Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

3.45 of 5 stars 3.45 · rating details · 4,554 ratings · 791 reviews

British businessman and dedicated angler Paul Torday has found a way to combine a novel about fishing and all that it means with a satire involving politics, bureaucrats, the Middle East, the war in Iraq, and a sheikh who is really a mystic. Torday makes it all work in a most convincing way using memos, interviews, e-mails, and letters in clever juxtaposition.

Dr. Alfred J...more British businessman and dedicated angler Paul Torday has found a way to combine a novel about fishing and all that it means with a satire involving politics, bureaucrats, the Middle East, the war in Iraq, and a sheikh who is really a mystic. Torday makes it all work in a most convincing way using memos, interviews, e-mails, and letters in clever juxtaposition.

Dr. Alfred Jones is a fisheries scientist in Great Britain who is called upon to find a way to introduce salmon into the desert in Yemen. The Yemeni sheikh will spare no expense to see this happen. He says:

It would be a miracle of God if it happened. I know it... If God wills it, the summer rains will fill the wadis... and the salmon will run the river. And then my countrymen... all classes and manner of men--will stand side by side and fish for the salmon. And their natures, too, will be changed. They will feel the enchantment of this silver fish... and then when talk turns to what this tribe said or that tribe did... then someone will say, "Let us arise, and go fishing."

Such is the sheikh's vision. He tells Alfred: "Without faith, there is no hope. Without faith, there is no love." Alfred has no religious faith and has been mired in a loveless marriage for twenty years, so these words seem fantastic to him.

Alfred and Sheikh Muhammad connect immediately through their mutual love of fishing, despite Alfred's misgivings about the viability of the project. The Prime Minister's flack man tells Alfred that he must persevere and succeed because Great Britain needs some positive connection to the Middle East, something other than a failing, flailing war. These kinds of political alliances are always shaky at best, and when things start to go sideways, allies have a way of disappearing. Alfred soldiers on, with the help of the lovely Harriet, Sheikh Muhammad's land agent, and the project is readied for opening day, when the Sheikh and the Prime Minister will have a 20-minute photo op.

All of the faith and good will in the world cannot overcome the forces ranged against them, bringing tragedy to everyone involved. Despite all, Alfred's interior life is changed immeasurably. He says in the end: "I believe in it, because it is impossible." --Valerie Ryan(less)

Paperback, 330 pages

Published 2007 by Phoenix

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Books I want to read in 2012

104th out of 395 books — 334 voters

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Oceans, Water, Ice

13th out of 183 books — 52 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 29, 2012 John rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2008 Rose added it

The book got off to an interesting start, and held my attention, but I found it, ultimately, disappointing. Its biggest weakness was its lack of subtlety. For me, satire relies on an insidious subtlety that helps to separate it from outright farce. In this case, the satire would have been much more effective if it hadn't been applied so thickly. Some characters, especially Mary, never seem to be real people and are more like cartoon characters or pantomime dames - overdrawn and 2D, with their fa...more

21 likes · like · see review

Jan 01, 2008 Nigel rated it 3 of 5 stars

A light enjoyable read that is easily devoured in a few sittings. It's a quirkily impressive debut novel from a 60 year old engineer/fisherman! It is laced with humour and optimism as well as taking a satirical swipe at Yes Ministering and spin doctoring. The format of diary extracts, emails, interviews and articles is used throughout to good effect to flesh out the story and main characters who are largely sympathetically drawn, though the machinations of the the PM's Director of Communications...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2009 Pris robichaud rated it 5 of 5 stars

he Fisherman's Chant, Impossibility and Belief, August 23, 2007
4.5 stars

The Fisherman's chant
Rod/reel,Flask/creel, Net/fly book/, And lunch!

"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, all the way to a last twist that's as sudden and shocking as a barbed hook"
Tim MacIntosh-Smith

Jay Vent, the British prime minister, has his count...more
he Fisherman's Chant, Impossibility and Belief, August 23, 2007
4.5 stars

The Fisherman's chant
Rod/reel,Flask/creel, Net/fly book/, And lunch!

