The Trout

by Peter Cunningham

Alex and Kay began their relationship many years ago in Ireland where Alex was destined to become a priest. His father, a well-respected doctor, is immensely proud of him until the day Alex meets Kay, a meeting which changes Alex's life and his relationship with his father forever. Rejected by his father and his friends, Alex and Kay eventually settle in Canada to lead a normal family life. Normal life, however, is only a thin veneer covering a world of childhood secrets and lies and a letter arriving out of the blue triggers a long-buried guilt in Alex, leading him to risk all to track down its secrets. In a spellbinding story of one man's search for the crucial secret locked in his memory since childhood, The Trout bursts up through the conventions and falsehoods of the past and hangs, beautiful and shimmering, in the clear and vital light of truth.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Ireland, Audiobook, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

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Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ A quiet but meaningful story about a past that haunts, affecting the present. Alex Smyth, now living in Ontario, Canada has written a book detailing the relationship between he and his father, a man he has not spoken to in many years. A blank sheet of paper is delivered in an envelope, but what freaks him out is it includes a trout fishing fly. Many years ago, and after his mother's death he was raised by his father, the local doctor, and he and his father would often go fishing, sometimes in the company of the village priest. They lived in a small village in Dublin then and he is haunted by something that happened when he was seven, something he doesn't remember but often gets glimpses of, a feeling that he was involved in the death of a man.. His marriage buckling under the strain, he makes the decision to journey back to Dublin, to his past and try to reconnect the pieces of his memory.

A simply written but beautifully described novel, the depictions of nature so incredibly beautiful, set against a horrible conspiracy of silence. What happened to a young boy in that village, many young everywhere and those who knew but our equally guilty by their silence, the scope of which is still being uncovered today. Incidents in the past that we little remember or need to forget to move on, but can still rear it's ugly head when we least expect it. As Kay says n the novel, "It takes a whole lifetime to come to terms with what we have hidden as children." Throughout the novel there are various excerpts about trout, how they feed, where they go, the many different colors they are, and if one reads carefully they can see how perfectly this blends into the story being told.

I was touched, and appalled because I know much of this, is based on truisms. Written in a very understated manner, highlighting the kind of culture that exists, those who look away instead of confronting, failing to protect the innocent and how these type of situations and others can occur again and again in different circumstances, different places.

ARC from publisher.
Publishes July 4th.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Smyth is living in Canada with his wife when he receives a strange piece of mail containing only a trout fly. Alex has always thought that something terrible had happened when he was a child but the memory is always just a bit past his grasp. Memories now start coming back and he starts to believe that he may have killed someone when he was a child. He must return to Ireland to confront his past and get to the bottom of these fragmented memories.

This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read in a long time. I’m adding Peter Cunningham to my list of all-time favorite authors and will be reading the rest of his books soon. This book grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go nor could I put the book down. It was completely mesmerizing and awakened my love for truly well-written literature. I read a lot of books but far too many pass through me without much lasting effect. This is one that I will treasure and always remember.

The book touches on how elusive memories can be and how they can harm our lives if not brought to the surface. It also touches on how society can convince itself that what they’re seeing isn’t actually happening. This book is set in such a beautiful location with valleys and hills and rivers and streams and yet what happened there is so tragic and heart breaking. Predator and prey dominate this story and the author has included short snippets about trout and their lives and their most dangerous predator – man. It’s a perfect accompaniment for this story that centers on horrific events that take place while fishing.

Most highly recommended.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Dna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's amazing to me that I picked this book up a year ago, read a fair bit, then put it down because I couldn't get into it. This time, I came across it as I was cleaning up my eReader and decided to try again before giving the ePub the heave-ho, and reading page one was like falling head first down a dark well.

The vignettes about trouts and trout fishing at the beginning of chapters are not only full of good, useful information, but the beautiful writing forms a tapestry supporting the story itself. A sad, dark story that unfurls like a ribbon and wraps itself around your heart, or mind, whichever you lead with when reading.

The Trout is a beautifully-written book about a terrible thing: lyrical, haunting, and sensitive. Cunningham presents imperfect characters without judging them and -- amazingly -- without inviting the reader to judge either, showing us instead that crime does not always equal punishment.

Just. Incredible. This should be a classic.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-crafted crisply written, gripping story of one man search for the crucial secret locked in his memory since childhood and the ability of whole societies to deny the evidence of their eyes.

When writer Alex Smyth receives a letter at his home in rural Bayport Ontario containing only a fishing lure, unsettling childhood memories are triggered. Alex thinks he may have killed another boy when he was seven, he then decides to return to Ireland to seek answers from his father.

Alex is the narrator and recounts events from both a child’s and an adult’s perspective. His voice is gentle almost mesmerizing it is easy to adapt to his tone. As the tale unfolds, the author artfully spins several stories at once: Ex: when Kay, Alex’s wife, alone has doubts about their marriage and has fears of a stalker we are into some interesting interludes.

