Jack Fish

by J. Milligan

Book Overview

"A comedic noir [that] brims throughout with hyperspecific detail and hipster patois. . . . I was, uh, fairly hooked."--Henry Alford, The New York Times Book Review "Zany, bouncy, endlessly droll. . .... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156947382X
• ISBN13: 9781569473825
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Soho Press
• Length: 217 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Where's the Sequel?

This book was absolutely hilarious and a magnificent piece of escapism. Where's the sequel!?! Has anyone bought the movie rights? I'd love to read another one. Get to it, J. Milligan!

The Man from Atlantis

J Milligan opens his debut novel with the emergence of the most inept assassin ever. Agent Jack Fish is sent to the Topworld as an operative of the government of Atlantis. His mission is to kill a rogue agent, and it isn't as easy as they said at the secret agent academy. Jack finds himself caught up in the mad hustle of the boroughs of New York as he tries to assimilate with the natives and locate his target. Now, if only he can get the breathing air part down. Milligan's humor is raw and irreverent. He speaks to the young urbanites of today, and if you don't understand their lingo, you just might be lost. His imagination is tremendous as he effortlessly contrasts the sometimes seamy denizens of performance art, raves, mosh pits, and crowd surfing to the preppy, sleek Barney's-clad young corporate-types in the glass towers. JACK FISH sparkles with fluid, descriptive passages that would stir envy among more seasoned authors. Milligan's characterization is excellent; each voice is dynamic and unique. The plot falls a little flat at the end which is a minor disappointment after the distinctive style and charisma that flows through the rest of the book, but it is nevertheless a quick and entertaining read. Reviewed by Kim Anderson Ray of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

We all knew Jack, but nobody knew he was a FISH . . .

A funny, lively, frenetic sci-fi novel chock full of frequently easy and occasionally clever satire, imaginative action sequences, and highly colorful, amusing characters whose brilliant idiosyncracies go a long way towards offsetting the hurried feel of the writing (was this one of those 'write a 50,000 word novel in a month' projects?)and the sudden sensation of incompleteness that the reader experiences upon realizing that the book ends halfway down page 216 (are we being set up for a sequel?). Jack Fish is a trained asassin from the sunken city of Atlantis cast ashore on Coney Island. What follows is like a drunken pastiche of Douglas Adams excerpts, reruns of "Third Rock from the Sun", hit or miss attempts at Vonnegut-style wit, and spoofy, pomo takes on the genre of seedy, urban noir. Highly entertaining, embarrasingly hip, and perfect for the Mcsweeny's generation, this is a novel to save for the beach or your next three-hour layover. You won't regret reading it but, depending on your tastes and/or literary pretensions, you may feel a little disgusted with yourself for enjoying it. Whatever though, this is the 21st century man, why not narrow your horizons a bit? Read gluttonously and purge shortly thereafter, lest you unwittingly sell your (wholly metaphorical) soul to the raging bandwagoneers of the post "Infinite Jest" literary anti-establishment. Peace.

Dick van Awesome

I have literally read this book three times. And each time it has gotten better. I don't mean that it "seemed" better. I mean it actually got better! Try it for yourself. I can't wait to review more books by J Milligan.

Great read - couldn't put it down

High-powered, hip and funny and definately the best book I have ever read about a novice, water-breathing assasin from the lost city of Atlantis let loose in Manhattan. I don't know who this guy is but I hope he starts writing more books pronto.