"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, all the way to a last twist that's as sudden and shocking as a barbed hook"
Tim MacIntosh-Smith

Jay Vent, the British prime minister, has his country in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and dug himself in a deep hole. And, he goes on digging. The Prime Minister's PR person hears that a wealthy Yemeni sheikh, is planning to introduce salmon to his land, and he spots a photo opportunity. The sheik's plan has to be made to work. The initial proposal was drafted by Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, the sheik's land agent, who is polite and promises "no unreasonable financial constraints". The responsibility for the success falls on the shoulders of Dr. Alfred Jones, fisheries scientist. He is also a husband of Mary, an international banker who observes the world in very practical terms. They have lived a "calm and settled relationship" between "two rational and career-minded people." Alfred Jones, of course, points out that the project will be a hugely expensive flop. The sheik wishes to share the joys of fishing - with his own peopl. As the story unfolds in a morass of emails, letters and diary entries, the sheikh has found believers. Alfred Jones is converted to the possibility of the impossible. He is forced into the project and interacts with Harriet and the Sheikh, something amazing happens. Alfred has solutions, and his anxiety gave way to a sense of excitement. He also begins to fall in love with Harriet. This is a wonderful, enjoyable read with many fairy tale elements.

"As with all good satire, there is tragedy, a story of love and loss and another of love that never was. The author must have had a wonderful time lampooning the world of Tony Blair and his government. The parable of belief and its power is also introduced", says Blair Fox I like to fly fish and the wonderful feeling of peace and togetherness with the world is indeed a part of the belief in the impossible. The lessons learned in the novel are ours to discuss and share. Along the way, we laugh a lot and we smile at the pompous Peter Maxwell of the Prime Minister's office.

"Fishing encompasses everything from the science of salmon spawning to the war in Iraq. But all these elements merely give structure to the story: a lovely musing on how risking it all - however much it may be perceived as foolish or ridiculous, can bring hope and faith and love to the most bleak of outlooks, and can render the most ordinary chap - if only briefly" DANEET STEFFENS

An extraordinary novel that surprises in its simplicity. Akin to the novel 'A Short History of Tractors in the Ukraine' by Marina Lewycka.

Highly Recommended, prisrob 08-23-07
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2013 Bjorn rated it 3 of 5 stars

it seems this sort of humane political satires can only be written in the UK - sort of like Julian Barnes meets Douglas Adams. Or so he would probably like to be thought of.

The plot: a wealthy Yemenite sheik effectively hires the British government to help him implant salmon in the rivers of Yemen; after buying a castle in Scotland, the sheik has come to the conclusion that salmon fishing is the most relaxing and peace-bringing sport in the world, and his country could use some of that. Since Ye...more it seems this sort of humane political satires can only be written in the UK - sort of like Julian Barnes meets Douglas Adams. Or so he would probably like to be thought of.

The plot: a wealthy Yemenite sheik effectively hires the British government to help him implant salmon in the rivers of Yemen; after buying a castle in Scotland, the sheik has come to the conclusion that salmon fishing is the most relaxing and peace-bringing sport in the world, and his country could use some of that. Since Yemen is a smoldering hot desert, everyone pretty much dismisses him as a nutcase, but hey, he's paying the bill so why not... plus, it would make for some killer PR, which PM Tony Bla... sorry, PM James Vent really needs considering how poorly the Iraq war is going. So a dry old salmon expert and a young beautiful woman (PLEASE GOD JUST ONCE CAN WE HAVE A BOOK WHICH DOES *NOT* HAVE AN OLDER MAN AND A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN WORKING TOGETHER, INITIALLY MISTRUSTING EACH OTHER AND THEN GROWING CLOSER ETC? JUST ONCE?!? KTHXBYE) start looking into it and gradually start to realize that as long as you really believe in something, you can achieve anything... if not for those pesky al-Qaeda who, of course, are dead set against using Moslem land for something as un-islamic as salmon fishing.

Now, it's not that it's not funny, because it is. It manages to get in some pretty good kicks in all directions, and somewhere underneath it all is a very serious undertone of the danger of becoming so rational that you no longer dare dream of anything at all which hasn't already been proven to work.