It takes time to connect with the characters but when several layers of tension are introduced and memories crisscrossed with the present they immediately become accessible. The short chapters and a credible narrative keep the pages turning and the pacing holds up to the tension beautifully when it picks up. Serving simply as a metaphor and to provide a connecting thread in this delicate and powerful tale, the author has intercepted his narrative with brief and cogent paragraphs with the art of fly-fishing and its pursuit of the trout. (Interesting).

I had a hard time getting into this psychological thriller and staying focused during the initial section, it drags too much as it recounts the couple peaceful existence in Canada till mid-way threatened by Alex’s visions everything meshed and I understood where the author was leading. From then on I was hooked.

The last half of the book reveals the monstrous crime that took place in a country populated by good people who are conscious of the truth but prefer to leave it deep beneath the surface till one day they uncover the truth….it burst to light like the beautiful trout....

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss

[Carolyn Boatner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cunningham's story was a compelling read. Its brief chapters move the plot along, and the author carefully imparts just enough to keep the reader intrigued. The conclusion immediately left me feeling that something was missing; it was only in the day or two that followed as my mind played over the story that I realized what power lay in Cunningham leaving a missing piece up to the reader. He expects the reader to conclude a powerful truth that is both unsettling, yet entirely human... the mark of an excellent writer.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t remember how this book came to my attention, but I’m glad it did. It’s an understated gem.

Alex Smyth grew up in Ireland but has spent his adult life in Canada; now he and his wife Kay have retired to the Muskoka region of Ontario. One day he receives a letter which unsettles him and stirs up vague childhood memories. He returns to Ireland looking to find out what he has forgotten because his memory “’has big holes in it.’” That trip involves a visit with his estranged father. Surely, Alex didn’t murder someone when he was seven years old, as he suspects?

The book examines sexual abuse and the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. Kay, a psychotherapist, tells Alex, “’When we are young we often have encounters that leave us deeply marked.’” More than one character in the novel “has spent his adult life suffering wounds inflicted in his childhood.”

The novel captured my interest immediately. What will Alex discover in Ireland? While Alex is away, leaving Kay and their young grandson at home, Kay must deal with a man who is paying them untoward attention. Are they in danger? The chapters are short and so tension builds quickly.

Several of the chapters include descriptions of the life of a trout and the skills needed for fly fishing. These brief passages serve as a metaphor for what is happening: “the trout’s greatest enemy is man” and “Fly fishing allows man to revert to his state of being a natural hunter and to stalk his quarry . . . Fly fishing allows man to act out an elemental part of the forest glade that lies within us all.” A description of night time fishing is juxtaposed with an episode where a man takes a couple of boys fishing at night. When a friend compliments that man on his fishing skills (“’Is there no fish in the county safe from you?’”), the comment has a double meaning that is truly frightening.

The book is narrated in the first person by Alex. My issue is that several times he seems to know more than he plausibly could about what others are thinking and doing. For instance, Alex describes Kay: “She wishes she could see clearly into my soul, for even though she once trusted me, now she is not so sure. Everyone has secrets, she reflects.” Three times, Alex explains that he knows his wife’s thoughts because “she will later say” something to him about them, but this approach is awkward.

The ending delivers a punch that will leave the reader re-evaluating all that went before. I am certain the book would reveal more depths on a second reading.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[Anne Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex and Kay have traded in thirty-year careers in Toronto – he as a teacher and she as a psychotherapist – to pursue more creative pursuits in rural Ontario, but things aren’t working out as well as they’d hoped. The financial crash has put their travel plans on hold and, alongside her painting, Kay is working part-time at the hospital in the next town, perhaps as much to escape their limping marriage as to boost the household’s economy. Both their Irish childhoods were overshadowed by early parental loss and she wonders if, at nineteen, they married too young. Alex sees that “her glance … contains sadness, as if she is harbouring personal regrets, or fears that our happiness is never more than provisional” (p9); she is frustrated with his failure to seek help for panic attacks and depression. These feelings come to a head when he appears distinctly unenthusiastic about the proposed publicity tour for his recently published novel, Sulphur, loosely based on his own childhood, featuring a boy out fishing with his father.
Full review Quarry: The Trout by Peter Cunningham http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/...

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to categorize this beautifully written novel - it's a quiet psychological thriller where old secrets come back to haunt a man many years later. I loved the descriptions of rural Canada and the info about trout. Alex is one of the most complex characters I've read lately; I was especially impressed with how Cunningham was able to convey so much with so few words. Keep your eye on Kay as she's key to this tale. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Try this one!

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving it 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5). An intriguing psychological mystery. Beautifully written, beautiful prose. Paragraphs about the life of "trout" are interspersed with the telling of the story in an enlightening way. This book is different and is well worth your while to read it.

