Search - Saving Fish from Drowning

Larger

Saving Fish from Drowning
Author: Amy Tan

Book Information

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Book Type: Hardcover

Rating:

114

ISBN-13: 9780399153013 - ISBN-10: 0399153012
Publication Date: 10/18/2005
Pages: 474

Book Reviews

Other Versions of this Book: Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio CD (Unabridged), Audio CD, Audio CD (Abridged)

Book Description:

A provocative new novel from the bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter.

On an ill-fated art expedition into the southern Shan state of Burma, eleven Americans leave their Floating Island Resort for a Christmas-morning tour-and disappear. Through twists of fate, curses, and just plain human error, they find themselves deep in the jungle, where they encounter a tribe awaiting the return of the leader and the mythical book of wisdom that will protect them from the ravages and destruction of the Myanmar military regime.

Saving Fish from Drowning seduces the reader with a fagade of Buddhist illusions, magician's tricks, and light comedy, even as the absurd and picaresque spiral into a gripping morality tale about the consequences of intentions-both good and bad-and about the shared responsibility that individuals must accept for the actions of others.

A pious man explained to his followers: "It is evil to take lives and noble to save them. Each day I pledge to save a hundred lives. I drop my net in the lake and scoop out a hundred fishes. I place the fishes on the bank, where they flop and twirl. 'Don't be scared,' I tell those fishes. 'I am saving you from drowning.' Soon enough, the fishes grow calm and lie still. Yet, sad to say, I am always too late. The fishes expire. And because it is evil to waste anything, I take those dead fishes to market and I sell them for a good price. With the money I receive, I buy more nets so I can save more fishes."

Members who requested this book also requested:

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

$The Memory Keeper\'s Daughter$ $Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman\'s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia$

Similar books to this author and title:

TagsBurma

Genres:

Literature & Fiction >> Authors, A-Z >> ( T ) >> Tan, Amy
Literature & Fiction >> General >> Literary
Literature & Fiction >> General >> Contemporary
Literature & Fiction >> World Literature >> United States >> Asian American >> Tan, Amy
Literature & Fiction >> World Literature >> United States >> Asian American >> General

Top Member Book Reviews

Alicia G. (natalexx) wrote on 5/28/2007...

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

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.

Amy D. wrote on 4/28/2007...