From the Bookshelf of Shine & Shadow…

The Fisherman

John Langan

Start date: April 1, 2022

Finish date: April 30, 2022

Discussion: Group Reads

Discussion leader: Emmett

Why we're reading this: April 2022 Dark Read: Big Ol' Monsters…more
[close] April 2022 Dark Read: Big Ol' Monsters

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 377 topics — 10,770 comments total

Group Reads

* Group Read Nomination Rules
By Emmett , Sickly 18th Century Child Ghost · 8 posts · 160 views

last updated Jun 13, 2025 08:43AM

The Parasites - Spoilers Galore
By Eryn , Weaver of Legends · 7 posts · 9 views

last updated Oct 03, 2025 04:21AM

showing 6 of 6 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Apr 11, 2022 ¸.•*¨*•Gina *A Bookwyrm in Belgium*•*¨*•.¸ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: monster-mash-2022, readingrhythm22, folk-horror

I cannot think of a single flaw in this novel. It is both beautiful and chilling. The author has such a good pen, it flows like the water he writes so compellingly about. I will be reading more.

10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 16, 2024 Cheryl rated it really liked it

Lovecraftian literary horror novel set in a remote part of the Catskills in New York. This is told as a story within a story, as the main characters get the background info about Dutchman's Creek from the owner of the local diner. It has a creepy foreboding atmosphere as the background story is being told about the strange past events associated with the creek. It's as good as anything written by Lovecraft.

The other part of the story is concerned about the death of a loved one and getting throu ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 09, 2022 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, dark, science-fiction, z-read-in-2022, weird, horror

Great story within a story.

After his wife's untimely death, Abe takes up fishing as a sort of therapy. Eventually he's joined by a co-worker, Dan, who also lost his entire family in a terrible car accident.

After a period of time, Dan suggests a new fishing spot. On the way they stop at a local bar and are told the horrifying myths surrounding that particular fishing spot - along with a warning to go literally anywhere else to fish.

(view spoiler) ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2024 Cindy Newton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've been hearing from my horror buddies for years that this book is awesome, and boy, were they right! It's the story of two men, Abe and Dan, coworkers who both endure the same tragic loss in their lives. Abe, the elder, loses his wife, Marie, to cancer many years before. Dan, the younger, has recently lost his beloved wife, Sophie, and his two young sons in one of those terrible "what-if" kind of accidents. What if we had left the house a minute earlier or later? What if I had chosen a differ I've been hearing from my horror buddies for years that this book is awesome, and boy, were they right! It's the story of two men, Abe and Dan, coworkers who both endure the same tragic loss in their lives. Abe, the elder, loses his wife, Marie, to cancer many years before. Dan, the younger, has recently lost his beloved wife, Sophie, and his two young sons in one of those terrible "what-if" kind of accidents. What if we had left the house a minute earlier or later? What if I had chosen a different route? What if I had waited instead of pulling out? Those questions that torture you in the middle of the night.

The two men bond over fishing. Abe's loss has matured and mellowed over time. He still loves Marie and never remarried, but he can think of her now without that sharp sting of grief. For Dan, though, his loss is raw and unbearable, and he struggles to comprehend the immensity of this sudden life change. There is a lot of very insightful observations about grief and loss. This really resonated with me since I lost my mother just a couple of months ago.

I don't want to give too much away. After we get the history of both the men's situations, the story shifts to a story-within-a-story. Dan has suggested fishing at a spot called Dutchman's Creek, and the owner of the diner where they stop for breakfast fills them in on the history of the spot and why they should avoid it like the plague. This is a fascinating, edge-of-your-seat section, even though it is history at this point. Then the two men go to fish and develop their own edge-of-your-seat section!

Anyway, a wonderful horror tale. It reminded me a lot of Pet Sematary, which also explores the themes of grief and loss. How do people process the deaths of those who were their reasons for living? How far will they go to turn back that clock, and undo that fatal moment, and to what lengths will they deceive themselves to try to lessen their agonizing pain, if only temporarily? The author does a great job exploring these themes in an authentic way, and also excels in creating a world and a horrorscape as the backdrop for the story. Highly recommended for horror fans looking for that most elusive of prizes, the truly engrossing, truly creepy story that keeps you hooked (no pun intended!) until the very end. Even the last line is creepy!! ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2024 Jason rated it really liked it

Really liked this one... Catskills? Horror? Mountain streams? My only complaints are the fact that sometimes the asides or monologs just go on too long. Also the audio book version was missing an entire section (literally the main climax of the book) so I had to read a summary which was super annoying.

Like · see review