[Neil MacNeill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book to review. It is, no doubt, literary fiction, and the writing reflects that categorization, but sometimes the author's techniques get in the way. The running analogy of the trout to the actions and motivations of the main characters got tiring. Setting 95% of the story two years in the past, with just the last chapter in the current time came off as a gimmick – why not set everything in current day and have the last chapter two years hence? Since it was written in first person, some of the chapters – when Alex Smith was not present – made no sense: How could he have known what was going on and what was said? Given all that, the characters were complex and interesting and real, in a way that many novels' characters are not. The scenes in rural Ireland, and the character's actions and dialog rang true. There was very little about the story that was cut-and-dried predictable. It's a messy world! But had I known in advance that a pivotal element of the story hinged on an abusive priest, I might not have read it. The ending was also a bit of a let down. All the fear that consumed Alex and Kay...well, I don't want to give that away. So...I appreciated the craftsmanship, but I'm not sure I enjoyed the book. Will the story and characters "stay" with me? I don't think so.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trout descriptions begin each chapter, and the story begins with a mysterious trout fly arriving in the mail, but this is an evil and sinister trout, not at all the quiet relaxing trout streams we may expect. Alex and Kay, married without children, live in a small town in Canada when their lives are interrupted by the mysterious trout fly. Alex returns to Ireland to confront his estranged father, and the past returns with a vengeance. Without giving away the story, there’s not much more I can say except once again, the victims are blamed for the sins of their aggressors, and the children suffer most of all. Sad story, too familiar, unfortunately.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been trying to avoid reading a depressing Irish novel for the last year or so. This novel tricked me with its title and dust jacket, looking all fly fishing-like. Instead, it turned out to be a mediocre novel of suppressed trauma and Irish melancholy. And the latter was not even done well; Cunningham is no Sebastian Barry. At least the typeface was large, so it went quickly. And a pet peeve. Every time the protagonist introduces himself, he adds "I'm from Canada". Yeah, we got it the first 5 times you said it.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully constructed and written, Cunningham's novel begins laid-back, idyllic. But a back-story slowly emerges, and slowly tension builds. Waves of tension rise and fall like the water on a lake as a storm begins to gather.

The book begins with an epigram by Franz Schubert, "We think that we can reach one another but, in reality, all we can do is to approach and pass each other by."

When I began reading the book, I was puzzled by its meaning. Having just finished reading it, I simply nod my head in accent ...

[Rosemary Rigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who is the trout, and why does it matter in this story? I think I have it figured, but this is a book I will think about often. That the beginning is placed in Ontario, Canada, had me intrigued, and although I had other books ahead of this on my reading pile, I had to read more. The first transition between action in the present and Alex's (the protagonist), recollection of the past was at first surprising, but when I understood how this book was to go, I picked up on the rhythm of these changes as I accepted the inter-slices of the habits of trout. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this right before reading Roddy Doyle's Smile. They are an excellent pair. A former Irish seminarian, now a Canadian retiree, Alex Smyth receives a trout fly in the mail. Eventually he believes he is being stalked by someone because of a book he has recently written, a book based on his childhood. He must return to Ireland to speak with his estranged father and others in order to unravel the lies, betrayals, and pain. A fabulous thriller.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and finished it in a couple of days. It is a sad story of an Irish author now living in Ontario who is forced to confront some awful childhood memories when he receives a fishing fly in the mail. He visits Ireland to try to uncover the mystery of what happened to a boy he knew when he was just 7 years old.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, and will probably put it on my book club's voting list for next year. The author is also a poet, and the prose is, in fact, very poetic. It moves back and forth in time, and the narrator seems to know more than he plausibly could about what others are thinking and doing, but that's a minor matter. It's gripping.

[Luan Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprise

I thought this book was going to be a murder mystery, a thriller. But it is so much more than that. A coming of age story in some ways, it explores the idea of memory and how memories are sometimes deceiving and often wrong. It's a compelling read and I look forward to reading more books by Peter Cunningham.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'aime le style mais je me suis un peu lassée de l'histoire qui est racontée en mode "suspense" alors que finalement il n'y en a pas besoin.
Une histoire de vengeance qui n'en est pas vraiment une, avec une enfance en Irlande et un lien père fils rompu. Au milieu de tout cela, un prêtre pédophile qui a bouleversé la vie de Terrence.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, affecting story of growing up in Ireland. All about keeping secrets.
The author uses a bizarre form of first person narrative, where the narrator has omniscient insight into the thoughts and actions of his wife. I was OK, once I got past how unusual it was.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing. It flowed well and carryed the reader on a path that meandered without too many sharp turns. Given the subject matter, I found it a pleasant book to read. The author approached the issue from a new perspective I've not read before. I highly recommend it.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 for the last page, which is Gatsbyish. Also a rather stunning ending. Lots of good trout tidbits that make me pine for the streams and ponds of the Berkshires, from which I pulled maybe two.

[Sharon C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written and poetic at times, featuring brief information about trout which ties into the chapter that proceeds, this book is rather sad in its themes. More so than a psychological thriller, I would say.

[John G. Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read of. Old Ireland & The Church of the Past

The Faith was there but not forgiving for its people who needed just understanding. It is a wonderful vision of why the Catholic Church failed its people.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply outstanding.

[Jean-Pascal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une descente lente et habile dans une histoire classique mais que l'Irlande rend plus spécifique et exotique.

[Ottawan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absorbing story, interesting characters, well written (lean).

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in two days! Beautifully written, despite being such a sad, cruel story.

[martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

could have been so good, had all the makings. but too drawn out.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and crafted novel about guilt.