But the problem is that Torday (this is his debut, at age 60) is a decent storyteller but not a very good writer. Had he stuck to the first person or third person throughout he could probably have made this a better much book, but the problem is he keeps shifting perspective - from diary entries to e-mails to interrogation transcripts etc - and hardly ONE of them sounds authentic. Call me crazy, but I just don't buy that people who are being interrogated by MI5 (or is it MI6? I can never remember) will spend pages on poetic descriptions of the highlands or the kindness of Yemenite bedouines. If this happened once or twice it wouldn't bother me in a satire, but when it's done this consistently, it grates. Who the hell decided that literary qualities were unimportant just because it's a matter of comedy?(less)

like · see review

Apr 25, 2013 Abzi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't know this had been a book before watching the movie. On opening the book I found scenes that seemed to have been taken out of the novel and written in to the book. I like when a movie is true to the book so this made me so happy and excited to read on.
The story is told through letters, interviews and other documentation. For some this might put people off but for me it was a pleasant reminder of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' which I also enjoyed.
The character Fred...more

like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Graham S rated it 1 of 5 stars

The satire would have been much more effective if it hadn't been applied so thickly. Some characters, especially Mary, never seem to be real people at all, with their faults exaggerated beyond the bounds of plausibility.
No one talks like that in interviews with investigators. Some of the emails, however, were quite funny, as were some of Peter Maxwell's writings.

Parts of the book were very predictable but I didn't forsee what happened in the end, but I found it quite a flat ending. It was alm...more

like · see review

Feb 16, 2013 Forbular rated it 3 of 5 stars

Im not trying to convince anyone that this is a great piece of classical literature some of the charactrs are steriotypes, infact most of them in truth but it was witty engaging and fun and i loved some of the things it said about the middle east as its too often protrayed as a country of sexist terrorists by the tabloids.

I loved:
The seikh (sorry i cant remember how to spell that)
Collin the gilly (reminds me of a gilly i know)
The email & diary format was fun and quirky
The absurdity
Alfre...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Harsha Priolkar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

A fascinating tale of dreams and how they can sometimes consume us but most often will set us free, if only we let them!

So we meet Dr. Jones, a gentleman academic and scientist married to an obnoxious woman (I hate to say this about any woman, even a fictional one, but she is really just awful), who is thrust headfirst into a bizarre project at the whim of a wealthy sheikh. The sheikh who is a visionary, a wise man and a keen salmon fishing enthusiast (a potent combination), dreams of seeing sal...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2013 Valerie Derbyshire rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got quite excited when I realised that this book was written in the epistolary style - I have a real penchant for novels that use this device. It's something you see a lot of in Victorian fiction (which I adore) but not so much in modern day stuff, so I was really looking forward to getting stuck in.

However, it was all a bit disappointing. The scientist's Dr Jones's early emails and diary entries are dull as ditch water unless you are a real salmon or fishing fan (which I'm not). The early par...more

like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Hilary G rated it 3 of 5 stars

I chose Salmon Fishing in the Yemen completely at random, without having any preconceived notion of what it was about. I suppose I was attracted by the word “fishing” as I am known for my interest in the (now more or less defunct) fishing industry, but this book is about angling rather than trawling, I’m not sure I was even struck by the incongruity of salmon fishing in a largely desert country before I read the book, as I know stuff all about salmon and didn’t realise they’d die if they got too...more I chose Salmon Fishing in the Yemen completely at random, without having any preconceived notion of what it was about. I suppose I was attracted by the word “fishing” as I am known for my interest in the (now more or less defunct) fishing industry, but this book is about angling rather than trawling, I’m not sure I was even struck by the incongruity of salmon fishing in a largely desert country before I read the book, as I know stuff all about salmon and didn’t realise they’d die if they got too hot, not enough oxygen etc. Salmon are fish with quite an interesting life cycle with them swimming miles and mile back to where they were spawned to spawn themselves, and there was some consideration of where they would go from the Yemen, and how they would get back, but mostly the thrust was about fishing for them. Salmon fishing seems to be one of those activities that captivates people to the point of obsession, much like golf or bridge, though I can’t personally see the attraction of standing in waders in the middle of a river trying to catch a fish that you could go and buy in Tesco.

The book was simplistic in many ways. The story was progressed by a series of communications between the various characters – emails, memorandums, a diary etc. This is quite a good idea and makes the book very easy to read, but it felt a bit artificial, especially Fred’s diary. There were relatively few characters, really, and though they didn’t really have any depth, they were recognisable types: the dull civil servant, the aggressively ambitious woman, the London female estate agent (lots of them are Sloanies with double-barrelled names), the spin doctor, the gruff Scottish servant, the Sheikh. The format of the book made it hard for them to be anything more than caricatures. Two characters (Robert and the PM) barely even existed, though they had quite a bearing on the subject.

