The Fisherman by John Langan
First Line: Don’t call me Abraham: call me Abe.
Summary: The Fisherman is a mythical horror novel about a man named Abe, who after the loss of his wife, takes up fishing to fill that empty hole. He soon discovers the horror and legend of a creek that leads him into a world of long buried secrets and a mysterious figure known as Der Fisher: The Fisherman.
My Thoughts: I’ve been on a quest lately to fulfill a need for a quiet horror book if you will. Quiet meaning, not in your face gore for gores sake, more of a mental throttling. A book that is unsettling and makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. The kind of book that you read alone in a house and every little noise startles you. The Fisherman is the 3rd book I’ve read hoping it would fit into the category.
I’m not entirely sure it fulfills that need but it comes close.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book telling the story of Abe losing his wife and his journey to recollect himself through fishing. It is very quiet and melancholy as it guides you along on his journey into discovering his passion for fishing and later attempting to help a coworker struggle through a similar situation. Abe’s character is fully drawn and very relatable. I was onboard with his journey from the very beginning and to be honest. It was really making me want to take up fishing!
In the middle of the book we begin to learn about the myth of Der Fisher and how it draws Abe into a world you might even call “Lovecraftian”. Eventually we get drawn completely into the nightmare and while I certainly enjoyed it, I found it a bit weaker than the first half of the book. The world John Langan was creating went just a little off the rails for me. I won’t go into details but the old adage “less is more” could have been a little more front and center. Don’t let that deter you though, it was still a really great read and I was very satisfied. But I’m still looking for that book that just grabs your brain with both hands and wrecks you. I want it. I’ll let you know when I find it.
FYI: Very graphic depictions of fishing. Oh, and scary things that hide in the shadows.
*This item is available as an audio book on Hoopla or through Interlibrary Loan.*