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A review by book_concierge
Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan
3.0
From the book jacket Twelve American tourists join an art expedition that begins in the Himalayan foothills of China and heads south into the jungles of Burma. But after the mysterious death of their tour leader, the carefully laid plans fall apart and disharmony breaks out among the pleasure-seekers as they come to discover that the Burma Road is paved with less-than-honorable intentions, questionable food, and tribal curses. And then, on Christmas morning, eleven of the travelers boat across a misty lake for a sunrise cruise – and disappear.
My reactions
I like Tan’s writing. She has the ability to plop me right into the middle of a completely different culture. This story, narrated by the ghost of Bibi Chen (the group’s recently deceased tour guide), has some elements of magical realism. Tan deftly explores the ways in which American tourists make “innocent” mistakes that have significant consequences.
Some of the characters were irritating because of their know-it-all attitude; others (especially the two youngsters) were petulant and bored. They ignored advice and warnings, made little effort to truly understand the culture, and took unnecessary risks. Their unreasonable expectations drove me crazy and made me cringe for the impression they left on the locals they encountered. And yet … by the end they seemed genuinely moved by the generosity and kindness of the people, and were eager to help (if misguided in their efforts).
At 474 pages, this is longer than it needs to be. I got the point long before the tourists did, and I think a good editor might have helped Tan trim about 100 pages. Still, I enjoyed it and was entertained throughout.
Tan narrates the audio version herself. She really personified Bibi, and I felt as though I were hearing a tall tale directly from the character. A few of her attempts at Australian or Swiss/German or British accents went rather awry, but, again, it was as if Bibi Chen were telling the story and trying to add color to the tale so I forgave Tan.
My reactions
I like Tan’s writing. She has the ability to plop me right into the middle of a completely different culture. This story, narrated by the ghost of Bibi Chen (the group’s recently deceased tour guide), has some elements of magical realism. Tan deftly explores the ways in which American tourists make “innocent” mistakes that have significant consequences.
Some of the characters were irritating because of their know-it-all attitude; others (especially the two youngsters) were petulant and bored. They ignored advice and warnings, made little effort to truly understand the culture, and took unnecessary risks. Their unreasonable expectations drove me crazy and made me cringe for the impression they left on the locals they encountered. And yet … by the end they seemed genuinely moved by the generosity and kindness of the people, and were eager to help (if misguided in their efforts).
At 474 pages, this is longer than it needs to be. I got the point long before the tourists did, and I think a good editor might have helped Tan trim about 100 pages. Still, I enjoyed it and was entertained throughout.
Tan narrates the audio version herself. She really personified Bibi, and I felt as though I were hearing a tall tale directly from the character. A few of her attempts at Australian or Swiss/German or British accents went rather awry, but, again, it was as if Bibi Chen were telling the story and trying to add color to the tale so I forgave Tan.