Helpful Score: 5
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.
Helpful Score: 4
While not Amy Tan's best- It drags but the premise is good and it is different. If you like Amy Tan you will like this novel. I had a hard time with it but I actually love the narrator- Bibi and her sense of humor. I feel like she is truly an "Amy Tan" creation. I am also learning a lot from Bibi's tour guide teaching as well as her perspective on the other chracter's thoughts and ways. BUT I cannot relate to any of the other characters at all nor can I feel for them... so I trudged along with this book for Bibi...
Helpful Score: 4
Very good book, even though the story drags a bit at times. An American Chinese woman arranges a trip to Burma for herself and a group of friends. She dies before the trip begins, but accompanies her friends as a ghost. The group gets into trouble, due to their general ignorance and cultural insensitivity. One morning the whole group disappears. Very nice characterizations.
Helpful Score: 3
I was so excited to read Amy Tan's newest book but I was so disappointed! This book is weird, boring, confusing, and nothing like Ms. Tan's other great novels. I only made it half way through and I had to force myself to get that far. Save yourself from drowning in this one.
Helpful Score: 3
Amy Tan writes a lovely book following a group of friends that take a trip together to Burma. The tour guide has died prior to the trip, but goes along to narrate the book. We hear from the characters in their own words and the narrator tells us the real happenings. Very interesting read... some asian history mixed in to make it exciting and informative.
What really happened to the tour group when they vanished while on an expidition.....
What really happened to the tour group when they vanished while on an expidition.....
Helpful Score: 2
Although this book is somewhat a removal from both of the other Amy Tan books which I have read (The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God's Wife) in that the narrator of this book is not only a character in the book but is also dead, it is a very interesting look into the old Burma and what is today called "Myanmar." I think that with all of the news coverage of the problems in the Middle East we tend to forgrt or overlook the smaller, less Oil Involved struggles taking place in our world. The quest for power is as insatiable as the quest for crude oil but because it doesn't affect our way of life our heads tend to turn the other way....away from the atrocities being done to normal every day persons like ourselves, however far removed from us physically. Although, as always, Ms. Tan's book contains a healthy amount of humor it is interspersed with very real injustices going on in our world both in the past and today with a very interesting glimpse into a culture so extremely different from our own that that in itsself is intrisicly interesting in and of itself. I feel the need to thank Ms. Tan on creating another multi-faceted and fascinating novel.
Helpful Score: 2
I was disappointed in this book. I've enjoyed Amy Tan's other books, but I really had to "plow" through this one. Never did get into the characters, so really didn't care what happened to them.
Helpful Score: 2
This is very different from Tan's earlier works, and it may have been a little deep for me. Or I just don't know enough about Burma's issues. She is, as always, a marvelous wordsmith - even when the first-person narrator dies shortly before the novel begins.
Helpful Score: 2
Good storyline with great character development
Helpful Score: 2
Great Story that is told through the eyes of a ghost. Truly an enchanting tale
Helpful Score: 1
Great beginning, great ending, a little slow in between. Narrator is the most interesting character in the novel, but unfortunately, she's dead.
Helpful Score: 1
Loved this book. I could not put it down. It was Tan's best so far.
Great story..wonderful characters.
Great story..wonderful characters.
Helpful Score: 1
I love Amy Tan and have read all of her books. So I ran out and bought this book immediately. This one is a departure from her other books and I just could not get into it. She lost me about half way through and I had no desire to finish. Unfortunately, this book was a big disappointment to me. Save yourself from this book!
Helpful Score: 1
I *love* Amy Tan's work and I enjoyed this one, although I found that the crazy plot and action distracted from her usual ethereal, humorous style. Still a good read, though not quite as magical as her others.
Helpful Score: 1
A fan of Amy Tan but had a difficult time getting into this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Twelve Americans journey together to see the art and culture of Burma. What an intriguing cast of characters, and what twists and turns await them. This story is rich in humor, love, and unexpected horrors.
Helpful Score: 1
I was really prepared to like this a lot more but it was a little to pedantic for my tastes.
Helpful Score: 1
Very disappointing. The book couldnt have been cut in half. So much fluff.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book but slow to get started and not one of her best books. But still a good story.
Helpful Score: 1
Tan's fanciful tale of a group of Americans on a tour to Burma that goes horribly (and often hysterically) wrong also zings the reader with the notion that people who wish to "help" third-world countries need to carefully understand all the results of their meddling.
Helpful Score: 1
Although I liked the book I though it was a little different than other Amy tan books. Still a good read, just different.
Helpful Score: 1
Another wonderful Tan book. Very different than 'Joy Luck Club'. Very intriging. Learn a lot about Asia because of the great detail.
Helpful Score: 1
My favorite Amy Tan. I loved omnicient narrator.
