A life veering from ecstasy to catastrophe
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This book will knock you upside the head and rewrite what you know of novels, writing and sex. In a tense, opaque series of short moments, Jones brings the chaotic, unhinged Lewis to life, a woman seeking control of her self though her own body, with sex, drugs, alcohol and life oozing from every page in this impressionistic novel of the 70s. A lost classic that returns to print in a shiny new hardback from Virago Modern Classics, this is as fresh and new when it was first published in 1983, a book with few predecessors and with almost no descendants.

Despite its structure of short chapters and its relatively short length, this is not a simple read. From being a teenager, Lewis has been an object of sex and her connection with her own body is skewed from this inauspicious start, until she is ‘freed’ by the words of her adult lover’s new wife, to disconnect her thoughts from her sexual self. As Lewis sets out to reclaim her body for herself, every other consideration is thrown by the wayside and the people she explores are never quite what she needs, particularly the men in her life. In the end Lewis’s life veers from ecstasy to catastrophe, and never in any predictable way.

Jones the author made no bones that this was autofiction, and in its rawness — crafted over time and as one of editor Toni Morrison’s last books in that role — it represents a different kind of America, a different kind of life, the hedonism of the 70s sexual revolution laid bare, like an antithesis to Maupin’s Tales Of The City. Jones never wanted their specific identity (intersectional, biographical, literary) to influence the reader and I hope that you pick up this book with the same open-eyed and openminded expectation.

A riveting and kaleidoscopic book – it is both raw and dark and enraptures the reader from the opening few pages.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I knew I wanted to read Fish Tales by Nettie Jones (thanks @viragopress via @netgalley) as soon as I saw that it was acquired by Toni Morrison. Originally published in 1983 and republished last month with a fabulous cover, Fish Tales felt just as sharp and invigorating and new as it must have felt decades ago. Following the life of Lewis Jones and her hedonistic drug-fuelled liaisons (at the behest of her husband no less), each chapter revolves around an encounter - some brief and some recurring. However, for all the fun that seems to be had on the surface, there is a sadness to Lewis which becomes more apparent in the second half of the book when she meets the handsome Brook. A quadriplegic, Brook has the attention of a number of women but becomes the centre of Lewis’ love and affections, leading to disastrous consequences. It was interesting to do a bit of digging as I found out more about Jones’ life (which sounds almost as wild as the book) and that she had initially conceived of Fish Tales as a screenplay. She later calls it a textual collage which is a very apt description of the book. I highly recommend (if you like character-driven, messy books) and I’m hoping the paperback will have the same cover so I can add a copy to my collection!

Fish Tales is a sexy, dark, and sometimes deliciously grimey dive into a world that feels as raw as it is intimate. Netty Jones doesn't hold back, and that’s part of what makes this book hit so hard—it’s bold, visceral, and charged with a kind of gritty sensuality that lingers long after you turn the last page.

The story is intense and layered, and while the shifting points of view add depth to the characters and the world, I’ll admit they threw me off a bit at first. Especially in the beginning, it took some time to get my footing with who was speaking and how it all tied together. But once I settled into the rhythm, it started to click and the emotional weight behind each perspective really started to land.

Jones excels at capturing the tension between desire and danger, beauty and brutality. There’s something almost cinematic about the way the scenes unfold—moody and charged, like smoke curling around a dim light.

If you're into stories that don’t shy away from the messier sides of human nature and love a narrative that straddles the line between seduction and survival, this one’s definitely worth the ride.

Fish Tales is a raw, electrifying plunge into the chaotic world of the 1970s, where excess, hedonism and self-destruction collide in a wild swirl of desire and defiance. Nettie Jones delivers a stunningly messy and captivating portrayal of a woman’s journey through freedom and self-destruction, set against the backdrop of New York and Detroit's bohemian and affluent circles.

The protagonist, Lewis Jones, is an unforgettable character. In her thirties, she exudes freedom, confidence and chaos, navigating a world of lavish parties, drugs, sex and complicated relationships. The book isn’t so much about a structured plot as it is an exploration of Lewis’s turbulent life, which is as disjointed and fragmented as her own experiences. Once I got into the rhythm of the narrative, though, it was impossible to put down. It is the kind of book that lets you feel the disarray of a life lived on the edge, unfiltered and raw.

The supporting characters, particularly Lewis’s husband Woody and her friend Kitty Kat, each play crucial roles in revealing different layers of Lewis’s identity. But it is the presence of Brook – an enigmatic, often cruel figure – who truly shifts the trajectory of her life. The relationships are messy, filled with exploitation and emotional highs and lows, and yet, they never feel pitying. Jones’s matter-of-fact tone, even during the most difficult and uncomfortable moments, makes the book all the more compelling.

