The Winter of the Fisher

by Cameron Langford

One of the great nature classics, this iconic novel tells of one year in the fisher's life, a magnificent fur-bearer larger than the marten which inhabits the forests of North America. Seldom glimpsed, he is solitary and nocturnal. Based on fact, this novel tells the story of one year in the fisher's life -- from the spring of his infancy to the next spring, when his first mating occurs. It is the story of struggle and survival as he establishes his territory, battles with fellow predators, and faces the harsh months of winter. It is also a story of the lessons he learns from the most dangerous predator of all - man. Along with the fisher's world, there are vignettes of the animals who share his terrain, and the mingling of their stories forms a tapestry of the interdependence of all living things.

Genres: Nature, Fiction, Animals, Wildlife, Classics

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The epitome of great wildlife writing. I don't know much about fishers in general, but Langford makes the wilderness come alive through the eyes of the fisher with the distinctive silver band of fur where a forest fire marked him. I also appreciated the supplementary viewpoints from the two humans, and loved the respect between the fisher and the Ojibway.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and ended up really enjoying it. The plot was very simple and predictable (and often a bit contrived) but that really wasn't the point. The writing was good throughout, and truly excellent in places, particularly when it came to natural imagery and creating a sense of place. This book doesn't quite rank with Annie Dillard, Terry Tempest Williams, or Sigurd Olson, but it is still among the best nature writing I have read in a while.

[Nalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1971, I picked this book up at a Canadian airport when I was 8 and flying to Trinidad with my aunt. I immediately became engrossed in the story of the male Fisher (a weasel-like animal) who is seeking revenge upon a trapper. For anyone who loves books written from the perspective of the animal, this one is wonderful and unique. It is still on my bookshelf at home, even after 20 years. God, now I feel old.

[Kate Belt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it because Brian Doyle recommended it. He's right, it should be a classic, yet I had to purchase it from a used book dealer because it is out of print. I started it a few days before Doyle died and finished it the day after. Sadly, this was published a year after Langford's death and appears to be his only published work. The inside front cover offers this description: "Cameron Langford has written a book that is a plea for freeom and respect for all wild cretures. With prose of lyric intensity, he captures the incredible loveliness and lonelinesss of their secret world." I would add that it is a coming of age story of the fisher.

[BeParticular · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because Brian Doyle praised it in his Thanks & Stuff section at the end of Martin Marten. The Winter of the Fisher is a lovely book. It’s main character is a young male fisher and the experiences of his first year living in a northern forest. The descriptions of the forest and the animals who make their home there are breathtakingly beautiful. Three men have their effects, both good and bad, on the forest and its residents. The copy I read was interlibrary loaned through my local public library. I rarely buy books anymore, but may try to find a copy of this one because I would like to add it to my collection. Highly recommended.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written, scores of new vocabulary, fresh excitement throughout, lots of interesting nature tidbits, and things to ponder. Story goes throughout an entire season in the life of a Fisher in his natural habitat that encounters numerous other animals, and two men...one a trapper, and the other an old Ojibway. We found the entire story a "page-turner"...there were some sad parts, fewer disturbing, a scattering of laugh out loud humor, and many interesting facts and observations of nature. This is a keeper on our shelves!!!

So I really wanted to give this book a 4.5, but since that is not an option, I chose 4. However, when my teen son heard I didn't give it a 5, he insisted....so he wins....its a 5. :)


WARNING...SPOILER ALERT for below!!

For those who are, or who have children who are sensitive or not yet mature enough, I will let you be aware that there is some animal violence and death scattered throughout the book that could be skimmed over or abridged and still be a valuable and fun read. Examples....animals injured or killed in traps, animal to animal rage, and a couple human to animal encounters...one is early in the book, the other I think was chapter 20. Also the bulk of chapter 19 describes the mating process of fishers in detail that may be too much for some readers.

[Shani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical story set in the Canadian woods all the more amazing because the author was a quadriplegic who never saw the environment he was writing about.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book many years ago. Very good.

[Shonna Siegers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read... A little obvious and predictable but likable. It was nice to read the descriptions of the forest and wilderness done with such obvious care.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as timeless as "Rascal," our family's favorite animal book, but a charming look at wilderness life through the eyes of the elusive fisher.

