On the train this evening, this is what I read on the Evening Standard:
Thursday 3 May 2012: British holiday makers have been warned there is no salmon fishing in Yemen, after a surge in interest following the release o Ewan McGregor’s latest film.
The Yemen Tourism Promotion Board said it had been inundated with requests thanks to Salmon Fishing in The Yemen, in which McGregor’s character is asked by a Yemeni sheikh to introduce salmon so that he can fish for them.
However, not only is the fishing non-existent, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recently issued a red warning over Yemen, telling visitors to “avoid all travel to the whole country”.
But Benjamin Carey, Yemen tourism UK spokeman, said: “Salmon fishing isn’t actually that popular in Yemen, but there are excellent sea fishing opportunities.”
I read Salmon fishing in the Yemen in 2009. My opening sentence was:
Salmon need cool, well-oxygenated water. The temperature ideally should not exceed 18 degree Celsius. If it is too hot, the oxygen will leave the water and the fish will die. The best conditions are rivers fed by snow melt or springs.
I could tell that the book was a satire. Would these people actually believes there is salmon fishing in Yemen??!!! It’s a desert, a dry land. Are people so deluded to believe what they read in the books and watch in the movies are actually REAL?
It makes me shudder to think there are some of us who internalise everything we consume from the media. Are you one of them?
I think perhaps people like the idea of something that seems “not right” actually existing. Maybe. I still want to see the movie so I’ll add it to my Netflix account
Posted by Helen Murdoch | May 3, 2012, 8:33 pmHelen,
If something is not right, it probably doesn’t exist. I want to watch the movie too, I’m going to add it on lovefilm.com account.
Posted by JoV | May 3, 2012, 8:43 pmOh, I booked a ticket already!
I read the book (loved it) and hope to see the movie. I hope people will read more by Paul Torday – he’s got some great books.
Posted by Leeswammes | May 3, 2012, 8:55 pmJudith,
Let me know how many salmons you manage to catch! He got some great books, I didn’t quite like “The Girl in the Landing” but this is definitely my favourite of his. 
LOL!
Posted by JoV | May 3, 2012, 9:02 pmThis is so funny! So many people just don’t get satire. I haven ‘t seen the film, but the Times review said that the film substitute’s saccharine for the book’s satire, so perhaps that’s why so many people didn’t geddit (being generous!).
Posted by Maxine | May 4, 2012, 4:16 pmMaxine,
Ahh…that would make sense.. saccharine warms the heart and that is where viewers lost their common senses! lol Don’t worry about the word “substitute’s” at least it’s better than Dan Quayle trying to tell a poor student how to spell “potato”!!!
Posted by JoV | May 5, 2012, 12:01 pmSorry, substitutes not “substitute’s” – I hate erroneous apostrophes. (remember Dan Quayle’s potatoe’s?)
Posted by Maxine | May 4, 2012, 4:17 pmIf you can’t go salmon fishing in Yemen you could try sun tanning in Saskatchewan in January.
Posted by Bill Selnes | May 5, 2012, 5:27 amBill,
lol I wouldn’t know if you are telling me the truth or not ‘cos I haven’t been to Saskatchewan, perhaps trying sun bathing in England in January or even now will be more unlikely!
Posted by JoV | May 5, 2012, 11:54 amDespite the improbability of it all, I’d still like to read it.
Posted by Mystica | May 6, 2012, 7:49 amMystica,
I think you should read the book. I think everyone should read the book, just don’t think that Salmon is actually jumping up the river of Yemen that’s all!
Posted by JoV | May 6, 2012, 8:18 amI can’t believe people think there is salmon fishing in the Yemen! I guess it is those who haven’t read the book that are making these enquiries based on the title alone.
Posted by farmlanebooks | May 6, 2012, 7:52 amJackie,
Or they have seen the film and fell in love with it and think that what they saw in the movie is real! lol
Posted by JoV | May 6, 2012, 8:19 amHa! It’s kind of scary to think how often this kind of thing happens, though.
Posted by nymeth | May 7, 2012, 9:39 amNymeth, It is. Ignoring travel warning at their perils!
Posted by JoV | May 7, 2012, 10:06 amI just find it weird that you’d bother to go to the lengths of making the enquiry when you hadn’t even read the book. Why would you base a holiday around a book you hadn’t read and didn’t even know you liked? A very strange and expensive way to look well-read?
Posted by secondshelfdown | May 7, 2012, 10:53 amSecondshelfdown,
Thanks for dropping by. I don’t think many of them to make an inquiry has read the book. I suppose some people are naive to believe everything they saw on movie.
Posted by JoV | May 7, 2012, 1:51 pmThere is no hope is there? People just… yeah.
Posted by amymckie | May 28, 2012, 2:56 pmAmy,
Nah!
Posted by JoV | May 28, 2012, 3:19 pm