Funnily enough, the character that I thought was the most interesting was the Sheikh. Although I have no faith myself, I found his faith touching, and really he was the only one who had any, and despite all the spin of Peter Maxwell (was he supposed to be Alistair Campbell or Peter Mandelson) it was the Sheikh who really made things happen. Paul Torday appeared to be saying something about the difference between the West and the Middle East, but it wasn’t that clear what it was. One thing that really rang true though, despite being ridiculous and quite funny, was the guy who was prepared to become a terrorist because he had been told he held a rod “like a big girl”. I have met a lot of Arabs and some were very quick to take offence.

I thought the end was a bit odd really. I suppose you couldn’t have the project an unmitigated success because it would be implausible and it would be depressing if it were an unmitigated disaster, so Torday did something else completely. Quite unexpected.

This was a quick, fun read. It was a bit different. Despite the deaths, it was fairly light-hearted. There were some potentially interesting themes such as the nature of faith, cultural differences, political spin, but none of them were really explored in any depth. It was an easy read, but I would say the accolades on the cover (“a wonderful novel” “truly extraordinary”) were somewhat overstated. The novel was entertaining but rather shallow.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is very sweet. It’s got a light hearted plot (UK fisheries scientist is hired by a billionaire sheik to introduce salmon fishing to the Yemen), sympathetic characters and an entirely undemanding set of thematic questions. Reading is is the equivalent to drinking a hot tea after a rainy day: soothing, heart warming and altogether unexciting.

I’d not recommend Salmon Fishing because it doesn’t offer you anything fresh - the characters are all familiar, their concerns pre...more

like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Marina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, humor, politics

I really liked that book, but (and maybe that's because I read it after watching the film) I have a (wee) problem with the ending. Being the rest of the novel so cynical, surely a spark of hope at the end wouldn't be too much to ask?

The format of the novel is clever and entertaining (although I enjoyed some bits more than others, of course, my favourite bits being Fred's diary), and it makes the irony of it all even more obvious. Because what Salmon Fishin in the Yemen does is to point out all (...more I really liked that book, but (and maybe that's because I read it after watching the film) I have a (wee) problem with the ending. Being the rest of the novel so cynical, surely a spark of hope at the end wouldn't be too much to ask?

The format of the novel is clever and entertaining (although I enjoyed some bits more than others, of course, my favourite bits being Fred's diary), and it makes the irony of it all even more obvious. Because what Salmon Fishin in the Yemen does is to point out all (ok, some) of the worst contradictions/problems/hypocrisies/faultines of Western thought in relation to culture, politics and society in general... And it's done sometimes unashamedly ((view spoiler) safafafwf) and sometimes not that bluntly ((view spoiler) = lack of TRANSPARENCY, lack of meaning in languange etc.) but it is NEVER subtle.

And you enjoy it because, despite being so decadent it is also a bit surreal (salmon in the Yemen!), ironic in a funny haha way, and hopeful. I really can do with Fred and Harriet ending separate ways (I would have believed it even in the film, which has much more rom-com elements, but still), but it's all so tragic. (view spoiler)

Wasn't the point of the book to shred some hope (faith or whatever) into the disgusting mess our present day is? then why did you broke my heart? (maybe the fact that the project does work for a moment should do the trick? it didn't with me).

(I'm sorry if this review is too ungrammatical, I've got a headache and this computer doesn't have spell check in English. Also, I haven't read any other review of this novel, I may think I'm stupid if I do.)

(Also, the lack of women in the novel? I think it's on purpose. It is criticising Western world, and it's a men's world (and plus, it polarizes the Harriet/Mary). There may be a little bit of a problem here with the film, where Mr Maxwell becames a Mrs. This character is the most problematic one, he represents everything that is wrong with our society... To make him a woman -even if it's a competent one- it's a bit hypocritical...)(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book for a book group and stopped half way through. I wasn't liking the book so decided to watch the movie instead. Didn't like it much either.

I found the characters and the situations they were put in rather irritating. Someone else reading the book said the characters were all very one dimensional and I agree with that assessment. Plus I just don't like the writing technique of jumping back and forth along the timeline of a story. I hate it when the author starts to tell a story an...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Agatha rated it 4 of 5 stars

For any lover of quirky, satirical, British fiction. Could also be very appealing for readers from a completely different ilk: fishermen and/or lovers of the outdoors. A movie was made recently based upon this same book, but I have not yet seen the movie. Will look for it now that I’ve finished the book.

Main character Alfred Jones is a scientific bureaucrat in the British National Centre for Fishing Excellence and he is approached by his boss to support a wealthy Yemenese shikh who would like t...more

like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I saw the movie a month or so ago, and thought it was OK, mostly because of very good performances from the lead actors. I then read a review criticizing it for very heavy-handed satire, unlike the light satire of the book, which was very popular in England but never caught on the US. So I thought I'd give the book a try. As far as satire goes, the movie was at least as good as the book, which contains many pages of memos, emails, and transcripts of parliamentary proceedings, all of which pall v...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought it was interesting to learn the story from the different perspectives of the various characters and I liked the cross-cutting effect when the reader was not aware of events that had happened until they were filled in by Dr Jones' interrogation.

I'm glad that Fred and Harriet didn't get together because that would have been of detriment to the sentimentalilty of the meaning of the Salmon Project itself (belief in the impossible) because this meaning would have been utterly overshadowed...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 07, 2012 Lois rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book began boringly, but finished on a relatively high note.

I had to read it for bookclub. It's not a book I would have chosen to read. I find that titles can pull me in with mystery or humour or even a key word that suggests at something exciting within.

The word in the title that I found drew me most to this book was the word "The". So not the most promising start.

Fred Jones didn't help much in the beginning. He was henpecked, somewhat arrogant - but not enough to be strong in character -...more

1 like · like · see review

May 09, 2012 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have to confess that the title had put me off buying this book for many years, it's not exactly promising really is it? Well meaning friends wore me down and convinced me that because I like Life of Pi I'd like this too so in order to clear my brain of the drivel that was Fifty Shades of Grey I got stuck into this.

I realised very early on that this was not going to be an especially great book. Whilst the technical writing on the subject of fishing and salmon is undeniably accurate (read: dull)...more

like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an odd book. The premise is wonderful: a middle-aged male scientist is approached by a young-ish woman to help a Yemeni sheihk develop a salmon fishing experience for his countrymen. Add the lovely thoughts that it would be a miracle to bring this scenario to the Middle East. A miracle of science - but also a miracle of faith. I loved the main characters - genuine, well-developed, worthy of reflection. Beyond this, though, things get out-of-joint.

I think the author meant to highlight the...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2012 Clare Cannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adults

A lightly satirical novel about a rational scientist who unwillingly gets involved in an absurd fishing project at the request of the British Prime Minister. This project brings him into contact with a sheikh from Yemen whose simple, faith-inspired wisdom gradually melts the scientist's attitude.

However it is not a book to answer the questions it raises by pointing in any one direction, it only effectively stirs up thought about things which are complacently taken for granted in the western worl...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 31, 2011 Ally Atherton rated it 2 of 5 stars

How do you you fly ten thousand salmon over to the Yemen and how on earth are you supposed to get them to live and breed in the desert ?

Dr Alfred Jones is a fisheries scientist whose biggest achievement in life was publishing his esteemed paper 'Effects of Increased Water Acidity on the Caddis Fly Larva'. Out of the blue he is contacted by Fitzharris and Price ( Land Agents & Consultants) who are acting on behalf of a client ( A Yemeni Sheikh) who has come up with the absurd proposal to intr...more
How do you you fly ten thousand salmon over to the Yemen and how on earth are you supposed to get them to live and breed in the desert ?

Dr Alfred Jones is a fisheries scientist whose biggest achievement in life was publishing his esteemed paper 'Effects of Increased Water Acidity on the Caddis Fly Larva'. Out of the blue he is contacted by Fitzharris and Price ( Land Agents & Consultants) who are acting on behalf of a client ( A Yemeni Sheikh) who has come up with the absurd proposal to introduce Salmon fishing in his country. At first Dr Jones is adamant that the whole idea is ridiculous and that he wants nothing more to do with it but then the Prime Ministers office gets involved. With his marriage falling apart at the seams he decides to change the course of his life.

