The Fishermen (Obioma novel): Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
MainlyTwelve (talk | contribs) |
Wrong tenses Tags: Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
||
| (42 intermediate revisions by 25 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|2015 novel by Chigozie Obioma}} |
|||
{{italic title}} |
|||
{{Infobox book | |
{{Infobox book | |
||
| name = The Fishermen |
| name = The Fishermen |
||
| title_orig = |
| title_orig = |
||
| translator = |
| translator = |
||
| image = |
| image = The_Fishermen.jpg |
||
| caption = |
| caption = |
||
| author = [[Chigozie Obioma]] |
| author = [[Chigozie Obioma]] |
||
| Line 13: | Line 14: | ||
| genre = |
| genre = |
||
| publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]] |
| publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]] |
||
| release_date = April |
| release_date = April 2015 |
||
| media_type = Print |
| media_type = Print |
||
| pages = |
| pages = |
||
| Line 22: | Line 23: | ||
| followed_by = |
| followed_by = |
||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''The Fishermen''''' is the [[debut novel]] by Nigerian author [[Chigozie Obioma]], published in 2015. The novel follows four brothers in a |
'''''The Fishermen''''' is the [[debut novel]] by Nigerian author [[Chigozie Obioma]], published in 2015. The novel follows four brothers in a quiet neighbourhood of a Nigerian town, who are given a violent prophecy which shakes their family to the core. It is set in the 1990s, during the rule of [[Sani Abacha]].<ref>{{cite web |title='The Fishermen,' by Chigozie Obioma |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/books/review/the-fishermen-by-chigozie-obioma.html?_r=0 |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=2015-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423022633/http://www.nytimes.com:80/2015/04/19/books/review/the-fishermen-by-chigozie-obioma.html?_r=0 |archive-date=2015-04-23 |url-status=live |last1=Rocco |first1=Fiammetta |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | It was shortlisted for the [[2015 Man Booker Prize]].<ref name=bbcshortlist>{{cite web |title=Pulitzer winner makes Booker Prize shortlist |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34255672 |website=[[BBC News]] |date=2015-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915215654/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34255672 |archive-date=2015-09-15 |url-status=live |accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Man Booker Shortlist Review 2015: Chigozie Obioma's 'The Fishermen' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/man-booker-shortlist-2015-the-fishermen/409399/ |website=[[The Atlantic]] |date=2015-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009233629/http://www.theatlantic.com:80/entertainment/archive/2015/10/man-booker-shortlist-2015-the-fishermen/409399/ |archive-date=2015-10-09 |url-status=live |last1=Sharp |first1=Naomi |accessdate=31 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, review: 'full-force' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/fishermen-chigozie-obioma-booker-shortlist-review/ |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2015-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927202136/http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/books/what-to-read/fishermen-chigozie-obioma-booker-shortlist-review/ |archive-date=2015-09-27 |url-status=live |last1=Martin |first1=Tim |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> The novel received a number of accolades, and positive reviews from critics. |
||
| ⚫ | It was shortlisted for the [[2015 Man Booker Prize]].<ref name=bbcshortlist>{{cite web|title=Pulitzer winner makes Booker Prize shortlist|url= |
||
__NOTOC__ |
|||
==Plot== |
==Plot== |
||
Four brothers, Ikenna, Boja, Obembe and Benjamin, begin to fish at the Omi-Ala river near their home in the |
Four brothers, Ikenna, Boja, Obembe, and Benjamin, begin to fish at the Omi-Ala river near their home in a quiet neighbourhood of the city of [[Akure]] in [[Nigeria]], despite being forbidden from doing so by their parents, as the river is heavily polluted. On one of their fishing trips, they encounter a local madman, Abulu, who follows them shouting the name of Ikenna, the oldest brother. The other children flee, but the four brothers stop to listen, as Abulu shouts a series of prophecies: that Ikenna will become blind, mute, crippled. He finishes by prophesying that Ikenna will be killed by a fisherman. Ikenna thinks this means that one of his brothers will kill him, and he gradually turns against them. The prophecy undoes the family and the expectations the brothers' parents have for them. |
||
==Development and writing== |
==Development and writing== |
||
Obioma has seven brothers and four sisters, and wrote the novel as a tribute to his siblings.<ref name=updown>{{cite web|url=https://amandacurtin.com/2015/02/23/2-2-and-2-chigozie-obioma-talks-about-the-fishermen/#comments|title=2, 2 and 2: Chigozie Obioma talks about The Fishermen|last=Curtin|first=Amanda|date=23 February 2015|publisher=looking up/looking down|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> Two of Obioma's brothers fought violently when they were children, and Obioma was inspired by what he imagined was the worst possible outcome of those fights.<ref name=updown/> |
Obioma has seven brothers and four sisters, and wrote the novel as a tribute to his siblings.<ref name=updown>{{cite web|url=https://amandacurtin.com/2015/02/23/2-2-and-2-chigozie-obioma-talks-about-the-fishermen/#comments|title=2, 2 and 2: Chigozie Obioma talks about The Fishermen|last=Curtin|first=Amanda|date=23 February 2015|publisher=looking up/looking down|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> Two of Obioma's brothers fought violently when they were children, and Obioma was inspired by what he imagined was the worst possible outcome of those fights.<ref name=updown/> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
