Following his savage murder in a London vicarage, Reverend Ulysses Drummond embarks on an epic odyssey in the afterlife, wrestling with his conscience and misguidedly spurning the obvious advantages of a free ticket to Paradise.His ten-year-old son, Henry, is left to muddle through life, encountering school bullies, big-hearted benefactors and cold-blooded killers on his passage to adulthood.Will … adulthood.
Will Henry find love, success and happiness in his life – or will he suffer the cruel and agonising death that was foretold?
‘Funny, frightening and touching, this audacious combination of fantasy and real-world evil is a novel like no other. Make sure you don’t miss it.’
Karen Holmes, editor 2QT
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The Fish That Climbed a Tree
By: Kevin Ansbro
5 out of 5 stars
The story The Fish That Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro is a book that I enjoyed reading. It is a story that is interesting and intriguing with characters that I found to be unforgettable and come alive on the pages. I enjoyed reading about Reverend Ulysses Drummond and his son, Henry. Reverend Drummond is brutally murdered and then finds himself on a journey in the afterlife. Henry is a character that loves books, loves to write, and has a kind heart. I loved Henry’s character as even as the world holds those who are manipulative and just plain evil his actions are one that would rather help someone than hurt them. What does the afterlife hold for Reverend Drummond? What does life hold for Henry? Read this book to find out. This story has times when I was wondering what was going to happen next. It also has characters that I would put in two different categories. One set of characters are helpful and good, the others are selfish, and I would call them “the bad guys.” Each one has their own part in the story, and it would not be the same reading experience without any of them. There is intense dialogue. There are moments that touched my heart and others that made me take a pause and think. Don’t miss out on a wonderful story that will catch your attention and I was not able to put down until the final page. Highly recommended.
This is my first encounter with Kevin Ansbro’s work. It won’t be my last. In The Fish That Climbed a Tree, Ansbro gives us a delightful dose of satirical humor reminiscent of Tom Sharpe. He also provides a picture of the afterlife that includes encounters with real and imagined historical figures, in much the same vein as Jasper Fforde does with literary characters. And the end is vintage Charles Dickens. That said, Ansbro’s novel stands squarely on its own as a unique, highly entertaining, and thought-provoking work. And it’s not all fun and games. There’s plenty to think about here regarding life, relationships, coming of age, and life in heaven. You’ll laugh a lot, but you’ll also become immersed in real life issues–sometimes without even noticing.
Very early in the novel we witness a horrible murder of the characters we thought would be the focus of the book, given the cover and the fact that the actual main character was only a child. There are other surprises you’ll never see coming, but all the characters come together in the final scenes. Just as we’ve hoped all the way through the story, Ansbro works out happy endings for all the survivors, except for one who so very obviously doesn’t deserve one. See? Dickens.
A superb book from Kevin Ansbro
I have been waiting to read more from Kevin Ansbro for quite some time as his writing, characters, and plots are bursting with imagination, while being firmly grounded in the here and now. “The Fish That Climbed a Tree” addresses large questions like religion, God, atheism, alienation, and ultimately inner redemption, surrender and love without ever being saccharine, lofty, or patronizing. There is nothing ordinary or mundane about Kevin Ansbro’s writing as his wording and character approach can be playful, sometimes poetic, viscerally tactile and original in a brilliant way. His writing epitomizes the best of magical realism with a brilliant examination of eternal questions in a modern backdrop.
Kevin Ansbro continues to excel in the genre of magical realism with “The Fish That Climbed a Tree”. Ansbro’s writing is rich and luscious in imagery and delicate hinting of foreshadowing that slowly crescendos throughout his most recent book. He masterfully reveals characters and the plot as an artful tapestry weaving. The reader sees this lacing from simple strands that gain color and intensity as the whole storyline is woven together into a gorgeous and regal mantle that is the book, itself. The eloquent use of language, symbolism and metaphors are evident and powerful throughout the whole story. The humor is both sublime and subtle. Ansbro once again powerfully demonstrates the passage of life as one of love, redemption and surrender. Ultimately, one is left contemplating synchronicity, determinism and the larger invisible forces of our universe.
The Fish That Climbed a Tree By Kevin Ansbro. This is my first read by this author and I found it to be a very interesting story. The author did a great job of writing something unique and engaging. I like the authors writing style it’s a good mix of humor and serious without feel too heavy. The characters are complex and different from other books. This book is a perfect example of don’t judge a book by the cover , mind you I don’t dislike the cover I just almost passed this one by but am trying to open my reading to things I’d normally pass. And I’m so glad I listened to my “don’t judge a book by the cover .” Talk because I definitely would have been missing out on a unique story by a new to me author. I’m giving this story a four star review and recommend it. Excited to see what the author offers readers next.
