reservoir. At its best the fisherman is as good as any horror ive ever read, which should be read as nothing short of high praise for john langan. Buy the fisherman by john langan online at alibris. John langans novel the fisherman is what youd get if the awardwinning memoir h is for hawk had been written by h. I loved the characterization and set up for abe and his friend dan and was entirely in to where things were going until the main story was shelved while we delved into the backstory of the dutchmans creek.
This is the story of two widowers, abe and dan, who find solace in their shared hobby of fishing and plan on sinking their lines into dutchmans creek, a hard to find locale unless you know exactly where to look. Langan has his own way with weird fiction, and a dark, brooding, sometimes oppressive seeming suspense permeates the book even through the most mundane of circumstances in this complex and multilayered story. John langans the fisherman is a slowburn tale of cosmic horror told on two fronts. John langan is the author of two novels, the fisherman word horde 2016 and house of windows night shade 2009, and two collections of stories, the wide, carnivorous sky and other monstrous geographies hippocampus 20 and mr. In what follows, i offer a reading of john langans 2016 novel the fisherman through this multifaceted lens of american folk horror in order to delineate the ways in which it emerges as an archive of legendary cautionary tales rooted in the histories of american fear, folklore, and literature as well as in the adversities of a contemporary. Goodreads blurb in upstate new york, in the woods around woodstock, dutchmans creek flows out of the ashokan reservoir. My thoughts on the fisherman by john langan spoilers. Ive been fishing for a long time, now, and as you might guess, i know a story or two. I found the pacing comfortable, the atmosphere immersive, the various settings thought. When abe and dan, two widowers who have found solace in each others. Read the fisherman by john langan available from rakuten kobo. Featuring cosmic horror, quiet horror, psychological horrors and a few scenes that were just horrific in general, i find myself lacking the words this book deserves.
This study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the fishermen. The fisherman by john langan word horde june 2016 352 pages. Steepbanked, fastmoving, it offers the promise of fine fishing, and of something more, a possibility too fantastic to be true. And if youve ever read a scary book, or seen a horror movie with a similar premise, you can probably already assume that the dead are better off left that way. Imagine, if you will, a dark tale cowritten by peter straub and thomas ligotti, filtered through the whimsical sensibilities of neil gaiman and spoken to a friend over beers at a campfire. I highly recommend the novel, and especially to anyone who enjoys the writing of caitlin kiernan or laird barron.
The fisherman by john langan not to be confused with the novel of the same name by chigozie obioma, which i assume isnt terribly similar trends heavily towards the latter for most of its length, before veering suddenly and sharply right past the former and into the territory of kings worst work, in a way thats distinctly reminiscent of. The first part of the book is a moving account of how a hobby in this case, fishing helps abe to recover emotionally from the death of his wife. If langan had more to tell, he had ample space to do it. In 2008, he was a bram stoker award nominee for best collection, and in 2016, a bram stoker award winner for his novel the fisherman. After publishing a few articles concerning weird fiction books and stories, i have decided to start reading another highly rated novel from this genre john langans the fisherman.
John langan is the author of two novels, the fisherman word horde 2016 and house of windows night shade 2009diversion 2017, and two collections of stories, the wide, carnivorous sky and other monstrous geographies hippocampus 20 and mr. At its worst, the fisherman dwells far too deep on backstory and mythos that dont matter. The fisherman is arguably the best book ive read in a few years. Buy a cheap copy of the fisherman book by john langan. Yes, theres fishing in it, but its really about friendship, loss, and bonedeep horror.
Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. The fisherman by john langan this is a book i was really looking forward to, and perhaps the buildup of expectation offset my reaction. At first, abe who narrates and dan seem to be the books focus, yet the tale that howard tells takes. Telling the tale of a widower, abraham, as he struggles to. The fisherman by john langan, 9781939905215, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. John langan s the fisherman is a phenomenal story within a story. Jun 03, 2016 his latest novel, the fisherman, does nothing to disavow us of that opinion. Apr 11, 2017 in upstate new york, in the woods around woodstock, dutchmans creek flows out of the ashokan reservoir. The title of this book is the fisherman and it was written by john langan. These fishermen are restless men, immobilized but never truly at peace. John langan has been shortlisted for numerous horror awards and received critical acclaim for both his shorter work, like his story collection mr. The fisherman is a mythical horror novel by john langan, which pays homage, in part, to moby dick and the bible.
