Fishbowl
Published on 6. August 2015
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-0-09-195692-9 (ISBN)
Description
Even a goldfish can dream of adventure...
From his enviable view from a balcony on the 27th floor of an apartment block, Ian the Goldfish has frequent - if fleeting - desires for a more exciting life. Until one day, a series of unfortunate events gives him an opportunity to escape...
Our story begins, however, with the human inhabitants of Ian's building. There is the handsome student, his girlfriend, and his mistress; an agoraphobic sex worker, the invisible caretaker; the pregnant woman on bed rest; and the home-schooled boy, Herman, who thinks he can travel through time.
And as Ian tumbles perilously downwards, he will witness all their lives, loves, triumphs and disasters...
A truly original, philosophically joyful and charming novel with the unlikeliest of heroes. This is Tales of the City as seen by a goldfish.
From his enviable view from a balcony on the 27th floor of an apartment block, Ian the Goldfish has frequent - if fleeting - desires for a more exciting life. Until one day, a series of unfortunate events gives him an opportunity to escape...
Our story begins, however, with the human inhabitants of Ian's building. There is the handsome student, his girlfriend, and his mistress; an agoraphobic sex worker, the invisible caretaker; the pregnant woman on bed rest; and the home-schooled boy, Herman, who thinks he can travel through time.
And as Ian tumbles perilously downwards, he will witness all their lives, loves, triumphs and disasters...
A truly original, philosophically joyful and charming novel with the unlikeliest of heroes. This is Tales of the City as seen by a goldfish.
Reviews / Votes
"Amazing" * Cosmopolitan * "Quirky, ambitious, with a touch of serendipity" * Red Magazine * "Refreshingly original...quirky and colourful - if you want something different and unexpected to read this summer, this is definitely a break from the norm. ****" * Heat Magazine * "You'll fall in love with this great book and its quirky characters" * Bella * "To decide to weave an intricate ensemble tale around the everyday lives, hopes and desires of those who occupy a high-rise apartment block is ambitious. To then decide that the hero of the story will be a philosophical goldfish - and that the novel's ending will be given away inside the opening chapter - is just plain ballsy. But Canadian writer Bradley Somer pulls off the feat with ease." * Shortlist *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Ebury Publishing
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 144 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
462 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-195692-9 (9780091956929)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Bradley Somer was born in Sydney, Australia and grew up in Canada. His short fiction has appeared in literaryjournals, reviews and anthologies.