William Bloom's father, Edward, is dying. In his prime he was an extraordinary man: animals loved him, people loved him, women loved him; he was an inspired salesman - a visionary, in fact; and he knew more jokes than any man alive.

Or at least, that's what he's told his son. But Edward wasn't really around that much and now, watching his father die, William grows increasingly desperate to know him before it's all too late. In a wonderful sleight of hand, William re-creates his elusive father's life in a series of legends and myths inspired by the few facts he knows. Through these tales, William begins to understand Edward Bloom's great feats - and his great failings - managing to reckon with the father he's about to lose. And find a way to say goodbye.

A highly original, funny, poignant debut, Big Fish teaches us about the art of joke telling, the transformative power of storytelling, and one way of moving from life to death.