This is the story of Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist - for whom diary-notable events include the acquisition of a new electric toothbrush and getting his article on caddis fly larvae published in 'Trout and Salmon' - who finds himself reluctantly involved in a project to bring salmon fishing to the Highlands of the Yemen - a project that will change his life, and the course of British political history for ever. With a wickedly wonderful cast of characters - including a visionary Sheikh, a weasely spin doctor, Fred's devilish wife and a few thousand transplanted salmon - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is a novel about hypocrisy and bureaucracy, dreams and deniability, and the transforming power of faith and love.
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
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From Publishers Weekly
In Torday's winningly absurdist debut, Dr. Alfred Jones feels at odds with his orderly life as a London fisheries scientist and husband to the career-driven Mary, with whom he shares a coldly dispassionate relationship. Just as Mary departs for a protracted assignment in Geneva, Alfred gets consulted on a visionary sheik's scheme to introduce salmon, and salmon-angling, to the country of Yemen. Alfred is deeply skeptical (salmon are cold-water fish that spawn in fresh water; Yemen is hot and largely desert), but the project gains traction when Peter Maxwell, the prime minister's director of communications, seizes on it as a PR antidote to negative press related to the Iraq war. Alfred is pressed by his superiors to meet with the sheik's real estate rep, the glamorous young Harriet, and embarks on a yearlong journey to realize the sheik's vision of spiritual peace through fly-fishing for the people of Yemen. British businessman and angler Torday captures Alfred's emerging humanity, Maxwell's antic solipsism, Mary's calculating neediness and Harriet's vulnerability, presenting their voices through diaries, e-mails, letters and official interviews conducted after the doomed venture's surprisingly tragic outcome. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Almost exclusively through correspondence--memos, e-mails, diary excerpts, and the text of a government investigation--Torday has woven a charming novel about a bizarre plan to introduce salmon fishing into Yemen and bring the benefits of the sport to Yemenis. When first approached, Alfred Jones, a scientist at London's National Centre for Fisheries Excellence, dismisses the idea as ridiculous, but it catches the attention of the prime minister's spinmeister, and Alfred is compelled to consult with the author (and bankroller) of the plan, a fabulously wealthy Yemeni sheik. Dutifully, Smith begins to study the idea while realizing that his 20-year marriage to a shrewish, driven banker is devoid of love. And, while being tossed about by political agendas, he begins to believe that the impossible may be possible. That may sound trite, but Torday carries it off with a wacky plot, vivid characters, and a knowing sense of politics and bureaucracy. A remarkably assured first novel, this one is a pure delight. Thomas Gaughan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's like PG Wodehouse of the 21st century. What light fun reading this is! So much so, that I sent a copy to Mum overseas; the only other book that got this royal treatment was English Passengers by Matthew Kneale, which was very entertaining, and also enlightening about the conquering of Tasmania.
I wish I could come up with ideas and write like these guys.
I wish I could come up with ideas and write like these guys.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Dave and Joe
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
I found this book on a book table in a gas station. The title interested me and I picked it up with few expectations. What a find. What a reward. This is a book about faith, about miracles, about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I'm buying copies for everyone, it's worth reading, it's worth talking about ... it's what literature should be - engaging and blissful to read. Loved it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Lenny D
Format:Paperback
This is comedy satire is about Dr Alfred Jones, who finds himself reluctantly mixed up in a project to bring salmon to the Highlands of the Yemen. This project changes his life and British politics forever. The book boasts a range of quirky and realistic characters, which are all affected by Fred's involvement in the Salmon project. This novel is both cleverly humorous and thought provoking, and uses a deliciously random and peculiar idea to make a point on the subject of faith and loyalty. Having said this, I found it, at moments, a little weak and transparent, though still enjoyable. However, I highly recommend THE FATES by Tino Georgiou. As a great read, this novel ticks all the right boxes. It is intelligent, cleverly written, encorporating many interesting themes. Highly recommended.
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3.9 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A humourous romp with a message.
Two cultures, one scientist, one sheik, one politician, two women. Belief versus cynicism. The radical versus the conservative. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Len
3.0 out of 5 stars
A charming read
I read this strictly because of the trailer for the upcoming film adaptation.
It's a very light read, not too-chock-full of tangy British humourous flashes, some faint... Read more
It's a very light read, not too-chock-full of tangy British humourous flashes, some faint... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Schmadrian
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