Shocking Fish Tales: Fish, Romance, and Death in Pictures
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This whimsical yet informative look at the denizens of the deep incorporates humor, trivia and natural history. Matsen (Deep Sea Fishing) contributes brief essays on such subjects as the mutation that began the evolution of fish into humans; a chronicle of 'fish lit' over the years; the mating rituals of salmon; the significance of fish in various religions; and the 'deadly blend of despair and cheap thrills' derived from working in a salmon-packing factory. The margins are dotted with notes on esoterica, such as the tale of a fisherman who was towed 80 feet underwater by a blue marlin, and that massaging a halibut's 'lateral line' - a sense organ on its stomach - has a soothing effect on the halibut. Troll's illustrations in several different media are equally diverse, ranging from depictions of Native American-inspired totem poles and rituals to a Rousseau takeoff of humpies swimming through a moonlit jungle. Many of these incorporate text, like the blue and black silkscreen of upside-down fish over the legend 'Bass Ackwards' and the pen-ink-and-watercolor drawing of anthropomorphized, briefcase-carrying fish clustered around a sign reading 'Walleye Street'. - Publishers Weekly