The book is a retelling of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. |
|||
''The Fishermen'' was generally well-received. According to ''[[Literary Hub|Book Marks]]'', the book received "rave" reviews based on ten critic reviews, with seven being "rave" and three being "positive".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fishermen |url=https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/the-fishermen/ |access-date=16 January 2024 |website=[[Literary Hub|Book Marks]]}}</ref> According to [[CREETIQ]], based on critic reviews, the book received a 6.9 out of 10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fishermen|url=https://creetiq.com/reviews/reviews/the-fishermen/|access-date=14 January 2023 |website=[[CREETIQ]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616191800/https://creetiq.com/reviews/reviews/the-fishermen/|archive-date=16 Jun 2021}}</ref> |
|||
The novel has garnered comparisons to ''[[Things Fall Apart]]'' in part due to the central role prophecy has in each novel.<ref name=chitribune>{{cite web |title=Review: 'The Fishermen' by Chigozie Obioma |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-fishermen-chigozie-obioma-20150423-story.html |website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=2017-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529204850/http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-fishermen-chigozie-obioma-20150423-story.html |archive-date=2015-05-29 |url-status=live |last1=Tsouderos |first1=Trine |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> However, some critics disputed the validity of the comparisons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theconversation.com/review-the-fishermen-by-chigozie-obioma-47982|title=Review: The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma|last=Morosetti|first=Tiziana|date=9 October 2015|publisher=The Conversation|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> It also references the Biblical story of [[Cain and Abel]], and has been referred to as a "retelling" of the story.<ref name=chitribune/><ref>{{cite web |title=Making myths: Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2015/09/making-myths-chigozie-obioma-s-fishermen |date=2015-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921042007/http://www.newstatesman.com:80/culture/books/2015/09/making-myths-chigozie-obioma-s-fishermen |archive-date=2015-09-21 |url-status=live |last1=Twidle |first1=Hedley |publisher=[[The New Statesman]] |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
The novel has garnered comparisons to ''[[Things Fall Apart]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-fishermen-chigozie-obioma-20150423-story.html|title= Review: 'The Fishermen' by Chigozie Obioma |last=Tsouderos|first=Trine|date=14 April 2015|publisher=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> although some critics disputed the validity of the comparisons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theconversation.com/review-the-fishermen-by-chigozie-obioma-47982|title=Review: The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma|last=Morosetti|first=Tiziana|date=9 October 2015|publisher=The Conversation|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> |
|||
Multiple critics referred to the novel as a ''[[Bildungsroman]]'' given that it is told from the perspective of one brother, and charts his youth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fathers and sons |url=https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21647262-lyrical-retelling-story-cain-and-abel-fathers-and-sons |date=2015-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327025634/http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21647262-lyrical-retelling-story-cain-and-abel-fathers-and-sons |archive-date=2015-03-27 |url-status=live |publisher=The Economist |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma review – four brothers and a terrible prophecy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/13/the-fishermen-chigozie-obioma-review |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=2015-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314140240/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/13/the-fishermen-chigozie-obioma-review |archive-date=2015-03-14 |url-status=live |last1=Habila |first1=Helon |accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist|30em}} |
||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisherman}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisherman}} |
||
[[Category:2015 novels]] |
[[Category:2015 Nigerian novels]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:2015 debut novels]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Novels set in Nigeria]] |
||
[[Category:Fictional fishers]] |
|||
[[Category:Little, Brown and Company books]] |
|||
{{war-novel-stub}} |
|||
{{Nigeria-stub}} |
|||
{{2010s-novel-stub}} |
|||
Latest revision as of 21:57, 29 December 2024
 | |
| Author | Chigozie Obioma |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
Publication date | April 2015 |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-33837-0 |
The Fishermen is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma, published in 2015. The novel follows four brothers in a quiet neighbourhood of a Nigerian town, who are given a violent prophecy which shakes their family to the core. It is set in the 1990s, during the rule of Sani Abacha.[1]
It was shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker Prize.[2][3][4] The novel received a number of accolades, and positive reviews from critics.