I decided to read this after (earlier this year) reading Paul Torday's excellent book 'The Girl On the Landing.' Like that book 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' is highly original, unique and very brave for a first novel. And I liked the fact that underlying the story is a good moral story about the importance of faith and about how (in the west) faith has been replaced by love of money and power. In parts it is also quite amusing ( QUITE not incredibly amusing).

However, even though this book is original and very different from anything I have ever read I just found it lacked an interesting story plot. Maybe people who are into fishing would appreciate it more but I am not a fan of fishing. To me I found the story as exciting as salmon fishing to be honest. The whole story is made up of a series of emails, letters and diary excerpts and this also slowed it down . I guess what I have learned ( from an aspiring writers perspective) is that it sometimes isn't enough to have an original and unique story, you also need an interesting and exciting plot. The plot in this book left me asking the age old question, SO What ? After the fantastic ' The Girl on the Landing' I will probably read more from Paul Torday, this just wasn't my favourite book.

7/10 (less)

like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Mal Warwick rated it 4 of 5 stars

You know this, right? Yemen, previously called “The Yemen,” lies on the fringe of the Arabian Peninsula as is best known today as a world-class producer of sand, desert heat, and political violence. Salmon are, of course, cold-water fish that are challenging to catch with a rod and reel but taste all the better once caught. So, we’re on the same page, yes?

Now consider the chances of finding a novel that adroitly mixes not just Yemen and salmon fishing but also the British Parliament, Al Qaeda, a...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2011 harryknuckles rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have just finished reading this book.

I was hooked from the first page! The novel concerns itself with an intelligent, hen-pecked scientist and his growing passion for what at first appears impossible and mad.

The style in which this story is presented is very interesting - using diaries, interviews, emails and letters. It intrigues me and I found that the continual change of pace and point of view dragged me more and more into the story.

Also, the correspondence between our hero (if that's wh...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2011 Sandra Grauschopf rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Told through a series of diary entries, book excerpts, and newspaper reports, this is the story of a sheikh who wants to perform a miracle - to see salmon spawn in the mountains of Yemen, to bring together the disparate tribes of the country in a love of fishing, and to teach his countrymen patience. This despite the fact that salmon love cold, clear waters, and Yemen is a desert.

To help in this task, the sheikh brings on board Dr. Alfred Jones, a fishery scientist with no beliefs to speak of. A...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 25, 2010 Toeknee mabanes rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that the title of the novel did not fail to amuse me despite the myriad of available books on the shelves. Plus, I also have to add that because of its large print edition, it added charm for someone bespectacled like me. I was thinking how could someone fish salmon in an arid place like the Yemen, now, that’s what is amusing about Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday. I was totally absorbed that I finished the book in one day, in between preparing breakfast, cleaning my ro...more I have to admit that the title of the novel did not fail to amuse me despite the myriad of available books on the shelves. Plus, I also have to add that because of its large print edition, it added charm for someone bespectacled like me. I was thinking how could someone fish salmon in an arid place like the Yemen, now, that’s what is amusing about Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday. I was totally absorbed that I finished the book in one day, in between preparing breakfast, cleaning my room, and washing dishes.

Dr. Alfred Jones was irked by a proposal of introducing salmon fishing in the arid land of Yemen, he is foremost a scientist, logic and scientific investigation is his armor, he does not create miracles. Rebuked and rejected, Harriet, who sent the proposal, in behalf of a prominent Yemeni client who owns an estate in Scotland, did not loose hope. With the right connections, the proposal, got notice by Peter Maxwell, the Director of Communications of the Prime Minister. An arduous character, full of himself, made Dr. Jones rethink the proposal because it would create a wonderful opportunity for Anglo-Yemeni relations, plus the angler community, numbering to four million, would be a happy lot that would bring in votes for their party.

The vision started with the Sheik. A man of wealth and power, but humbled by his faith in God. A man who believes in miracles but for the miracle to happen and fish salmon in the Yemen, he would need someone to believe in his vision as well. Initially, Dr. Jones and Harriet did not believe, though they are enthralled and at peace every opportunity they have to be in the presence of the Sheik.

Dr. Jones had to face a lot of difficulties both professional and marital in nature. He accepted the fishing project because he was alluded by director of the fisheries agency he was working for. Dr. Jones’ relationship with his wife became distant when she was assigned in Geneva. The exchange of e-mails between husband and wife was froth with difficulties and full of drama. Though faced with an inimical condition, Dr. Jones noticed that there is something different about him when he started working for the Sheik. Dr. Jones loves to go on a fishing trip once a year, an activity which his wife feels a total waste of money. But for the fisheries expert, it is the only time in his life where he could be totally absorbed with the voice of the river, total in the space between the water and the boat or the estuary, a life still.

