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The Fisherman

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About this listen

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.

©2016 John Langan (P)2023 Tantor Media Fiction Genre Fiction Horror Sea Adventures Scary Adventure Fishing
All stars
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liked the two gents but felt the evil guy was just not relatable and you fond yourself working hard to get a pretty poor story.
zillions rate the book higher. sorry. not for me

Great characters but story is too ghosty for me

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*possible spoilers*


The structure of the novel threw me initially. When I realised we had moved entirely into the ‘past’ storyline and were not coming out of it until that was finished, I was worried that it would when felt like two short stories put together to make up a novel. And while it somewhat is, the writing is so beautiful and the world so interesting, that you almost come to not mind it.

While most stories would infer or allude to the ‘explanation’ for the horrors occurring, The Fisherman explicitly gives you the reasons but doesn’t get bogged down with the inner workings or intricacies of it. It still feels allusive and mysterious by the end but satisfying nonetheless.

A beautifully written Lovecraftian story that offers more than just a glimpse at the horror.

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I’d heard this was a great book n scary too but honestly I didn’t find it to be either. The story within the story was far too long (don’t believe Abe when he says it took Howard an hour to tell it) and would’ve benefited from not being so drawn out. I actually enjoyed the framing story much more but didn’t really enjoy the ‘horror’ parts n I could definitely have done without the vivid detail of a certain scene. I can see why people rate the book but sadly it wasn’t for me

Disappointed

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atmospheric, frightening, and engrossing. This Stoker prize-winning novel is well worth a listen. the pacing of the story is a little off, telling a split narrative over many years. it would have benefited from interspersing each narrative with the other but this minor quibble only slightly detracts from the perfect Halloween listen.

exceptional cosmic horror

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One of the best books I’ve listened to / read over the years. The story is gripping and the performance is engrossing - helped by the book being from the perspective of a person telling a story.

One of the Best

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