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Read advance reader review of The Fisher Boy by Stephen H. Anable, page 2 of 3

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The Fisher Boy by Stephen H. Anable

The Fisher Boy

by Stephen H. Anable

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • May 2008, 236 pages
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for The Fisher Boy
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  • John (Garland TX)
    The Fisher Boy
    Interesting story although a bit far-fetched. Well written, it did retain my interest. The main characters in the book are gay although there are no graphic scenes. Interesting descriptions of the Cape Cod area.
  • Laurie (Woburn MA)
    A summer read for the Cape Cod crowd
    This book delivers on portraying the myriad personalities, sites and events that make up Provincetown at the start of the season. The quirky characters of the regular summer crowd, the small towniness of the locals, and the summer siege of people who come to work, to be seen, and to watch: Provincetown’s summer blend of creative invention and downright shallowness.

    I didn’t find this book to be a real mystery. But it did remind me of a good Irish folktale – many a bizarre twist and turn, each of which is more the point of the story than the conclusion.

    P’town regulars will enjoy the comedy club scenes, the season opener party, the town meeting, and the goings-on of Arthur’s “treasure”. But it left me longing for a P’town novel that draws direct from the heart and soul of that wild town by the bay, which is exotic enough in its own right!
  • Barb (Mechanicsburg PA)
    A so-so book
    I found the first part of this book hard to get into, and the gay aspects of the story bothered me, not because I'm anti-gay, but in the way that gratuitous sex in any book would bother me. However, the second half of the book was much better, and once the story picked up, it was hard to put the book down. I enjoyed following Mark around, trying to help him figure out who was behind the nasty goings-on in Provincetown while trying to keep himself out of harm's way, and was as surprised as he was when the murderer was finally revealed.
  • Anne (Byram MS)
    The Fisher Boy
    A young gay man struggles with the issues of his parentage, the murder of someone close to him, and the difficulties of developing a meaningful relationship with his male partner. Set in the Cape Cod resort area during the summer, the novel follows Mark Winslow as he attempts to solve a murder and at the same time answer some of the questions about his own life. Genre: Gay Fiction
  • Anne (Austin TX)
    The Fisher Boy
    I had a really hard time with the first half of this book but the second half rolled out like a great murder mystery. As another reviewer said, there are many references to the gay characters' relationships and their preferences which will be a turn off for some readers. What drove my rating of the book was the uneven plot and character development; and that the upscale New England beach town had more presence than the characters in the first half of the book. In the second half it was the exact opposite. Whether this is a deficiency or the intention of the author the reader can only guess but I much preferred the pace and the characters in the second half when it turned into a race to the finish to find out who dun it and see who would survive.
  • Christy (Ball Ground GA)
    The Fisher Boy
    I hoped this book would get better as I read it, but it did not. There was too much jumping around and not enough character and/or plot development. Found myself going back to past chapters over and over to see if there was something I had missed... Also, it was too hard to believe some of the scenarios...in particular the commune that no one seems to know about but was right under everyone's noses. It was a stretch. Seems too small of a community for something like that to go unnoticed. I hope to see something else by this author, though, if he will take more time with the unfolding of the story....I liked his description of the locale...could picture it clearly as if I were there.
  • Robert (Charleston IL)
    Disappointing read
    I was disappointed by this novel. The setting and some of the major characters had a lot of promise, and I was hoping for a fast-paced comic mystery. But the plot never got off the ground. For one thing, the author’s style was embellished with too many descriptive details about events and props that didn’t seem to matter very much. And then minor characters would appear without making any clear impact. I would say the book lacked focus. There were some witty exchanges and clever observations, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
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