Book Review: Big Fish by Daniel Wallace

“When a man’s stories are remembered, then he is immortal.”

Daniel Wallace, Big Fish

Review:

I’ve been intrigued by this story for a long time. I’ve seen clips of the movie adaptation and I’ve listened to the Broadway musical soundtrack, but I wanted to hold off on fully watching the movie or looking into the musical until I read the book. 

As Edward approaches death, his son William tries to reconcile his relationship with his father. He was a somewhat absent parent, never able to stay in one place for any length of time, but he loved his son dearly. But William resents that most of the interactions with Edward were, and still are, filled with tall tales and jokes. For once and for all, he wants to know the real Edward Bloom before it’s too late. 

I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I’d hoped to. I struggled with the ins and outs of the storytelling, but at the heart of it, I loved the father/son dynamic of the story. I think the musical did a great job of capturing the emotion and atmosphere that was intended. If not for that playing in my head as I read, I would have struggled a lot more. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The father/son dynamic.
• The whimsical elements.

What I didn’t like:

• The pace was too fast for the ins and outs of magical realism.

Afterthoughts:

I recommend reading along with the Broadway soundtrack!

Where to buy the book: