From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

The Fishermen

Chigozie Obioma

Start date: April 19, 2015

Finish date: April 21, 2015

Discussion: Task Ideas/Resources/Discussions

Why we're reading this: The author is Nigerian.
[close] The author is Nigerian.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 64 topics — 5,978 comments total

Task Ideas/Resources/Discussions

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* Challenge Tasks: the Complete List
By Book Riot · 1 post · 5295 views

last updated Dec 16, 2014 09:22AM

Free copy of Proximity Factor this July, no reviews required. Just enjoy.
By S.S. · 1 post · 9 views

last updated Jul 18, 2024 06:08AM

showing 2 of 2 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Apr 10, 2019 Loretta rated it really liked it

Shelves: reading-for-craft, iceland-workshop

This isn't an easy book to read. Hard and awful things happen. But the portrayal of family bonds, brotherhood, parents, love and loss, was really compelling and powerful.

I took a workshop with Obioma at the Iceland Writers Retreat 2019 called "Character as Plot" - it was only a two hour class and we focused mostly on short stories. I hadn't finished reading this at the time of the workshop, but I really wish we had talked about it more. Because the interesting thing is that while many who don't ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 14, 2019 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: black-history-and-culture, fiction, africa-fiction, nigeria

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Like · see review

Dec 15, 2015 Cathy rated it really liked it

I had mixed feelings about this book. I would have given it 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed such things. I wasn't crazy about how the book was constructed. The beginning of each chapter started with a metaphor, which sometimes felt forced. I had difficulty getting into the story, but as the characters began unraveling, I couldn't put the book down. The destruction of sanity by superstition and paranoia was everpresent, as well as the decimation of an oblivious family and any hope for normalcy. Th ...more

Like · see review

Mar 02, 2015 Melle rated it really liked it

Shelves: copyright-2015, read-in-2015, fiction, 1990s, contemporary, nigeria, brothers, adult

A timeless-feeling epic tale of brothers and fate. The relationships are complex and intense, and the writing and story are evocative of The Brothers Karamazov. Would be nice to have some more richly-developed female characters, but maybe this isn't the book and story for that. ...more

Like · see review