Helpful Score: 1
I think I am in the minority in that I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but once the big event happened, I lost interest. I finished it, and I would say that overall it was an interesting book, full of interesting information that I had no idea about.
As far as the characters go, I felt like the narrator (Bibi) deliberately made them unlikeable. Because I honestly didn't really care if they lived or died. Well maybe a little, but I was hoping at least one of them would bite it.
It was a nice read.
As far as the characters go, I felt like the narrator (Bibi) deliberately made them unlikeable. Because I honestly didn't really care if they lived or died. Well maybe a little, but I was hoping at least one of them would bite it.
It was a nice read.
Helpful Score: 1
I like amy tan and loved this book and almost could not put it down and it was a truthfull and insightfull look at myanmar and they are a very dictorial society from everything I have read . I loved the charecters and I could actually see all of these ppl traveling together and Loved the ending too .
Helpful Score: 1
A real departure from the other Amy Tan books I've read in that this one contains much humor and there is a lot of action.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoy all of Amy Tan's books. I had a little trouble getting into this one at the beginning, but I'm glad I kept going because it gets really good!
Helpful Score: 1
Awesome imaginative story. Initially a little hard to remember each character, but easier as the story moves on. Long live the ghost of Bibi!
Helpful Score: 1
This is an interesting look at what can go wrong when the stereotypical "Ugly American" goes on tour in a third world country. In an amusing twist, the narrator is the dead woman who was supposed to lead the tour. Not Amy Tan's best, but vivid characters and locations.
Helpful Score: 1
A very interesting, satirical look at Americans abroad.
Helpful Score: 1
There seemed to be more mystery in the first half than in the 2nd half...There were a lot of characters tokeep up with, but a rich story that made me want to travel the world a whole lot more!
Helpful Score: 1
I finished all 457 pages of this novel, but sometimes it was a chore. Tan tries to do a "Canterbury Tales" type book with 12 characters, but there are too many for the reader to care about any of them. The plot is a stretch. There is only one part that worked for me, when everyone's secrets come out and the reader gains some depth into their souls. Definitely not up to Tan's usual storytelling standard.
Helpful Score: 1
Very enjoyable! I love Amy Tan's style of writing. I always end up wanting more at the end of her books. The author interview at the end of the book was interesting also.
Helpful Score: 1
An interesting story, but make sure you take notes on who is who at the beginning because there are a lot of personalities to keep track of.
This is a great novel by a great author. She is most famous for her novel The Joy Luck Club. This is her newest novel and is very worthy of reading!
i enjoyed reading this book.. Its a good mystery set in China. Amy Tan is a great writer.
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.
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 enjoyed knowing what the narrator knows, and seeing what miscommuncation was just around the bend. Funny and ironic.
I almost quit. But after the 2nd cassette it became fascinating. I couldn't stop listening. It has action, suspence,descriptions of real people in real relationships, & perceptions from many cultures as well as ages from children to adults. It left me searching my soul & questioning my values. Near the end, I understood why the first 2 cassettes were necesssary. They set up the background which the rest of the story depends on. I loved it!
Having just returned from my first trip to China, I appreciated having a chance to mentally remain in the Far East by listening to this book, read by the author Amy Tan. The story is about a group of American tourists visiting Burma who cannot be found after an early morning boat ride. The story is rich in character development with many mystical and cultural elements. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry when the book ended.I looked forward to my ride to and from work every day just so I could listen to the next chapters.
Fairly interesting, but different from her previous books that I have read.
I suppose that Amy Tan was going through an artistically dry and frivolous time when she wrote this book, because it doesn't have the pathos of her other books. Still, it's amusing.
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.
Engaging and compelling.
Wonderful story with ghosts, murders, intrigue, comedy and political comment about a group of tourists who disappear while on a trip through Burma. Great characters - hard to put down.
I would agree with Anna that it's a little weird. One strand parodies events in Myanmar in the past 10 years (the Htoo twins), another pokes fun at American tourists, and the narrator is a hoot. It had a great beginning and a great ending, with the middle being weird.
I put off reading this book for a long time because of the horrible reviews. I can see some of the reviewers points, but overall, I really enjoyed this novel.
This is definitely a departure from Tan's normal novels about the relationships between Chinese-born mothers and their Chinese-American mothers. Although she does a wonderful job capturing the dynamics of those relationships, while weaving in fascinating glimpses of Chinese history, I'm glad to see her trying something new.
A few of the characters in this novel are Chinese, but the majority are not. One of the criticisms I have read is that she has too many prominent characters and therefore spreads her character development too thin. I agree somewhat, but beyond the narrator, the recently deceased, but always bigger than life Bibi Chen, the plot is more important.
Plot-wise, this is also a huge change for Tan. This is an adventure novel which ventures into the land of magical realism. This begins with the idea that Bibi's spirit is following her friends on the trip through China and Burma that she was supposed to lead.