5 Star
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro is a wonderfully written Book that once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. I found myself laughing at times and emotional at others .Get ready to be taken on a journey with Henry. Henry is a loner,so how will his life play out especially after the horrible incident he witnessed?Find out what happens next in this must read. This was my first read by this Author but not my last. I look forward to seeing what else this Author has for us.
The Fish That Climbed a Tree
Kevin Ansbro
5 stars
Before I stumbled across the Fish That Climbed a Tree, I was not familiar with Kevin Ansbro or his writing. I will say, after just one book it is clear this won’t be the only piece of writing I’ll read by Kevin Ansbro.
The Fish That Climbed a Tree is different than many of the books I’ve been reading lately and it was a welcomed change. This book provided humor while painting imagery that was truly thought provoking.
The Fish That Climbed a Tree was a unique story that has the feel of a literary classic. I was intrigued by the title, then the cover, then the synopsis really piqued my interest but the book exceeded all expectations. I am looking forward to read more of this author’s writing.
Wow what an interesting Read! This was one of those random off the wall books that I decided to pick up because it was different than my normal read. It’s the first book that I have read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised at how much i was sucked into the story line and hoping that our main character got a happy ending despite everything he went through. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author & I would recommend to a friend.
So this was a nice surprise. I am new to this author and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I loved it. It kept me on my toes and kept me guessing all the way through.
This is a book that makes you think while reading it and even after. It makes you analyze those thoughts and I sat and thought about it well after reading the book which to me is a sign of a great book.
This book was a turning point for me. I haven’t had a book lately that really made me think and reflect. Actually that is something that is hard to come by so I don’t want to give anything away but I will say this is a MUST READ. This book stimulates my brain and it won’t stop
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro
4-Stars
The Fish That Climbed A Tree was an interesting read from start to finish. I was immediately drawn into the story with the tragic opening scene and I was unable to stop reading. The author was very creative with the main characters and supporting characters . It was also easy to visualize each character and the setting for every part of this novel. There were some gruesome scenes in this story that may not be appealing to some but I felt they helped make the storyline. I really enjoyed this book and I know others will as well.
The Fish That Climbed a Tree
by Kevin Ansbro
This is the first book I have read by this author and I found it to be uniquely written. This story has a lot of emotion throughout. It is a very detail oriented story that makes you feel like you are right there in it. Henry is a loner and odd child so you wonder how his adulthood will play out, especially after the horrific event he witnessed. The author has such a wonderful imagination that makes this book different than any other I have read before. To find out about Henry’s journey this is a must read. I recommend this book.
This is the first book I have read by this author so was unsure what to expect. Also, I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone a bit recently and reading different genres so again was tentative about reading this. All I can say is that I loved it. Not quite sure exactly which genre it fits as it could fall into many. It has supernatural, religion, thriller, crime and a bit of romance too.
Although mainly centred around Henry Drummond, there are many characters with a major role in the book. Kevin Ansbro does an amazing job of creating characters that you love, hate, despise and just about every other emotion. The evil Pascal and Yuri are so well written, you get really into their heads and see what makes them the evil gits that they are. Sebastian is another story – on my god can he get his head any further up his own backside!! I loved Henry and Amber, especially the way in which Amber deals with Henry’s poshness (is that even a word?) My favourite character is Mr O’Connor, Henry’s landlord. I love just how he took Henry under his wing and became a father figure to him encouraging him in his ambition to be an author.
Honestly I could write forever about the characters in this book as they are so wonderful. I’m so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something different.
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbriso is a story that has a little bit of everything from humour and fantasy, immortality and cruelty, murder and violence, the afterlife and coming-of-age, mystery and thrills, ghosts and a lot more. Kevin has written a story that is very imaginative and thought provoking. He leads us on a wild journey where anything is fair game and his storytelling is very vivid. There is a cast of characters that you will either love or hate which brings a different narrative and picture to the whole book.
It is one book that you will have to read to understand the simplicity in the complexity.
I was unprepared for the masterpiece I found in my hands. The author is new to me and I was enthralled by the tale that unfolded. Charming, original, and just plain fantastic, I simply couldn’t read the story fast enough. I cannot wait to pick the book up again to reread and catch any details I missed on the first go round. Loved it!
