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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Paul Torday
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Synopsis |
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Dr. Alfred Jones is a henpecked, slightly pompous middle-aged scientist at the National Centre for Fisheries Excellence in London when he is approached by a mysterious sheikh about an outlandish plan to introduce the sport of salmon fishing into the Yemen. Dr. Jones refuses, but the project, however scientifically absurd, catches the eye of British politicians, who pressure him to work on it. His diaries of the Yemen Salmon Project, from beginning to glorious, tragic end, form the narrative backbone of this novel; interspersed throughout are government memos, e-mails, letters, and interview transcripts that deftly capture the absurdity of bureaucratic dysfunction.
With a wickedly wonderful cast of characters—including a weasel-like spin doctor, a missing soldier and his intrepid fiancée, and Dr. Jones’s own devilish wife—Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the whimsical story of an unlikely hero who discovers true love, finds himself first a pawn and then a victim of political spin, and learns to believe in the impossible.
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Praise |
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"Torday carries it off with a wacky plot, vivid characters, and a knowing sense of politics and bureaucracy. A remarkably assured first novel, this one is a pure delight."
Booklist (starred review),
"This highly original novel blends satire with gentle humanity in a tale of what happens when idealism meets self-serving politics and bungling bureaucracy... [A] stunning debut."
Daily Mail,
"Bizarre doesn't begin to describe the deliciously sly, ironic humour that drives much of the novel and the deftness of Torday's parodies of political spin and hypocrisy."
Evening Standard,
"An entertaining and successful debut... Warmly recommended to anyone searching for feelgood comedy with surprising bite."
Sunday Telegraph,
"An amusing satire... thought-provoking and memorable. That is an achievement for any author, let alone a first-time novelist."
The Economist,
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Biography |
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PAUL TORDAY studied English literature at Pembroke College, Oxford, before embarking on a business career. He lives in Northumberland. This is his first book.
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General Subjects |
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Fiction- Humorous
Fiction- General
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Harcourt Books
An imprint ofHarcourt Trade Publishers
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Harcourt Education Company
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