Thrown into the mix is a glimpse of life in the military regime of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Overall, this was a great read, which I found to be relatively quick, despite it's healthy length.
This is definitely a departure from Tan's normal novels about the relationships between Chinese-born mothers and their Chinese-American mothers. Although she does a wonderful job capturing the dynamics of those relationships, while weaving in fascinating glimpses of Chinese history, I'm glad to see her trying something new.
A few of the characters in this novel are Chinese, but the majority are not. One of the criticisms I have read is that she has too many prominent characters and therefore spreads her character development too thin. I agree somewhat, but beyond the narrator, the recently deceased, but always bigger than life Bibi Chen, the plot is more important.
Plot-wise, this is also a huge change for Tan. This is an adventure novel which ventures into the land of magical realism. This begins with the idea that Bibi's spirit is following her friends on the trip through China and Burma that she was supposed to lead.
Thrown into the mix is a glimpse of life in the military regime of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Overall, this was a great read, which I found to be relatively quick, despite it's healthy length.
Its a different book for Amy Tan, but still very enjoyable to read, as usual.
Not the usual Amy Tan. but still very enjoyable.
Best Amy Tan ever in my opinion and that's saying a lot. A good, rich, funny, honest, surprising adventure, love story, fantasy. Do yourself a favor and read this one if you've ever enjoyed
Tan.
Tan.
Amy Tan's transition from sublime to ridiculous. I recognized the behaviour of the members of more than one tour I have been on. But not very profound.
"While ensemble casting precludes the intimacy that characterizes Tan's mother-daughter stories, the book branches out with a broad plot and dynamic digressions.
It's based on a true story, and Tan seems to be having fun with it, indulging in the wry, witty voice of Bibi while still exploring her signature questions of fate, connection, identity and family."
Reed Business Information
It's based on a true story, and Tan seems to be having fun with it, indulging in the wry, witty voice of Bibi while still exploring her signature questions of fate, connection, identity and family."
Reed Business Information
The second half of the book is really exciting... the trick is getting there.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!
I like Amy Tans writing style and this book had a really interesting genesis. According to the introduction at the start of the book, Tan was caught in the rain in New York and came across a building marked American Society for Psychical Research. That sounded like an awesome place to escape the rain, so she went in and spent the rest of the day reading automatic writing, when she came across writing supposedly channeled from one Bibi Chen, someone Tan had known when she was alive. She contacted the woman who channeled Chen and they talked a lot and that inspired this book.
This book is narrated by Bibi Chen, post-morten, as she follows a tour group she helped organize before her death comprised of 12 of her friends. They went to China for a bit, then on to Burma where they were kidnapped by a separatist tribe in the jungle when they mistake one of the tourists for the reincarnation of their mythical savior, Little White Brother. Theres a whole big media circus that follow and eventually the group is rescued, even though the idiots never actually realized theyd been kidnapped (they thought they were only stranded in the village when the rope bridge over a canyon went down). Because Bibi is dead, she can kind of see/hear everyones thoughts so you get to see the events through the eyes of many different characters. Tan is a great writer and the story is really interesting and you can picture everything perfectly.
The problem was, I didnt like any of the characters. The women were obnoxious enough, but I fucking hate the men. HATED. It wasnt like Tan was trying to make them all into awful misogynists, but she did a great job of making them into believable, common American men, which unfortunately means there is a lot of banal sexism in them as a matter of course. Like, one guy just automatically ascribes nefarious motives to womens (especially his wifes) reactions to everything, imagining theyre trying to undermine him or are trying to emotionally punish him by withrawing from him when actually theyre just confused by what just happened. And another guywell, he pissed in a stone sculpture of a vulva at a holy site in China. That should tell you everything you need to know about how he treats women. But they were all so naive, ethnocentric, and condescending, even while congratulating themselves on how open-minded, adventurous, and generous they are. I know thats such a common attitutde in America (Ive met more people like that than I can count), but it was just so irritating. By the end of the book, I wanted the Karen tribe to just push them over the canyon and into the river and be done with it.
I like Amy Tans writing style and this book had a really interesting genesis. According to the introduction at the start of the book, Tan was caught in the rain in New York and came across a building marked American Society for Psychical Research. That sounded like an awesome place to escape the rain, so she went in and spent the rest of the day reading automatic writing, when she came across writing supposedly channeled from one Bibi Chen, someone Tan had known when she was alive. She contacted the woman who channeled Chen and they talked a lot and that inspired this book.
