I love it when a story is told within a story, especially when it’s raining within the current timeline of the book. It gives me a cosy feeling like being told ghost stories on a rainy night. It’s a trope I always look for and rarely find so I was thrilled when I realised it was about to happen.

I’ve just finished this and I am dying for a book / more from that world below. There is so much lore there that’s teased and I would devour a book exploring that. A great book all in all.

The middle third is actually still Abe narrating. He is recounting the tale the diner guy is telling him and Dan, and when he mentions it’s amazing that he remembers things so clearly, he’s saying he’s remembering things the guy never even told him. Great review!

I am so glad that I pushed past the slow(ish) start to this book. It’s genuinely one of my favorites in a long time, his writing really captivates you and engrosses you in his world. Looking forward to his next novel

Yes, exactly how I felt when I read this book. Great review. Thank you!

I'll have to check this one out. I read his Wide Carnivorous Sky anthology a while back and thought it was pretty good. Would you say this is similar at all to Annihilation, or not so much?

Ah, The Fisherman. I've long debated reading this book. I've heard such mixed things about it. Some people really seem to love it, while others appear to have real qualms with the way it's told. Glad to hear your take on it; I may give it a go eventually. :)

Sounds like an extra interesting story to me, especially if it mixes horror and grief. I'm writing a story largely based on those two concepts, but in a sci-fi/fantasy setting.

I loved this book and how it dealt with grief. I wound up reading this, and Victor Lavalle's The Changeling back to back maybe five or six years ago and have been chasing that high since.

Jason - Loved this review. Just finished this book last week. First time I've read a book over a single weekend in years, and reignited my desire to read overall. I've scourged the internet for "books like The Fisherman" and I'm worried none of the suggestions I can find will scratch the itch. Any opinions/suggestions are welcome.

Yeah I've heard this book is really divisive because it tells one story, then it goes and tells another story which takes a good chunk of the story. I can see how that might break the story. I, for one, am curious to see how I will take to this novel.

I heard about this book on a random video I watched and decided to give it go. Before this I’ve never read horror fiction or too much fiction. That said I loved this book. Something in it really resonated with me and personally the way it was written was fantastic. However having not read any horror before I can see how my perception could be skewed a little bit. Anyway loved it will probably read it again. Also if there’s any recommendations for similar novels or stories I’m all ears!

I've been start to listening an The Fisherman audiobook. I'm somewhere at the end of that part, where the coffee shop owner tell the story of the Dutch man, and I can't force myself to finish it. I'm a Polish, and all that " (someone) said", at the end of every dialog line it's very exhausting for me to listen. I'm not sure is that something normal in American novels with that kind of narration, or The Fisherman is an exception?

i'm a little disappointed how long its taking the book to get to the point. 20-30 pages to explain how 2 widowers go fishing together. Is the whole book this padded or does it pick up?

Bro, cool video! This is one of the best books i've ever read of this genre, very good and crazy, also dark like Lovecraft. Anyone who likes the author should pick up this one to read.

This book had a great idea, but man, it was so underused that it actually made me angry. It showed you a huge cake but only gives you a couple of delicious spoon fulls.

I think Ill check this author out! interesting review, I like the Lovecraft angle/comparison.

Sorry, this book just didn’t do it for me. Maybe I am dense but I don’t understand the Lovecraft connection. The whole fantasy sequence was too extreme. I certainly don’t understand the hype surrounding this novel.

I just finished the book. I enjoyed it for the most part. Some parts were definitely very creepy. I personally felt like the ending dragged on a little long for my liking. And I guess I didn't fully understand what Abe saw or how it played into the rest of the story as I understood it. But all in all, it was a good read. Definitely very Lovecraftian. To that respect, Ioved that the storyteller at the diner was even named Howard.😅

Totally agree with not really connecting with the story within the story. I was far more interested in Dan and Abe and I struggled through the middle, I felt it dragged on a little too long. Still enjoyed the other parts.

I just finished the audiobook, and this review is spot on. My issue with the middle part is that I kept thinking,"Dang, are these two guys really listening to an old man ramble about how a river got its name for like 5 hours?" 😂

While I thoroughly enjoyed your review, I must disagree. I feel all sections of the novel serve to drive home the themes of existential dread and human helplessness. While the first and third sections make the feelings of grief and hopelessness personal and show us what it's like for individuals to feel them (thus making it the perfect anchor for the narrative), the middle section demonstrates this grief and hopelessness on a larger scale - emphasizing that the cosmic horrors we glimpse dwarf not only individual experiences, but the entirety of human history; and this makes it entirely appropriate that it moves from the intensely personal to a more distant delivery. I think Langan draws on his experience as a short story writer, rather than being hampered by it. I would term this true literary horror, not just something that flirts with it - it's far superior to anything someone like Stephen King or Dean Koontz could write. I would give it 10/10.