As a scientist, Dr. Jones does not know how to manage the other details of the project, Harriet had to do the administrative work and she did it excellently. Her life revolved around the project but her heart is aching to hear news from her fiancé who was stationed in Iraq. Harriet frantically phoned and e-mailed people in the military to get news but in the end, all things will be revealed to her.

The Sheik, a man of faith, his faith made a big difference not only in the fishing project but also, in the lives of the two main characters in the story. Eventually, he did get to see the success of his fishing project and the prime minister had his opportunity to have his photo taken in the Yemen.

The characters, Dr. Jones and Harriett, initially were cynics, but it takes one man to change the way they see things. Though, both characters are absorbed, their work changed them forever. Fate would dictate the outcome of events, though the fishing project was successful, there are heartaches, which I will not reveal, lest I spoil the ending, faith changed everything. The different chapters gives the reader a clue where the story will lead to however, I was not prepared for the ending. Dr. Jones and Harriett eventually had to simplify their lives, happy in their solitude, found meaning in the memory that will keep them together and at the same time apart.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a story about faith. Incredulous is not in the vocabulary of a man who has faith. Faith transformed to belief will create miracles. And the miracle of salmon fishing in the Yemen, transpired but, not without consequences. Success in the eyes of the faithless, is short of grand, but in the eyes of someone who believes, miracles truly happen.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 09, 2013 Sean Brennan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: other

The one pastime that has I have never been able to understand, how anybody could possibly enjoy is fishing, so when I was informed that this was to be my local book club's next book, I was a tad sceptical. In fact it is a wonderful political satire, written through a collection of diary entries, letters, reports and various other communications concerning the plan to introduce the North Atlantic Salmon to the Yemen.

This is a very British Book, with the political figures in the book constantly ch...more

like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

A decent story that fell short in the execution. The entire story was communicated through diary entries, emails, newspaper articles, interview transcripts and an unpublished memoir. It was an interesting concept, especially when you realise *why* it's been done. Having said that, I felt the story suffered from a lack of one clear, coherent narrative. Interview transcripts tried to stray into normal prose, and felt unnatural given that it was supposed to be a character speaking all of this. Furt...more

like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 Readingjay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, british, humour, book-club

I don't know why this took so long to read. Although I enjoyed it, the structure made it too easy to put aside for quite long periods of time. I'd seen the film first so knew (or thought I knew) what the plotline would be, but as usual, the written narrative is so much better than the filmmaker's vision.

What is immensely clever about this storytelling are the multiple voices and use of a number of different text types. We have letters, emails, diaries, newspaper and journal reports (including s...more

like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This showed up on the list of e-books available from our library, so I thought I would give it a try, and I'm glad I did. I read most books based on reviews or recommendations and this had neither. It is a fairly humorous look at a very rich Yemeni sheik who decides that he would like to create a place in his native country where people can catch salmon and seeks help from the British government to do so. The idea is first floated to Dr. Alfred Jones, a fish expert, who states in no uncertain te...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
FABC Cultural Awa...: First online discussion question	5	9	Oct 05, 2012 03:25am

combine
Other Editions (36)

More editions...

Genres

Book Club

28 users

Contemporary

21 users

Humor

16 users

Literature

10 users

European Literature > British Literature

9 users

Politics

8 users

Modern

8 users

Novels

6 users

Adult Fiction

5 users

Humor > Comedy

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Paul Torday

The Irresistible Inheritance Of Wilberforce

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Lachsfischen Im J...

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Salmon Fishing in the ...

“Faith is the cure that heals all troubles. Without faith there is no hope and no love. Faith comes before hope, and before love. (Sheikh Muhammad ibn Zaidi bani Tihama)” — 18 people liked it

“It would be so good to settle down and become part of somewhere again, instead of constantly passing through” — 7 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
avg rating	preview: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Goodreads rating: 3.45 (4554 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1331653.Salmon_Fishing_in_the_Yemen?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347617111l/1331653.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1331653.Salmon_Fishing_in_the_Yemen?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday[/url]

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website