Sitting by his father's deathbed, William Bloom tries to understand the man quickly slipping away, who is more interested in evading his son's ques...
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Nov 03, 2011
K.D.
rated it: 
On the day I was born, there was a big typhoon. The water was seeping through the ceiling of the hospital room and there was a dripping pan catching the falling raindrops beside my mama’s bed. I was the youngest in the family and my papa did not bother to wait and see me right after I was born. I guess he was no longer excited to see another mouth to feed in addition to my two older brothers and a sister. Three days after my mama’s caesarian operation, my papa picked us up but the streets were s
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Jul 04, 2008
Jeffrey
rated it: 
Please, read this book. Once in a while, like The Five People You Meet in Heaven, comes a book that is original, full of wonder, Chronicle of Narneish, so full of meaning and beauty that all must buy it, read it, and pass it on. This is perfection. Oh, also see the Tim Burton version of this. As a matter of fact, just see all of Burton's movies. How else to do such a story? Great!
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Dec 01, 2008
Lori
rated it:
When I read "Mr Sebastian and the Negro Magician" (check out my review), I knew I needed to read everything Daniel Wallace had written. "Big Fish" is a thin book, which is my only complaint -- I just wanted his stories to go on and on.
While I didn't like this book as well as "Mr Sebastian", I still read it all in one sitting and loved how Wallace spins a story. He has a magical imagination, and an often lyrical sense to his humor. I really enjoyed thi More...
While I didn't like this book as well as "Mr Sebastian", I still read it all in one sitting and loved how Wallace spins a story. He has a magical imagination, and an often lyrical sense to his humor. I really enjoyed thi More...
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Jul 24, 2008
Somewhere along the line, I gained the impression that this book had whole chapters of content I'd be more comfortable skipping. As it turned out, there was nothing too bad.
It was, however, pretty dang scattered, and I might not have had the patience for it if I hadn't already seen the movie.
Really, I think I liked the movie better. I like the addition of a plot, and though maybe that weakens the theme of immortality and understanding through stories however truthful, I'l More...
It was, however, pretty dang scattered, and I might not have had the patience for it if I hadn't already seen the movie.
Really, I think I liked the movie better. I like the addition of a plot, and though maybe that weakens the theme of immortality and understanding through stories however truthful, I'l More...
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Dec 07, 2008
I think the guy who plays the main character in this movie is attractive, but I forgot his name. If that's not a good reason to read the book, then I don't know what is.
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 14, 2008
Phyllis
rated it: 
While I was reading this book, I kept wondering if I liked it. It seems the more I read, the better it was, especially
at the end, which made me smile. It wasn't until the end
of the book, that it made sense in it's entirity. I loved
the ending in this book. All the mythology and exaggeration,
made me question the value of the story, at first I only
seemed to attend to the father/son conversations that I felt
were real and poignant. Little by little, I started t More...
at the end, which made me smile. It wasn't until the end
of the book, that it made sense in it's entirity. I loved
the ending in this book. All the mythology and exaggeration,
made me question the value of the story, at first I only
seemed to attend to the father/son conversations that I felt
were real and poignant. Little by little, I started t More...
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 08, 2011
Lana
rated it: 
Si antes era fan de Tim Burton, tras haber leído este libro, lo soy aún más. Me cuesta creer que una de mis películas favoritas, Big Fish, haya salido de este libro tan...¿frío? La verdad es que no encuentro la palabra adecuada para definirlo, a ver si consigo explicarlo a medida que escribo este comentario, que más que una reseña del libro en sí será una comparativa entre la obra original y el filme. Eso sí, si no has visto la adaptación cinematográfica y tienes intención de verla, te recomiend
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Aug 16, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
3.5 stars. This was a fascinating read full of wonder and symbolism. This was also made into a movie, which I think both the book and movie complete each other very well. The movie was directed by Tim Burton who always takes the quirky and eccentric views of life-which I enjoy! Entertaining and mythical.
In Big Fish, Daniel Wallace angles in search of a father and hooks instead a fictional debut as winning as any this year. From his son's standpoint, Edward Bloom leaves much to be de More...
In Big Fish, Daniel Wallace angles in search of a father and hooks instead a fictional debut as winning as any this year. From his son's standpoint, Edward Bloom leaves much to be de More...
Aug 12, 2011
Craig
rated it:
It seems I'm on a "book-to-movie" kick. There are a few movies that I loved so much that I decided I had to read the book, and Big Fish is wholeheartedly one of them. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that such a big movie came from such a small book...
Mostly the structure is just a series of stories about the life of Edward Bloom - and of course, when I say stories, I really mean legends. William doesn't really know what's "real" about his father; but then again, More...
Mostly the structure is just a series of stories about the life of Edward Bloom - and of course, when I say stories, I really mean legends. William doesn't really know what's "real" about his father; but then again, More...