Plot
[edit]Four brothers, Ikenna, Boja, Obembe, and Benjamin, begin to fish at the Omi-Ala river near their home in a quiet neighbourhood of the city of Akure in Nigeria, despite being forbidden from doing so by their parents, as the river is heavily polluted. On one of their fishing trips, they encounter a local madman, Abulu, who follows them shouting the name of Ikenna, the oldest brother. The other children flee, but the four brothers stop to listen, as Abulu shouts a series of prophecies: that Ikenna will become blind, mute, crippled. He finishes by prophesying that Ikenna will be killed by a fisherman. Ikenna thinks this means that one of his brothers will kill him, and he gradually turns against them. The prophecy undoes the family and the expectations the brothers' parents have for them.
Development and writing
[edit]Obioma has seven brothers and four sisters, and wrote the novel as a tribute to his siblings.[5] Two of Obioma's brothers fought violently when they were children, and Obioma was inspired by what he imagined was the worst possible outcome of those fights.[5]
Reception and criticism
[edit]The Fishermen was generally well-received. According to Book Marks, the book received "rave" reviews based on ten critic reviews, with seven being "rave" and three being "positive".[6] According to CREETIQ, based on critic reviews, the book received a 6.9 out of 10.[7]
The novel has garnered comparisons to Things Fall Apart in part due to the central role prophecy has in each novel.[8] However, some critics disputed the validity of the comparisons.[9] It also references the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, and has been referred to as a "retelling" of the story.[8][10]
Multiple critics referred to the novel as a Bildungsroman given that it is told from the perspective of one brother, and charts his youth.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ Rocco, Fiammetta (2015-04-14). "'The Fishermen,' by Chigozie Obioma". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-04-23. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "Pulitzer winner makes Booker Prize shortlist". BBC News. 2015-09-15. Archived from the original on 2015-09-15. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ Sharp, Naomi (2015-10-08). "Man Booker Shortlist Review 2015: Chigozie Obioma's 'The Fishermen'". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ Martin, Tim (2015-09-24). "The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, review: 'full-force'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ a b Curtin, Amanda (23 February 2015). "2, 2 and 2: Chigozie Obioma talks about The Fishermen". looking up/looking down. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "The Fishermen". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "The Fishermen". CREETIQ. Archived from the original on 16 Jun 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ a b Tsouderos, Trine (2017-11-18). "Review: 'The Fishermen' by Chigozie Obioma". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2015-05-29. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ Morosetti, Tiziana (9 October 2015). "Review: The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma". The Conversation. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ Twidle, Hedley (2015-09-15). "Making myths: Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen". The New Statesman. Archived from the original on 2015-09-21. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "Fathers and sons". The Economist. 2015-03-26. Archived from the original on 2015-03-27. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ Habila, Helon (2015-03-13). "The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma review – four brothers and a terrible prophecy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2015-03-14. Retrieved 1 November 2016.