Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

By: Paul Torday

Narrated by: John Sessions, Samantha Bond, Fenella Woolgar

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Newcomer of the Year, 2008.
A Richard and Judy Summer Read Selection.

Written as a "report into the circumstances surrounding the decision to introduce salmon into the Yemen", this is a novel that is made up of e-mails, letters, diary extracts, records of the prime minister's Question Time, interviews, and chapters from the memoirs of a fantastically weaselly Peter Mandelson-type figure.

The "Yes Minister" comparisons are justified (and there is some brilliant, hilarious political and bureaucratic satire here), but at its heart, this is the story of a hen-pecked, slightly pompous, middle-aged scientist who finds himself caught up in what seems like an impossible project, and of how this project changes his life. In the process, he becomes an unlikely and rather loveable hero, discovers true love for himself, finds himself both a pawn and then a victim of political spin, leaves his brilliantly horrible wife, and learns to believe in the impossible. And he takes the listener with him in the process.

©2007 Paul Torday (P)2007 Orion Publishing Group Ltd.

Critic reviews

"An entertaining and successful debut... it is warmly recommended to anyone searching for feel good comedy with surprising bite." (The Sunday Times)

"The intelligence, inventiveness and humanity of this novel in comparison to the usual run of literary fiction is as wild salmon to the farmed."(Daily Telegraph)

"[It] succeeds in an ambitious project: making a book about fishing readable, even touching. Fish may not be your bag, but it is the capacity for commitment and belief that makes for good reading."(New Statesman)

Ridiculous plot made credible but superb writing

What a great fantasy this is -- converting sand into salmon runs and the characters are both remarkable yet credible. Top listen.

Salmon Fishing-Well presented

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely.Different voices make it easy to listen to and believable

Who was your favorite character and why?

Fred-he has discovered the joys of friendship and the pursuit of a passion

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Accents and an added dimension of each character

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes...but not the time

Any additional comments?

I like the way they read all the e-mail addresses...it made one feel as if I were at the computer reading the e-mails

A lose lose outcome...

It is a sad fact that I like happy endings, and this book does not have one. It is beautifully written, and engrossing, but for the characters and myself the adventure ends up being at best, a waste of time. At worst, the characters lose everything in their chase of this foolhardy dream, and not through anything they have done themselves.
It's more a comment on British bureaucracy and the blame others, take no responsibility attitude that seems to pervade British politics and the workplace, with no concern for the impact on otherwise innocent lives.
The writing format of letters, emails and diaries is very effective, although the diaries are possibly a little more literary and descriptive than one would expect from scientists. However, the highly improbable plot becomes very believable as a result of the delivery mechanism.
If you like happy endings, skip this one. If you like a good yarn, then don't miss it.

A great Spin!

Paul Torday’s book is an absolute must! If you enjoyed the movie “Wag the dog” and the UK TV series “Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister” you’ll love this. It’s low-key British humour at its absolute best, narrated in deadpan manner by an excellent cast.

Brilliant

If you could sum up Salmon Fishing in the Yemen in three words, what would they be?

Self-discovering, politics and fish

What did you like best about this story?

The way it is told, by emails, notes, excerpts from the congress, from Al Qaeda communications, from diaries. All the remarks about fishery are understandable for those who don't know anything about it. The way that the main character isn't the center of the history is also great

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't, but the narrators does an excellent performance

Any additional comments?

It's really great. There plot and the narration are very well made

Well Read.

Having seen the movie (several times) - and having thoroughly enjoyed it - I decided to listen to the book.

Whilst the movie adaptation was good - I came to enjoy the book more. It was a bittersweet story and not quite as saccharine at the end - which O rather liked.

The cast was excellent, I thought.

Kudos to everyone.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

A wonderful light read - hilarious and melancholy in turns, and filled with observant political lampoon. Buy the unabridged version - its too good to settle for a pruned version

Brilliant

A wonderful book, well dramatised, full of English humour. A joy to listen to.

Fun

The premise does echo the craziness of government policy in all countries. Paul Torday's 'Salmon Fishing' is a romp... he really plays with some interesting ideas. The book is a bit of a tapestry though - with some thematic elements not quite fitting. The humour can be a tad obvious - not evident in Torday's earlier 'Irresistible Inheritance' (which is a great read). The narrative strides along and is an enjoyable journey into insanity and inanity that shapes so much of the geopolitical economic landscape today.
Recommended.