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Jun 11, 2011
Skipper
rated it:
Seems that the book gets great ratings, but mostly only if the reader hasn't seen the Tim Burton movie first. I've seen the movie, but so long ago that it didn't color my feelings too much. The book may be at odds with today's readers, used to long books with long chapters. Many chapters in the book are only two or three pages--the author uses small sentences to large effect. The comes off more folksie and down-to-earth than the movie, which dove unabashedly into the fable-like stories relayed b
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Mar 10, 2011
Tammy
rated it:
My daughter was given an assignment for school - read a book that has been made into a movie, watch the movie, and write a compare and contrast paper. When she showed me the list of books-to-movies she was to choose from, I am embarrassed to admit that my response was, "Big Fish is one of my favorite movies! I recall leaving the theater and turning to your father and saying, "every movie should be this movie". I had no idea it was a book first."
I had no idea. More...
I had no idea. More...
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Feb 01, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
This book contains the story of a working father (Edward Bloom) trying to make ends meat for his family, but at the same time he tries to stay true to his dreams. He tries to connect with his son (William Bloom) using great stories with amazing characters of inexplicable complexion. It is difficult to find out if he really met these characters during his business travels or not.
Daniel Wallace had the ability to develop each character in an unusual way. For him, the physical aspect of More...
Daniel Wallace had the ability to develop each character in an unusual way. For him, the physical aspect of More...
Jan 31, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 08, 2010
Allison
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May 12, 2010
Mducsak
rated it:
Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish is a heartwarming novel about the hardships of love, life, and death. Including several amusing tales of a single man’s life, Wallace incorporates life lessons into his story.
William Bloom’s father hasn’t much time to live, and William is focusing on getting to know his close, yet very distant father before his time is up. William’s father, Edward Bloom, depicts memorable times in his life and transforms these memories into heroic stories. William tel More...
William Bloom’s father hasn’t much time to live, and William is focusing on getting to know his close, yet very distant father before his time is up. William’s father, Edward Bloom, depicts memorable times in his life and transforms these memories into heroic stories. William tel More...
Mar 19, 2010
Kandice
rated it:
What a beautiful book. I've loved the movie for years, never knowing it was a book first. The story is about Edward Bloom, as told through his son William's memories, while Edward lays at death's door. Edward's life is part myth, part truth and part lie, but his life in it's entirety is all charm. He was born a big fish in a little pond. His stories are all big fish stories, and William has been dragged like a fish with a hook in it's mouth his entire life, hanging on for the punchline of each o
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Nov 13, 2011
Shovelmonkey1
rated it:
Edward Bloom is dying. But he's taking his time about it. Time enough, in fact, to have four run ups to the actual event itself and to recount the varied adventures, myths and fables which have attached themselves to the Bloom name since not long after he was born. For son, William Bloom, having a legend for a father is not easy. Firstly it's a lot to live up to but, there's also the problem that no one knows where the fairy tale that is Edward Bloom's history ends and the reality begins.
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Oct 20, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
I don't know.
This is a hard novel to separate from the movie--particularly because there is no doubt the film surpasses it. This is rare I know, and I expect purists to start pelting me with lemons, but really truly--Tim Burton breathed magic into a story about an absent father.
William doesn't know his father, and his father is about to die. All he knows is a man that blows in and out of town on business, and when he's around tells really bad jokes. Occasionally Edward More...
This is a hard novel to separate from the movie--particularly because there is no doubt the film surpasses it. This is rare I know, and I expect purists to start pelting me with lemons, but really truly--Tim Burton breathed magic into a story about an absent father.
William doesn't know his father, and his father is about to die. All he knows is a man that blows in and out of town on business, and when he's around tells really bad jokes. Occasionally Edward More...
Jun 06, 2008
Corey
rated it:
Hmmm.... well, I read the book because I loved the movie so much, but I owned the book before I ever saw the movie.
I think that maybe it was Burton's magic or something that made the movie so special.
The book was pretty disjointed. It didn't really bring it all together like I wanted it to do. It was all over the place and I think it could have worked if it were done right, but I don't think Wallace accomplished what he set out to do.
I think that maybe it was Burton's magic or something that made the movie so special.
The book was pretty disjointed. It didn't really bring it all together like I wanted it to do. It was all over the place and I think it could have worked if it were done right, but I don't think Wallace accomplished what he set out to do.
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Oct 10, 2009
Heather
rated it:
Perhaps I have an under developed imagination, but this book was not nearly as interesting as I thought it would be. I did make a mistake by seeing the movie first, but in my defense, I didn't know a book existed until I had already seen the movie about 3 times. Anyway, while the book and the movie shared similarities, I felt the book was a bit lacking. While there were some cool tall tales in there, I didn't feel as though there were anything really amazing about the stories being told. I a
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Jul 27, 2008
Bree
rated it:
This is one of those few cases when the movie is better than the book. I watched the movie first of course and loved it. I picked up the book to see if there were any more stories that weren't put into the movie. I didn't finish the book because I didn't find it as fascinating as the movie. I thought the stories in the movie were so much more extreme and fairy tale like, it made the stories in the book to normal.
Apr 28, 2011
Kimberly
rated it:
Sometimes the movie is way better than the book.
