Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Softcover

Torday, Paul

3.55

15,891 ratings by Goodreads

9780297851721: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0297851721 ISBN 13: 9780297851721

Publisher: W&N, 2007

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Written as a 'report into the circumstances surrounding the decision to introduce salmon into the Yemen', this is a novel that is made up of emails, letters, diary extracts, records of Prime Minister's Question Time, interviews, and chapters from the memoirs of a fantastically weasely Peter Mandelson-type figure.
The 'Yes Minister' comparisons are justified (and there is some brilliant, hilarious political and bureaucratic satire here), but at its heart it's the story of a hen-pecked, slightly pompous, middle-aged scientist who finds himself caught up in what seems like an impossible project, and of how this project changes his life. In the process he becomes an unlikely, and rather loveable hero, discovers true love for himself, finds himself both a pawn and then a victim of political spin, leaves his brilliantly horrible wife, and learns to believe in the impossible. And he takes the reader with him in the process�
The author (a keen salmon fisherman himself) writes about salmon fishing with atmospheric reverence, deftly captures the hypocrisy of Western governments - who spot the PR angles of sending fish to the Middle East rather than soldiers - conveys the mindless bureaucracy of the civil service, and the government's skillful nurturing of deniability, and portrays a man who rather belatedly comes of age in extraordinary circumstances.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

PRAISE FOR"SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN""" "[At] its heart is Jones's journey from skepticism to belief." --"The New York Times""Torday's clear talent is striking such a variety of notes, from soulful to satirical, and making them work as one bracing, bittersweet whole."--Michael Upchurch, "The Seattle Times" "Paul Torday's debut novel is about an impossibility. It is also about belief in the impossible, and belief itself. And the remarkable thing is that a book about so deeply serious a matter can make you laugh . . ."Salmon Fishing"is extraordinary indeed, and a triumph."--"The Guardian"(London)

Book Description:

An extraordinary, witty, moving and enchanting tale of fly-fishing and political spinning, of unexpected heroism and late-blooming love - and of an attempt to prove the impossible, possible.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.