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001's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Actual score would be a 4.5, but I rounded it up to 5 for classification purposes. Explained below.
This book has left me absolutely shitting myself. In the best possible way: the way that reminds me why I enjoy horror.
Full disclosure, I am one of the people this book would have the easiest time scaring anyway: I am absolutely TERRIFIED of all things aquatic. And goddamn, this book has pressed that particular button down with a mallet.
And yet, I was ensorcelled by it all. For starters, the mythology, the fantasy elements of this book are just *chef's kiss*. The concept behind the Fisherman himself, of the reason he has such a name, of all the horrors related to it... goddamn. I would read a dictionary-length book just infodumping about the lore. I love it, I love it, I love it. If you're into horror based on legend, myth and folklore, this is for you.
If you're into books that never fully reveal everything about their world, this book is for YOU. The entire time I had the feeling of there being more, like an entire backdrop to every piece of the lore we were presented with. We know what the narration tells us, and that is what the narrator knows. It's never the whole picture, because no story can ever FULLY encompass an entire world. Some stories, though, are clever enough to emphasize it, not as a fault, but as a strength. This book is like that.
This, in fact, spreads through the whole narrative. As I was reading, I kept thinking that this book is like fractals: the more we zoomed in, the more there was to find. Names would be mentioned almost offhandedly, but soon we would know what they were brought up for. Those little details helped make the book, the tiny stories inside the big story, sometimes one or two paragraphs long, that helped make this more than the sum of its parts. I loved it.
Now, the score. I want this book among my favourites because I am, frankly, obsessed with it. But there ARE flaws. The major one: fridging.
One of the main themes of this story is grief. I understand that, that's fine. And mayhaps an allowance can be made for the fact the four - main? main bereaved? characters are supposed to parallel one each other.Abe Samuelson, Dan Drescher, Cornelius Dort and the Fisherman are all widowers, handling the loss of their families in similar but ultimately distinct ways. I'm not sure I'm willing to make this allowance, though. Almost every single loss was of a woman, a wife, whose deaths were unpleasant, to say the least. Granted, there is none of the more graphic kinds of suffering - sexual violence, or a malicious agent using their deaths to hurt the male character on purpose. I also had the impression that this book was uninterested in dwelling on their pain - there is body horror here, but no gore. And the body horror that there is mostly fantastic.
(Yes, the loss of their children is also significant in all cases. For Abe, there is that spine-tingling final scene. Even George, Helen's husband, has his own fatherhood deeply linked to his loss. But ultimately, the great loss is still of their wives. The kids - or the desire for kids - are secondary to that.)
On that note, female characters. There are: Lottie Schmidt herself, Clara, Regina Oliveri.Whatever the hell Helen became. Marie, though I'm convinced that was actually the Leviathan itself. But they are still secondary to the men in the story, notably so. The men are the actual movers and shakers, though. For the most part, women play secondary roles in this book, they are what the men move for the sake of, or towards. Not always, and it is not like we are entirely severed from their internal lives. But still.
This isn't a book that hates women. I don't know a quarter of a thing about John Langan, but from what I read here, he didn't strike me as malicious. It's just that this book is concerned with a story peopled mainly and most significantly by men. This isn't me trying to downplay it - the absence was noticeable for me. But never once I felt this book was hateful. I'm a woman, for the record; I just wish there had been more of us here, numerically and otherwise.
Aside from that, I can't think of much else objectionable. This review is already huge, and I think I wrote down my main impressions well enough.
In short: if you're not scared of water, go read The Fisherman. If you are scared of water, absolutely go read The Fisherman.
This book has left me absolutely shitting myself. In the best possible way: the way that reminds me why I enjoy horror.
Full disclosure, I am one of the people this book would have the easiest time scaring anyway: I am absolutely TERRIFIED of all things aquatic. And goddamn, this book has pressed that particular button down with a mallet.
And yet, I was ensorcelled by it all. For starters, the mythology, the fantasy elements of this book are just *chef's kiss*. The concept behind the Fisherman himself, of the reason he has such a name, of all the horrors related to it... goddamn. I would read a dictionary-length book just infodumping about the lore. I love it, I love it, I love it. If you're into horror based on legend, myth and folklore, this is for you.
If you're into books that never fully reveal everything about their world, this book is for YOU. The entire time I had the feeling of there being more, like an entire backdrop to every piece of the lore we were presented with. We know what the narration tells us, and that is what the narrator knows. It's never the whole picture, because no story can ever FULLY encompass an entire world. Some stories, though, are clever enough to emphasize it, not as a fault, but as a strength. This book is like that.
This, in fact, spreads through the whole narrative. As I was reading, I kept thinking that this book is like fractals: the more we zoomed in, the more there was to find. Names would be mentioned almost offhandedly, but soon we would know what they were brought up for. Those little details helped make the book, the tiny stories inside the big story, sometimes one or two paragraphs long, that helped make this more than the sum of its parts. I loved it.
Now, the score. I want this book among my favourites because I am, frankly, obsessed with it. But there ARE flaws. The major one: fridging.
One of the main themes of this story is grief. I understand that, that's fine. And mayhaps an allowance can be made for the fact the four - main? main bereaved? characters are supposed to parallel one each other.
On that note, female characters. There are: Lottie Schmidt herself, Clara, Regina Oliveri.
This isn't a book that hates women. I don't know a quarter of a thing about John Langan, but from what I read here, he didn't strike me as malicious. It's just that this book is concerned with a story peopled mainly and most significantly by men. This isn't me trying to downplay it - the absence was noticeable for me. But never once I felt this book was hateful. I'm a woman, for the record; I just wish there had been more of us here, numerically and otherwise.
