Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
Thursday, 24 Aug 2006 15:01
Amy Tan's latest novel
Published by Harper Collins, out now in paperback, 472 pages, £7.99.
In a nutshell…
Gripping, humorous, imaginative, touching, original.
What's it all about?
Eleven American tourists set off to Burma with notions of finding Shangri-La, watched over by their friend Bibi Chen – who was murdered just weeks before in mysterious circumstances. As the tour group delve further into the country and unknowingly into difficulty, Tan tells their tale through the empathetic and often humorous voice of their deceased friend.
As the group learn more about the country and its intriguing culture and history, the reader also becomes drawn in and is enveloped by the sense of inevitable trouble ahead.
Without their original tour guide, Bibi Chen, and unaware of her ghostly cautionary warnings, the tourists edge closer to a Burmese tribe that desperately await their saviour.
Who's it by?
Saving Fish From Drowning is the latest book from bestselling author Amy Chan. Known for her previous works The Kitchen God's Wife and The Bonesetter's Daughter, among others, Chan has also worked on the film version of her bestselling novel, The Joy Luck Club.
Her popularity has stretched around the globe, with her novels translated into 36 languages. Chan has also produced essays and stories which have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines.
As an example…
"[The tour] was to have begun in the south-western corner of China…I would be both tour leader and personal docent. But in the wee hours of December 2nd, and just 14 days before we were to leave on our expedition, a hideous thing happened…I died. There, I've finally said it."
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
Fans of Tan's previous work are sure to love this latest novel. But although it will no doubt be seen being read by numerous people on holiday and on their commute to work, it's unlikely that it will reach such cult status that it will make it to the big screen.
What the others say
"This novel has all the ingredients for a pulse-racing read…highly entertaining" – Guardian.
"Amy Tan's best book to date…ingenious, funny, touching." – Sunday Telegraph.
So is it any good?
The praise heaped on Amy Tan is deserved. Not only is Saving Fish From Drowning hugely captivating and funny, but it also delves deeper into issues in human relationships and how we perceive others, almost without the reader being aware of it and certainly without creating a 'moralising' impression.
As the tourists continue on their fated journey, Bibi Chen's narrative is as humorous about life's foibles as it is serious about life's harsh realities and man's misunderstanding of each other. The group of tourists provides for a diverse array of characters to laugh at and sympathise with, and Bibi's wicked observations keep the insights into Burma's often tragic past from becoming too heavy.
7/10
Carolyn Robertson
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