Search - Saving Fish from Drowning

I had a hard time getting through the first chapter of this book. It all became relevant later, but at the beginning I wasn't that interested in hearing about the narrator's childhood and funeral and all that. It was confusing and I think it should have been more integrated. Once the story delved into the tourist trip, the "dead narrator" device became interesting. Unfortunately, the tone continued to ramble up until the last third of the book. There would be times I was very interested in the storyline, but then the narrative would go flying off in some other direction and my mind would wander. The novel would have been better served if she'd stayed with the surprisingly compelling kidnapping plot, allowed herself to adopt the thriller conventions to her own use, and sacrificed a few chapters for relevance. I did love the way it ended, where she made it clear that the events of the book changed the lives of the characters, but did not totally remake the world or their worlds, individually. So the character notes were well done. Amy Tan employs a certain epigram-like writing style in this book and frequently drops in a little bite-sized line containing some poignant insight. The book overall is uneven, but it's an enjoyable book.

Good storyline with great character development

Loved this book. I could not put it down. It was Tan's best so far.
Great story..wonderful characters.

Amy Tan is one of the most interesting writers around. This book Saving Fish From Drowning, caught my interest right away. The setting in Burma is exotic, and the characters are interesting. Plot twists in the story kept my interest. I recommend this book highly.

Very different from the Amy Tan stories I've read before.

I enjoyed knowing what the narrator knows, and seeing what miscommuncation was just around the bend. Funny and ironic.

I couldn't get into this book-and that's rare for me in an Amy Tan book. Usually she can weave a story that makes you want to keep reading, but I was so confused by the ending. This was not as good as some of her earlier works.