{Review} – The Fisherman by John Langan


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 Fisher: 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.

Back cover copy

My Thoughts

First of all, just look at that cover! It's flarkin beautiful! I want that painting framed and on my wall!

Seriously though, this book was amazing. As I've said recently in my review of Gemma File's Experimental Film, I love good slow burn read. I regret taking so long to get to this title. It's recommended by my favorite author: Laird Barron. You can see his sparkling review of it at the top of the front cover.

But why did I love it so much? Well, it was like this book was written specifically to target my interests. It's a terrifying story involving the occult/paranormal with a slight Lovecraftian flavor yet elevated high above the slush that makes up most genre fiction. It's not just a book about monsters, nor is it about hacking and slashing of bodies. It truly is a telling of horror that happens behind the scenes of the world and of the plight of those few who are forced to face it in some fashion or another.

Even the most fantastic elements of the story, though they are definitely beyond fantastic, do not stand out as they would in most speculative fiction. Langan has the ability to make these unnatural things fit into the world of his story with ease. He makes you truly believe every word he puts down and think about how you, as the reader, fit within the world of his story, and thus into the real world itself.

I could not recommend reading this book more. I borrowed this one from the library, but I plan on adding a copy to my personal library in the near future.

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