Big Fish

A Novel of Mythic Proportions

By: Daniel Wallace

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Writer and illustrator Daniel Wallace has published stories in various literary magazines. Big Fish is a novel reminiscent of Garrison Keillor and Mark Twain. It is a surprising work, filled with imagination, homespun humor, and hyperbole.

Edward Bloom, an aging salesman, is dying. As his grown son, William, cares for him, the young man tries to focus on what he knows about his father’s life. Story after story surfaces in William’s memory, and he shares mythic visions of a fantastic father who was loved by all - a man who was the best runner, fisherman, businessman, and adventurer in the world. Big Fish tells these tall tales of Edward Bloom’s life. Punctuated with his vast repertory of jokes, they set the stage for Edward’s final, wonderful transformation.

©1998 Daniel Wallace (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"In a plainspoken style dotted with transcendent passages, Wallace mixes the mundane and the mythical. His chapters have the transformative quality of fable and fairy tale, and the novel's roomy structure allows the mystery and lyricism of the story to coalesce." (Publishers Weekly)

A real delight!

The story holds you from beginning to end, through the silly jokes to the fantastic unrealism. I had hoped it would hold up to the film and it gpes one better - all the way! I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Disappointing

I rarely enjoy a movie more than it's source material, but this is that rare exception.

Not for lovers of the movie

I rarely prefer movie adaptations than books, this might be one of the exceptions.

One of my favorite movies

Big Fish is one of my top 10 movies of all time. So when I saw the book was available on audible I decided to give it a try. In all honesty I liked the book and the narrator did a great job but the movie was just so much better. I enjoyed listening to this though and I don’t regret using a credit on it.

The reading was fantastic. The book isn't

I had to hear this for an essay. The story is interesting but not my cup of tea.

Different from the movie in key events but the same at heart

I finally read the book after seeing and loving the movie and then the musical version done by a local high school, which was also great.

There is no circus in the book, but there are more mythical beasts and towns. A few scenes are retold several times, which contributes to the understanding of how events become myth.

It is worth listening to the conversation with the author at the end. The circumstances he was writing under dictated how the story was told in short chapters. It was a very lucky accident that turned out brilliantly.

Loved the movie. Had to hear the original!

I’m a fan of mythology and folklore. I can’t say what hasn’t been said already.

Only complaint was it was too short.

I loved the interview afterwards!

Good book.

The movie is one my favorites. The book was different but good as well. Highly recommend.

Tasty Sea Bass

Stop me if you've heard this one. A humorous and beautiful story we can't believe but all want to believe in. Had me tearing up, laughing my head off and soaking in life lessons like a sponge. Made me feel like a kid too.

Better Than I Expected

I was skeptical about this book because of the negative reviews but I really enjoyed it. The narrator is quite convinced in the characters he reads and does the voices well. It's hard not to compare this book to the movie, and I certainly think the movie is better, but reading/listening to this isn't a waste of time.