The Fisherman

By: John Langan

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

In upstate New York, in the woods around Woodstock, Dutchman's Creek flows out of the Ashokan Reservoir. Steep-banked, fast-moving, it offers the promise of fine fishing, and of something more, a possibility too fantastic to be true. When Abe and Dan, two widowers who have found solace in each other's company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumors of the Creek, and what might be found there, the remedy to both their losses, they dismiss it as just another fish story.

Soon, though, the men find themselves drawn into a tale as deep and old as the Reservoir. It's a tale of dark pacts, of long-buried secrets, and of a mysterious figure known as Der Fischer: the Fisherman. 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.

©2016 John Langan (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Shifting between past and present, Langan builds terrifying scenes...the mythology is genuinely creepy." ( Publishers Weekly)

Harrowing Novel by One of Horror's Modern Masters

Would you listen to The Fisherman again? Why?

The Fisherman unfolds like a story told by a grandfather during a storm or at a bar when the sea's too bad to catch anything. It only gets better with a second listen!

What did you like best about this story?

Langan's language is incredible.

Have you listened to any of Danny Campbell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

n/a

If you could take any character from The Fisherman out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Abe--if only to hear the yarn from the man himself.

Any additional comments?

This Stoker Award-winning novel ushers in what will hopefully be the rise of the Weird Fiction Horror Novel. Let's hope it inspires Audible to produce his short fiction as audiobooks as well. I can't wait to hear The Wide, Carnivorous Sky!

A Good Horror Fantasy

Checked this one because I enjoyed this author's short fiction. Modern Lovecraft vibes without direct reference to the Cthulhu Mythos. Matroyshka plot within a plot. Narration is workhorse and a bit one note.

The Fisherman

This book was great. There were pieces of lore in there that could have been gleaned from other books but it was not a hodgepodge of mythos from other writers. For example, about half of the book was lovecraftian in nature. It resonated with old magic with unfathomable depth. This was not a novel based on the Lovecraft mythology though. I read the reviews of The Fisherman and the real draw for me was this comparison with HP Lovecraft. While I can appreciate that comparison, I am more appreciative of the fact that John Langan forged his own path and made a truly wonderful book on his own merit. It had it's own heartbeat and what encapsulated the magic was a deeper tale of dealing with terrible loss. I will be adding this book to the small list of novels that I revisit repeatedly over the years.

A Fish Story Bigger than a Whale

This compelling tale weaves in its net touches of Dracula, Frankenstein, and Moby Dick.

A Genuinely Eerie and Strange Story

No wordplay here. This novel was well-paced, creepy and atmospheric, blending the overarching ache of loss with a desire to make whole what had been sundered. Solid narration brings the words to life and the ending? Shockingly good!

Needs different narrator

This was a real struggle to finish the narrator isn't not my favorite. would be better to read or just pass on.

Lovecraft with a peppering of Stephen King

If you're a fan of HP Lovecraft, there's something here for you. The story within the story approaches long winded but has effectively creepy parts. I found the ending to be particularly unsettling which is a praise. It won't leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling but it's worth a listen.

Too much story in a book?

I appreciate character building and setup, many books and movies lack this. So I'm not sure why I get tired of it in this book. As others have complained, the way the story is broken up makes sense but isn't really enjoyable. It seems like every story has to have a backstory or a tangentially related blurb that ends up being a chapter long. It also felt like the author didn't want or didn't know how to end the book so you get these continuations where you think come on already wrap it up. I really enjoy Lovecraftian themes and this book has those but in comparison to books like The Lighthouse Keeper, this book left me feeling meh instead of frantically searching for what else the author has out there.

A modern tale of something horrifyingly cosmic

What a ride. Don’t be fooled by this books mere 260-ish page length, it packs a whallop. Slowly, with an ever increasing sense of uneasiness the novel gains tension until it coalesces into a moment of sheer horror. I’ll definitely be looking into this author and what he has coming in the future. It’s nice to see a modern take on cosmic horror. CAUTION: I would advise against reading this one by the river during your next camping/fishing trip.

classic

this book was amazing, one of my favorite horror books of all time and the narrator made it that much better. creepy