I liked how this book was presented--as a collection of short stories about one man's life. We are all made up of our memories and the stories that we tell about those memories.
The big issue I had with this book is that, despite all these stories, I never really identified with the main character. Everything was presented in kind of an abstract, embellished, joking way, and I did not often feel things along with Edward.
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I liked how this book was presented--as a collection of short stories about one man's life. We are all made up of our memories and the stories that we tell about those memories.
The big issue I had with this book is that, despite all these stories, I never really identified with the main character. Everything was presented in kind of an abstract, embellished, joking way, and I did not often feel things along with Edward.
More...
Feb 08, 2010
Emily
rated it:
This quote is the perfect description of this book.
‘In a final gesture of love and comprehension, after a lifetime of despising his father's stories and his father as story-teller, Will finishes the story his father has begun, pulling together the themes, images and characters of his father's storied life to blend reality and fantasy in act of communion and care. By unselfishly releasing the anger he has held about his father's stories, Will gains the understanding that all we are is our s More...
‘In a final gesture of love and comprehension, after a lifetime of despising his father's stories and his father as story-teller, Will finishes the story his father has begun, pulling together the themes, images and characters of his father's storied life to blend reality and fantasy in act of communion and care. By unselfishly releasing the anger he has held about his father's stories, Will gains the understanding that all we are is our s More...
Nov 05, 2010
Garlan
rated it:
I wavered between a 3 & 4 star on this book. I really liked the straight-forward, somewhat simple prose of the book, and I really enjoyed the southern charm. Wallace brings us the story of Edward Bloom as narrated by his son. As he watches his father's life fade, William (the son) recalls his father's larger-than-life persona through a series of events from his childhood through adulthood. Mythic in scope and reading like a Mark Twain tall-tale, we get to know Edward Bloom, even as his son s
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Jul 11, 2010
Snotchocheez
rated it:
Wow...a book that's way worse than the movie adaptation...that's a first. I read this primarily because the movie was really great, and wanted to see whence it was adapted. Mr. Wallace's novel (if you want to call it that...it's really 175 tersely written pages of short stories) has the framework of a great novel, and a great premise: a young man wishes to understand (and, perhaps, immortalize) his bullshitting father (who is on his deathbed) with anecdotes and tall tales of his life. What l
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Jun 28, 2010
Mrs.
rated it:
Just finished this one recently and I am sooooo happy I read it. The movie has long been in my top ten so when I found out it was a book I snatched it up ASAP.
The book and movie follow the same basic story but some significant details were changed for the movie. Either way this is only the second time I can honestly say I like both the book AND the movie...although I am slightly impartial due to my absoluely love for all things Ewen McGregor.
Anyway, William Bloom reco More...
The book and movie follow the same basic story but some significant details were changed for the movie. Either way this is only the second time I can honestly say I like both the book AND the movie...although I am slightly impartial due to my absoluely love for all things Ewen McGregor.
Anyway, William Bloom reco More...
Mar 12, 2011
Ardesia
rated it:
Conquistata dalla pellicola di Tim Burton tratta da questo libro ero molto curiosa di leggere la storia originale e devo dire che sono rimasta piacevolmente sorpresa nel vedere che si tratta di due opere ben distinte e che il film è un’elaborazione dei fatti narrati nel libro e non una mera scimmiottatura.
Lo stile del romanzo è un po’ secco, ma dopo qualche capitolo, una volta abituatami al ritmo, ho trovato questa scrittura essenziale e priva di fronzoli molto efficace per parlare senza pe More...
Lo stile del romanzo è un po’ secco, ma dopo qualche capitolo, una volta abituatami al ritmo, ho trovato questa scrittura essenziale e priva di fronzoli molto efficace per parlare senza pe More...
Oct 03, 2011
Emily
rated it:
Wow, they really amped up the fantastical nature of this story for the movie, didn't they? Granted, it's been a while since I've seen it, but I remembered something a little harder to believe and a little less mundane. The only two instances that seemed familiar were Edward's encounter with the "giant" and meeting the two-headed woman. Otherwise, this mostly sad and philosophical tale focuses more about Edward's relationship with his son, our narrator. The question is still whether Edw
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Mar 25, 2010
Sam
rated it:
Big Fish retells the mythic life of Edward Bloom, a man who always has a joke to tell, and who will always be a big fish in the little pond that is the planet earth. Told form the view point of his son, William Bloom, the book describes the big events from the second he was born and ended a drought in the small Alabama town of Ashland, to his "death." William has never understood what the death of a man is like until he spends his Father's last days with him, including sitting with him
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Feb 06, 2010
Casey
rated it:
I think if I had never seen the movie, I might have enjoyed this book more, however, I may never have read it if I hadn't seen the movie, so, there you go. This, for me, is definitely one of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book, but with that said, this was a very nice book. I wasn't sure I liked it in the beginning, but as it went on, I warmed up to it.
One of the nicest parts about it, for me, was actually feeling the tone of the book change, without the writi More...
One of the nicest parts about it, for me, was actually feeling the tone of the book change, without the writi More...
