Book Review: The Fisherman by John Langan

You know you’ve got a real special book on your hands when the first thing you do upon finishing is reshuffle your top 10 books of ALL-TIME. This hasn’t happened since East of Eden this time last year! So that is a true testament to how much I loved this book.


“It would be a lie to say the time passes quickly. It never does, when you want it to.”

I have a soft spot for books that explore themes of grief and loss. I also go bananas for horror - obviously. So when these elements are all mixed together in a big bowl, and when the book is written as beautifully as this one is, there is no question I’m going to love it!

The Fisherman takes the form of a story within a story. Two men who have recently undergone huge losses in their life bond over the love of fishing. They venture out to different fishing spots, but Dutchman’s Creek is unlike anywhere they’ve fished before...

Gee, a story about two men fishing, Johann?! I hear you cry. How BORING that must be. But believe me, that is far from the case. This ended up being one of the most memorable and imaginative books I’ve ever read. Both stories told are equally enthralling. I’m OBSESSED.

As I’ve said before, this book felt like the perfect combination of King and Lovecraft. And no, you do not need to be a Lovecraft fan to fully appreciate this. I would highly recommend The Fisherman to any horror fan, any reader, who enjoys a slow burn that builds to a terrifying conclusion.

I can’t do this book this justice - I don’t have the words. But I simply adored every single page of it! 5 billion stars.

Johann
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