Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

The book that became a major film starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt

De: Paul Torday

Narrado por: Fenella Woolgar, John Sessions, Samantha Bond

An extraordinary, beguiling bestselling tale of fly-fishing and political spinning, of unexpected heroism and late-blooming love...

This is the story of Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist - for whom diary-notable events include the acquisition of a new electric toothbrush and getting his article on caddis fly larvae published in 'Trout and Salmon' - who finds himself reluctantly involved in a project to bring salmon fishing to the Highlands of the Yemen - a project that will change his life, and the course of British political history for ever.

With a wickedly wonderful cast of characters - including a visionary Sheikh, a weasely spin doctor, Fred's devilish wife and a few thousand transplanted salmon - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is a novel about hypocrisy and bureaucracy, dreams and deniability, and the transforming power of faith and love.

(p) 2007 Orion Publishing Group©2007 Paul Torday

Reseñas de la Crítica

I really loved this book (Bill Nighy)

Paul Torday's debut novel is about an impossibility...And the remarkable thing is that a book about so deeply serious a matter can make you laugh, all the way to a last twist that's as sudden and shocking as a barbed hook...As with all good comedy, there's a tragic underside...And there is satire...To write a novel lampooning the looking-glass world of Blairite government must have given Torday as much gruesome fun as he gives his readers...Salmon Fishing is extraordinary indeed, and a triumph.

It's hilarious and so well observed (Sir Christopher Meyer)

Entertaining storytelling with great characters and laugh-out-loud plot

A wonderful book - a cry for humanity in our target-driven spin-riddled world (Marina Lewycka)

A most diverting debut - ingenious, witty and moving, Yes Minister meets Monarch of the Glen (David Profumo)

It is light, but succeeds in an ambitious project: making a book about fishing readable, even touching. Fish may not be your bag, but it is the capacity for commitment and belief that makes for good reading

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is an entertaining and successful debut...it is warmly recommended to anyone searching for feelgood comedy with surprising bite

A wickedly comic first novel about the power of money and the miracle of faith

This is a wonderful, enjoyable read...Written in a highly accessible pastiche of memos, letters, interview excerpts, journal entries and emails, Fishing, encompasses everything from the science of salmon spawning to the war in Iraq. But all these elements merely give structure to the story: a lovely musing on how risking it all - however much it may be perceived as foolish or ridiculous, can bring hope and faith and love to the most bleak of outlooks

A clever, original and funny novel...A magical debut

At last an Evelyn Waugh for the 21st century. Paul Torday is funny, humane, poignant and one of the most original writers in the UK today. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN reinvigorated my already abiding love of contemporary fiction and I am grateful to Mr Torday for it. I urge each and every one of you to buy this book and then sit on the nearest seat to the till and read it (Paul Blezard - Oneword Radio)

An amusing satire on the tensions between the West and the Middle East, and a commentary on the value of belief to mankind...The success of the book lies in the charm of Mr Torday's storyline - his love of salmon fishing shines through his text - and his skill at portraying the petty officialdom and manipulativeness of modern government. Adding breadth is a sharply drawn cast of characters

A tender hearted book...thoroughly enjoyable

A delightfully funny debut...It's funny, ambitious, multi-layered and quirkily imaginative, yet still - especially in the case of a sub-plot featuring a deniable British raid inside Iran - frighteningly relevant

Ridiculous plot made credible but superb writing

What a great fantasy this is -- converting sand into salmon runs and the characters are both remarkable yet credible. Top listen.

Salmon Fishing-Well presented

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely.Different voices make it easy to listen to and believable

Who was your favorite character and why?

Fred-he has discovered the joys of friendship and the pursuit of a passion

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Accents and an added dimension of each character

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes...but not the time

Any additional comments?

I like the way they read all the e-mail addresses...it made one feel as if I were at the computer reading the e-mails

A lose lose outcome...

It is a sad fact that I like happy endings, and this book does not have one. It is beautifully written, and engrossing, but for the characters and myself the adventure ends up being at best, a waste of time. At worst, the characters lose everything in their chase of this foolhardy dream, and not through anything they have done themselves.
It's more a comment on British bureaucracy and the blame others, take no responsibility attitude that seems to pervade British politics and the workplace, with no concern for the impact on otherwise innocent lives.
The writing format of letters, emails and diaries is very effective, although the diaries are possibly a little more literary and descriptive than one would expect from scientists. However, the highly improbable plot becomes very believable as a result of the delivery mechanism.
If you like happy endings, skip this one. If you like a good yarn, then don't miss it.

A great Spin!

Paul Torday’s book is an absolute must! If you enjoyed the movie “Wag the dog” and the UK TV series “Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister” you’ll love this. It’s low-key British humour at its absolute best, narrated in deadpan manner by an excellent cast.

Brilliant

If you could sum up Salmon Fishing in the Yemen in three words, what would they be?

Self-discovering, politics and fish

What did you like best about this story?

The way it is told, by emails, notes, excerpts from the congress, from Al Qaeda communications, from diaries. All the remarks about fishery are understandable for those who don't know anything about it. The way that the main character isn't the center of the history is also great

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

No, I haven't, but the narrators does an excellent performance

Any additional comments?

It's really great. There plot and the narration are very well made