The thematic explorations of sexuality, race, power and identity are boldly handled, and the chaotic, fragmented structure feels entirely purposeful. It mirrors the turbulence and messiness of Lewis’s existence in a way that feels authentic. Fish Tales is unapologetically sexual, daring, and full of desire and anxiety. The book is as much about the search for self as it is about the destruction of the self, and it rings strikingly true in today’s world, where ego and identity often overshadow the pursuit of genuine freedom.

This is a book about freedom, love and destruction in equal measure, and it’s an experience worth diving into. Fish Tales deserves its reissue and the recognition that comes with it – it is an unforgettable, complex, and unapologetically bold story.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Fish Tales is a brilliantly messy, hedonistic story. This is not a book with a rich, cohesive plot - it’s chaotic and very character-driven in a way that feels entirely intentional. The disjointed structure reflects the chaos of Lewis’s life, and once I got used to it, I was completely drawn in. Through her journey, we meet a cast of vivid, larger-than-life characters, each adding their own layer to the story and feeding into Lewis’s self-destructive persona. She is often exploited and abused, but never written with pity - her voice carries strength, vulnerability and complexity, and the matter-of-fact tone, even in the most uncomfortable moments, only adds to the impact. It’s a bold and unapologetically sexually-charged book, and I hope the reissue gets the recognition it deserves.

Thank you so much to Virago and NetGalley for this advance ARC!

Between the bohemian demimonde of New York and the affluent Black community of Detroit in the 1970s, Lewis Jones is a party girl for the ages—a woman in her thirties who has reached a point of freedom, confidence, and mayhem. She is supported in her adventures, in every way, by her husband, Woody. She is accompanied by her friend Kitty Kat, a gay hustler with impeccable style and a knack for finding all the best spots. She soaks in baths of champagne, powders her nose with cocaine, wakes up on silk sheets with a variety of lovers. And then she is finally, truly upended by the handsome, erudite, often cruel Brook—a man who won’t tolerate her attempts to take control.

Nettie Jones is a great writer. Fish Tales reminds me a lot of Corregidora by Gayl Jones in a good way, the writing about 70s Black America, both sharp and frank and brilliant. Fish Tales is a party story, a Gatsby style champagne fuelled tale of opulence, desire, touching on race and sexuality in the process. It’s a fun novel that is pretty fast paced and there is a lot to take in. We meet Lewis Jones in her early years and watch as she is quickly picked up by predatory older men. Further in we see a different side to Jones, a woman unafraid to call a phone number and ask for a couple of male hookers. I think in the present we often don’t imagine women of the 60s and 70s being so unashamed in their pleasures and desires, and Fish Tales makes this a refreshing take.

Formatting wise, I really enjoyed the short chapters. I think that was a perfect device for this novel, being so short with so many characters to meet, the briefness of the chapters allow you to see a snapshot of Jones’s relationships, just the perfect amount to understand the people in her life, how she feels about them and the impact they create.

I love that ‘forgotten’ classics like Fish Tales are being reprinted for the modern reader. This is a loud, look-at-me, understand-me story that should be read by millions of women. For a book written in the 70s it is strikingly current in its themes of sex, drugs, alcohol, and love.

I loved the author’s note at the end, confirming that Nettie Jones had met Gayl Jones – who inspired her to write! I won’t spoil it but I loved understanding Jones’ reasonings for writing Fish Tales and what it means to her.

I really liked Lewis as a character.
I never heardof this book despite it being an older book.
I thought this would be mermaids or fish but it was an interesting but dark read.

I really did like it though most characters were unlikeable.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5! Rounded up

Despite my rating, this was a fascinating and for me a quick read for how I sped through it just taking in all of the people we get to meet and see through Lewis. I felt that even if I thought the short chapters were good for a sense of moving on from one to the next, having more with certain characters and even some chapters of just Lewis would have really made me love this more. I just wanted a more filler for some characters and situations that happen here.

However, I am beyond happy to have read this as it has been forgotten but has now been put to be published.

You are thrown into situations that are raw, awkward, uncomfortable, wild, worrying, shocking, disturbing, it is not a happy read and can even be bleak. But what one hell of a read it is.

Where do I start? This book left me so overwhelmed. I couldn't put it down for a second and when I finished it I wanted more of it. I wanted more books. So so good.