Review: Big Fish

Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Big Fish is one of those books where you watch the movie and then read the book and say, Wow, this screenwriter really took some liberties. The book and the movie are completely different and I mean that in a good way. Watch and read both.

The book features the perspectives of both the son and the father, with the latter being on his death bed. In many ways, the book manages to be both woefully depressing and funny at the same time, which is no small feat. Mr. Wallace made the father out to be a mythical character, so much so that the ending, by all means and purposes, should be shocking but isn't given the scope of the rest of the novel. I won't spoil the ending for you, of course, but the title definitely becomes a lot more literal than you would ever imagine if you saw the movie.

I hear the Broadway production was a big flop (No pun intended), and I think it's because it followed the movie rather than the book. Since the book is basically told in a series of tall tales, I think the musical would have benefited more if it plucked from the book rather than the elaborate film. That's just my opinion anyway. All the same, read the book and watch the movie. Both are good.



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