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro is a four star novel. Before picking this book up, I only saw the title and thought it intriguing. This novel was not at all what I was expecting from that. Not that I was disappointed because this novel has a lot of redeeming qualities. It was hard for me to follow at first that we are dealing with two different spheres of reality. My heart was breaking for Henry and the pain he would be feeling as a young child after his parents are murdered. As we follow him growing up, he seems to be doing ok but with the pitfalls of childhood that a lot of us face. Then as that story is flowing, we also see the realm of his father, Ulysses, as he is navigating through the after life. The way the author uses names and his large vocabulary to spice up his novel, the reader needs to really pay attention to be able to catch all of it. That part of the novel is brilliantly done.
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro. This is my first book by Kevin Ansbro but I loved it. I was leary at first but its such a complex book that the more I read the more I loved and I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I had finished. That’s the sign of a good book. This is the story of Reverend Drummond who is brutally murdered in his London Vicarage. Its the story of the journey of his afterlife. The Reverend’s son Henry is left to live without his father and make it thru this rough world dealing with bullies, big hearted friends and cruel killers. Henry is very sweet, kind and loves to read and write. Will Henry find love and happiness in this life or will he suffer a cruel death like was foretold. This story goes from present to afterlife and you have to pay attention to be able to grasp the full story. I loved this book and will look forward to reading more by this author!
The Fish that Climbed the Tree by Kevin Ansbro a four-star read that will stay with you. I have finished this one, but I know I haven’t stopped thinking about it. This one will stop you in your tracks and will suck you in from the start, its very complex and has a lot and I mean a lot going on but it works and will surprise you. It is an odd one as its dark but there is a lightness as well, this really is a novel of different sides, good, bad and evil. I will definitely be looking out for more from this author.
Wow this book is a complex and complete journey that I did not see coming whatsoever with what we are given on the blurbs. I will admit though, I was a bit unclear on a lot of things as this was a completely new experience reading anything from Kevin Ansbro. I am glad that I dove it however, as this story really was dynamic and multidimensional, one that will stick with me for quite awhile I am sure.
This book is quite difficult to try and summarize, we really get so much. Everything is explored about good and evil that walks among us as we live our daily lives. There is dabbling is discussing the afterlife and what will come. Kevin Ansbro delves into the several evils, ranging from the difficult discussion of rape all the way to murder and then delves into how this is processed and dealt with by each of the characters. It is one that will leave you on the edge of your seat as you try to piece all the components of the puzzle together and figure out what you will get from reading this novel. I will be looking forward to seeing what else is available from Mr. Ansbro now and what may come from him in the future. I can only imagine it will be one to make me think and ponder as well.
The Fish that Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro was a well written, rollercoaster read, that had me hooked.
My first read from this author, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into. This was a different read for me, and even though it’s in that urban fantasy realm that I love, it was still a different branch, and a little out of my normal comfort zone.
This dark read was highly well written and detailed. It was rich, lush and picturesque, it felt like you were there and apart of the story. I love the split dynamic between the dad and son. It was an intriguing parallel and something I haven’t come across. I love finding unique reads like this, as it breaks up the normal formats and sparks that reading fire. This book is one of a kind, and if the author’s other works is anything like this one, then I’m going to be adding to my summer reading list.
Overall this book is a must read, it will hook you, pull on your heart strings, while having you on the edge of your seat. So please take my super high recommedantion and my stamp of approval that you will not be disappointed in this gem.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
The Fish That Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro is a fascinating read. I was not sure what to expect from this book after reading the synopsis but intrigued. I am so glad I did. The story is well told and the characters are great. I was drawn into the story and did not want to put this down. There is so much to say but I do not want to wreck any of the book for another reader. This reminded me of books from Doyle and Dickens but with a modern twist to the story telling. I am so glad I picked this up and will be telling my family about this book. I am still processing the story and so am at a loss for words at the moment. My advice is if you are intrigued by the synopsis then pick this up and you will not be disappointed.
The Fish That Climbed a Tree by Kevin Ansbro is a book so detailed and beautifully written that I almost wouldn’t care what the story is, I was just so taken by his way for writing. As it happens the story was brilliantly created that I was drawn in by that as well.
This is an entirely new author to me and I have to admit I was a bit conflicted going in to this book. I loved the description and how unique and interesting the story sounded. However I found myself a little put off by the cover of the book. If there is ever a book that the old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” applies to, for me it is definitely this one.
Once you open the pages and start reading you are hooked. The author gives such vivid descriptions that it really feels like you are right there with all the characters. This book is one that definitely needs to be on your must read list this year!