[Jon Walgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book many years ago and I can still remember what a great book it was.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Langford's descriptions of nature took me to the mountains. I enjoyed this book very much, although parts of it were upsetting to me.

[Jayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. It is very interesting and I like to see what an animal's life is like.

[Margaret R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Need to read it slowly.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written tale of the Canadian North. I originally read it in a Reader's Digest condensed version as a child, and it stuck with me enough to seek it out 30 plus tears later.
Is the anthropomorphizing occasionally egregious? Yes. Is the story a bit predictable? Yes. Is the fisher something of a Mary Sue? Absolutely. Is it worth squeeze? Totally.
I also find it fascinating that the author, by the time this was published, had spent decades 75 percent paralyzed after sn accident. It gives a new perspective on the way the fisher is free and free to move.

[Vitor Frazão · Rating 3 out of 5]

Os pontos forte do livro são as descrições da paisagem e sons das florestas o Canadá do Norte, assim como o esforço para narrar os eventos a partir da perspectiva animal (efeito apenas ocasionalmente quebrado pelo uso de conceitos humanos de tempo, que não fazem sentido do ponto de vista da pekan).

A história em si, não é nenhuma "pedra no charco", mas está suficientemente bem construída para atrair a maioria dos leitores.

[Maria Grigorescu]

I was so impressed by the way the Canadian forest and mountains were brought to life. The fight, the fear, then understanding and the acceptance between the fisher and humans.
From the first sentence I thought it was a child, then I realised it was a fisher cub, and yet that first impression lasted.
Throughout the book the fisher grew up and was a protagonist as human as the hunter and Ojibwa.
I deeply enjoyed this book.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read as I couldn’t stomach the useless killing by a trapper on the other hand, it being written in the voice of the fisher, gave it redemption.

[Cindy Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book!

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A naturalist's biography of a determined, voracious predator with an unquenchable taste for porcupines. Beautifully narrated. Page turner for it's modest size.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is a fisher? It is a member of the weasel family wide-spread throughout the northern United States and Canada. About the size of a cat, but longer and closer to the ground, it is a fearless hunter. It primarily hunts rodents, rabbits, and porcupines. Fishers are light weight and like to travel through the tree branches. Once trapped extensively for their warm, thick fir, they are making a comeback. Although rarely seen they have started to invade neighborhoods in the Northeast.

The author apparently only wrote one book, and he died the year before it was published (by his estate). Cameron Langford was injured in an automobile accident and was a paraplegic. He was never able to enjoy the outdoors but through extensive research he was able to bring his readers a wonderful nature experience!

The story covers one year in the life of the fisher. It is told primarily through the animal's eyes although there are two humans that are featured as well. The author's use of language is extraordinary, and the vocabulary is vibrant and challenging. The story was not written for children but will suit older teenagers. A word of warning that the book contains graphic violence around hunting by humans and the fisher itself. The mating habits are also well detailed and may be too strong for immature readers.

I loved this book when I read it at age seventeen and it is still very good at sixty-eight!

[Annarino K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful historical fiction with really just three characters, two very different human men, very much of a certain time in North America.

And our hero, the unnamed male fisher, a gorgeous and intelligent marten-like creature in the weasel family, hunted extensively for its fur during that time before extensive population and development of what is now the United States and Canada.

This is the era we join in this volume written beautifully for a general audience with any interest in the behavior of indigenous wildlife and its tenuous battle against the deadliest predator of all.

I really enjoyed it.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não é muito o meu estilo, e custa-me imenso ler sobre caça pelo gosto que tenho pelos animais. Mas achei uma excelente descrição da vida selvagem, nomeadamente da vida do Pekan, a fuga do caçador e das armadilhas e da amizade com o índio.
O mais incrivel é saber que o escritor descreve tao bem as suas paisagens, apesar de ser tetraplegico desde os 25 anos. É de louvar a sua determinação em escrever o livro apesar de todas as dificuldades para o conseguir .

[Janet Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is so real. The author has incredible knowledge of the woods and it's animals. One of my favourite books.

[Bruna · Rating 3 out of 5]

gostei, a história é razoável. uma história de amizade e sobrevivência.