At the heart of john langan s the fisherman 2016 which has just been awarded the prestigious stoker award by the horror writers association, is a fundamental human emotion. Langan is a formidably learned and sophisticated writer, and this tale as much as many of his others is about storytelling and the act of spinning a yarn in itself, as much as the ostensible topic of the tale. The fisherman by john langan 2016, paperback for sale. John langan has a lot of fine work behind him and, one would hope, even more ahead, but it may be a chore for him to outdo this. The fisherman kindle edition by john langan author 4. In his superb new novel the fisherman, john langanmanages to sustain the focused effect of a short story or a poem over the course of a long horror narrativelangan writes elegant prose, and the novels rolling, unpredictable flow has a distinctive rhythm, the rise and fall of its characters real grief. Thats because hes one of the finest practitioners of the moody tale working today. The fisherman by john langan in upstate new york, in the woods around woodstock, dutchmans creek flows out of the ashokan reservoir. Whenever john langan publishes a book i am going to devour that book.
Jun 30, 2016 the fisherman paperback june 30 2016 by john langan author 4. Horror author and scholar john langan has produced some of the new centurys most representative dark and weird tales, the kind of work that anyone getting into the modern genre cannot ignore, not least because they so perceptively interrogate the entire tradition. The fisherman, by langan politics and prose bookstore. Jun 30, 2016 buy the fisherman by langan, john isbn. The fisherman is completely unassuming in its pace, tone and the way it has been written by john langan, but i was thoroughly swept up in the story being told and the style of it all.
The fisherman by john langan ronans internet content venue. At the heart of john langans the fisherman 2016 which has just been awarded the prestigious stoker award by the horror writers association, is a fundamental human emotion. The fisherman ebook by john langan 9781939905222 rakuten kobo. I was with the book 50% of the way through, and then it kind of loses its grip with the storywithinastory almost feeling like its never going to end. The fishermen starts as a fictional story about four nigerian brothers who struck out on afterschool adventures. Hardly ever reaching moments of high excitement, but when the moments do build to a crescendo, they are utterly superb.
John langans the fisherman isnt about fishing at all. It will bring abe and dan face to face with all that they have lost, and with the price they must pay to regain it. Thought id checkout some langan after his excellent short story in the grimscribes puppets. This tale was outstanding and i waited way too long to read it.
His new novel the fisherman is sometimes ambitious to a fault, but it got my gears turning and seeped into my subconscious before i knew what hit me. The fisherman by john langan cemetery dance online. John langan is the author of two novels, the fisherman and house of windows, and two collections of stories, the wide, carnivorous sky and other monstrous geographies and mr. Langan has been a finalist for international horror guild award.
One of the main topics discussed in john langan s the fisherman is pain associated with the loss of our closest ones. Over the past decade, john langan has established himself as a master of weird fiction and horror literature. Word horde has been producing top shelf work since its inception and this mindbending, heartbreaking tale of love, loss, friendship, and boundless horrors fits beautifully into their ever expanding lexicon. Is the bram stoker awards winner really worth the read. I thought it was a great take on a lovecraftstyle story, and, unlike many other cosmic horror pieces ive read, it didnt feel horribly derivative of lovecraft. The fisherman john langan weird fiction masterpiece. The fisherman by john langan pdf download free ebooks. John langan didnt set out to write a novel when he started working on the fisherman more than 12 years ago, but he ended up crafting the jaws of cosmic horror. Gifted with a supple and mellifluous prose style, an imagination that can conjure up clutching terrors with seeming effortlessness, and a thorough knowledge of the rich heritage of weird fiction, langan has already garnered his share of accolades. When abe and dan, two widowers who have found solace in each others company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumors of the creek, and what might be found. I loved it for the most part, although there were times it felt like he played fast and loose during the dam building section.
It tells the story of a man who prefers to be called abe, and how, in the wake of his wifes death, he finds solace in fishing, and later on friendship, in the form of a fellow widower named dan. John langan has, in the last few years, established himself as one of the leading voices in contemporary horror literature. The fisherman is the narrative of abe dont call me abraham, he insists in the opening lines, a widower recounting the events following his. Maps from kings landing to across the narrow sea by george r. This week my trouts were taking a look at the literary horror piece that is the fisherman by john langan. The fisherman is a horror novel about two widowers named abe and dan. John langan talks literary horror, the fisherman and gives.
Its hard to believe that his newest work, the fisherman, is only his second novel. There were times i had to put the book down and walk out of the room i was so spooked by the prose. The fisherman audiobook by john langan rakuten kobo. Jun 29, 2016 over the past decade, john langan has established himself as a master of weird fiction and horror literature. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free. When abe and dan, two widowers who have found solace in each others company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumors of the. What starts as a slow, melancholy tale gains momentum and drops you head first into a churning nightmare from which you might escape, but youll never forget, and the memory of what you. The fisherman is a worthy successor to kiernans the red tree and the drowning girl and arguably a stronger work than barrons the croning. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
1155 234 1293 1340 573 686 1216 615 1053 824 748 1498 1230 37 740 158 254 1415 981 537 240 1449 523 1293 450 614 487 611 1473 1170 337 1098 578 929 579 1441 577 475 207 1167 251 243 1066 5 1428 792 573