Aside from that, I can't think of much else objectionable. This review is already huge, and I think I wrote down my main impressions well enough.
In short: if you're not scared of water, go read The Fisherman. If you are scared of water, absolutely go read The Fisherman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cannibalism, and Body horror
marrie_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Death
Minor: Cursing, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
tvbsreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the exact tempo and flavor of horror fiction that I really respond to. It has almost no pop-sensibilities. The corner of the genre it occupies isn’t simply “ghost story” or “murder tale”… but rather this deep, elemental, eternal horror. Folksy, acoustic, story-older-than-stories type stuff. However, the writing style never feels posh or kitschy or twee… it remains modern, clear, and it is a story very crisply and urgently told.
This is a book that is very much served in 3 parts. A pre-amble, the story within a story, and the climax/resolution. The bulk of the world building and narrative juice comes from the middle part. Which leaves the novel, as a whole, feeling a but unbalanced in a sense. That is to say, the framing device throws the pacing of it off in a peculiar way.
But the imagery and ideas are what the book is offering. And in that regard, it is a truly unflinching example of existential, cosmic, bone-deep horror. Not for the casual reader of popular horror, or the faint of heart.
This is a book that is very much served in 3 parts. A pre-amble, the story within a story, and the climax/resolution. The bulk of the world building and narrative juice comes from the middle part. Which leaves the novel, as a whole, feeling a but unbalanced in a sense. That is to say, the framing device throws the pacing of it off in a peculiar way.
But the imagery and ideas are what the book is offering. And in that regard, it is a truly unflinching example of existential, cosmic, bone-deep horror. Not for the casual reader of popular horror, or the faint of heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Sexual content, Suicide, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Murder, Animal death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
esterie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
not quite the plot i was expecting, but i really liked it. a story of grief and loss, specifically the desperation of grief and what we are capable of when it consumes us, centering around a story within a story within a story.
likes:
- my biggest enjoyment of this book and the bulk of that 4 star rating isthe leviathan. the sheer scale of it, and the tools the fisherman needs to capture it. i was in awe during every scene involving it. and just the idea that this monumentally huge creature exists just outside of our perception is incredibly interesting to me.
- also really liked lottie's story. just the whole vibe, the bit abouthelen . it extremely worked for me. when helen makes lottie "hallucinate" and see the black ocean full of dead bodies, the leviathan emerging from the depths to swallow it all ....... incredible.
- idk what this book was laced with but i read it in 3 sittings, the last of which i breezed through over half the book in one go (sans bio breaks). an incredibly easy read if you like the slightly meandering feeling of listening to someone tell you a story. though the book isn't long it's dense in text, some paragraphs would span multiple pages. but it didn't feel difficult to read or boring.
some q's that weren't answered to my liking:
- what wasthe stone burried under the apple tree ? does it have something to do with those "thin" areas between our world and the black ocean? like a gateway?
- wasfish-marie at the end really her (same for dan's wife and kids)? im thinking not, that when you're near the black ocean it can read your grief and show you what/whoever it would take to lead you there . but since it's at the end of the book and that part is kinda hallucinatory i'm just guessing.
didn't like:
- speaking of ending, that was the weakest part for me. though we get another glimpse ofthe leviathan (now captured) , it just felt very dream-like in that you don't really know what's going on and things just kinda flow together. felt confusing, and even though that was the point i didn't really care for it. also abe's life after the leviathan felt a bit meh. the final FINAL part though, ace.
likes:
- my biggest enjoyment of this book and the bulk of that 4 star rating is
- also really liked lottie's story. just the whole vibe, the bit about
- idk what this book was laced with but i read it in 3 sittings, the last of which i breezed through over half the book in one go (sans bio breaks). an incredibly easy read if you like the slightly meandering feeling of listening to someone tell you a story. though the book isn't long it's dense in text, some paragraphs would span multiple pages. but it didn't feel difficult to read or boring.
some q's that weren't answered to my liking:
- what was
- was
didn't like:
- speaking of ending, that was the weakest part for me. though we get another glimpse of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Car accident
bruceburhans's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely lived up to the hype. Grief and cosmic horror go together very well. Difficult at times, but I really enjoyed both stories. It's been a long time since a book made me feel quite like this one has.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Body horror
Moderate: Grief, Terminal illness, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child death, and Alcoholism
cody_crumley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Death and Addiction
toastrats's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Car accident, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Sexual content, Incest, and Dementia
tobermueller's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Grief, and Cancer
Moderate: Terminal illness, Body horror, and Sexual content
alafrizr's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Body horror, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Death, and Child death
harpoonholly's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Audiobook read by Danny Campbell. He did a fine job, but there was not a lot of required acting, since this is a 1st person pov.
I enjoyed this, but agree with many reviewers that it could have been much tighter. Atmosphere would not have been lost and might have been magnified if there was less meandering. The story within the story was interesting, but takes up 2/3rds of the book and, for all that time, not much was done. There was no significant world-building or even foreshadowing. Even if there was, how the mc reacted to the story would have negated all lessons learned.
The last few minutes (or pages) were good and could have been great, if there was stronger editing, which is my summation of the entire book.
I enjoyed this, but agree with many reviewers that it could have been much tighter. Atmosphere would not have been lost and might have been magnified if there was less meandering. The story within the story was interesting, but takes up 2/3rds of the book and, for all that time, not much was done. There was no significant world-building or even foreshadowing. Even if there was, how the mc reacted to the story would have negated all lessons learned.
The last few minutes (or pages) were good and could have been great, if there was stronger editing, which is my summation of the entire book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Suicide, Violence, Abandonment, and Child death
Spoiler below that is just my thoughts on a particular scene: