Torday: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Torday: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
This is the story of Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist, for whom a notable event is the acquisition of a new electric toothbrush or getting his article on caddis fly larvae published in ‘Trout and Salmon’. When Alfred finds himself reluctantly involved in a project to bring salmon fishing to the Highlands of the Yemen his life, and the course of British political history, is changed forever. With a wickedly wonderful cast of characters - including a visionary Sheikh, a weasely spin doctor, Fred’s devilish wife and a few thousand transplanted salmon - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a novel about hypocrisy and bureaucracy, dreams and deniability, and the transforming power of faith and love.
Check availablity on the East Renfrewshire Libraries’ catalogue
Clarkston book club review:
After reading the title we didn’t know quite what to expect - one of our group got some very funny looks when she told friends what she was reading!
We needn’t have worried, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a sharp, witty and sometimes touching read that pokes fun at relationships and nonsensical politics very much in the style of BBC favourite Yes Minister. The style of writing - the story is told via a series of emails, government minutes, newspaper reports and interviews - is particularly clever.
The characters are mostly well-drawn; the protaganist Fred makes for a sympathetic hero as he proves faith, hope and love can triumph over spin.
Sounds interesting. I think I might read this book soon