This book is narrated by Bibi Chen, post-morten, as she follows a tour group she helped organize before her death comprised of 12 of her friends. They went to China for a bit, then on to Burma where they were kidnapped by a separatist tribe in the jungle when they mistake one of the tourists for the reincarnation of their mythical savior, Little White Brother. Theres a whole big media circus that follow and eventually the group is rescued, even though the idiots never actually realized theyd been kidnapped (they thought they were only stranded in the village when the rope bridge over a canyon went down). Because Bibi is dead, she can kind of see/hear everyones thoughts so you get to see the events through the eyes of many different characters. Tan is a great writer and the story is really interesting and you can picture everything perfectly.
The problem was, I didnt like any of the characters. The women were obnoxious enough, but I fucking hate the men. HATED. It wasnt like Tan was trying to make them all into awful misogynists, but she did a great job of making them into believable, common American men, which unfortunately means there is a lot of banal sexism in them as a matter of course. Like, one guy just automatically ascribes nefarious motives to womens (especially his wifes) reactions to everything, imagining theyre trying to undermine him or are trying to emotionally punish him by withrawing from him when actually theyre just confused by what just happened. And another guywell, he pissed in a stone sculpture of a vulva at a holy site in China. That should tell you everything you need to know about how he treats women. But they were all so naive, ethnocentric, and condescending, even while congratulating themselves on how open-minded, adventurous, and generous they are. I know thats such a common attitutde in America (Ive met more people like that than I can count), but it was just so irritating. By the end of the book, I wanted the Karen tribe to just push them over the canyon and into the river and be done with it.
Having enjoyed other books by Amy Tan, I was disappointed in this book. Picked it up twice as I'm the kind of person who doesn't usually give up on a book but honestly couldn't get into the storyline. It was boring and the story doesn't seem to ever develop. Maybe the third try will be a charm but not ready to try again at this point.
Very mysterious and exotic locales!
i picked this up in the domicile at work and have had it for a while, but someone just requested it on my book swap.
i thought this was a great book- short synopsis. Bibi Chen has planned a vacation to Burma for her and 11 of her friends. A few days before they embark on their trip, Bibi Chen is murdered. She becomes the narrator of this intriguing story.
The 11 friends continue on their journey, coming across some interesting tour guides, changing their itinerary when they please, and end up disappearing on Christmas Day.
As the story unfolds you get to meet the characters and get such a good description of them. (I love getting to know characters!) Parts of this book are hilarious, and just so believable.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, wants to learn more about other countries, and who likes Amy Tan. So glad I picked this up!!
i thought this was a great book- short synopsis. Bibi Chen has planned a vacation to Burma for her and 11 of her friends. A few days before they embark on their trip, Bibi Chen is murdered. She becomes the narrator of this intriguing story.
The 11 friends continue on their journey, coming across some interesting tour guides, changing their itinerary when they please, and end up disappearing on Christmas Day.
As the story unfolds you get to meet the characters and get such a good description of them. (I love getting to know characters!) Parts of this book are hilarious, and just so believable.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, wants to learn more about other countries, and who likes Amy Tan. So glad I picked this up!!
I loved this book. I love Amy Tan, and this book was fun, insightful, thought provoking, and one of those that dinner was late some nights because Mommy was busy reading!
I thought the language wasn't necessary, and since I don't believe in ghosts, I put this book down after 20 pages or so...
I for one happen to think this was one of Tans best to date . this one kept me interested and I had trouble putting it down indeed . read it , it is so worth it .
From the cover . . . "San Francisco art patron Bibi Chen has planned a journey of the senses along the famed Burma Road for eleven lucky friends. But after her mysterious death, Bibi watches aghast from her ghostly perch as the travelers veer off her itinerary and embark on a trail paved with cultural gaffes and tribal curses, Buddhist illusions and romantic desires. On Christmas morning, the tourists cruise across a mistly lake and disappear."
This is the only Amy Tan novel I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were either boring or made me angry and the story line was just ridiculous.
I did not really like this book. I could not get into it.
I loved this book, but I like all of this author's books so far...
very dissapointing for an Amy Tan fan! I just couldnt get into this one!
A bit racist against Myanmar, but hey, I guess it's a hot topic today.
I always enjoy Amy Tan's books, and this one is no exception!
Bibi has planned on going on a journey with eleven of her friends. But, then she dies. However, she watches as her friends continue the journey.
I started reading it, but just could not finish it.
From Our Editors
"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." Amy Tan's novel of 11 Americans stranded in Burma possesses the resonance of the fable of the Burmese fisherman. Another compelling fiction by the author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter.
From the Publisher
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." - Anonymous
Twelve American tourists join an art expedition that begins in the Himalayan foothills of China - dubbed the true Shangri-La - 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.
Drawing from the current political reality in Burma and woven with pure confabulation, Amy Tan's picaresque novel poses the question: How can we discern what is real and what is fiction, in everything we see? How do we know what to believe? Saving Fish from Drowning finds sly truth in the absurd: a reality TV show called Darwin's Fittest, a repressive regime known as SLORC, two cheroot-smoking twin children hailed as divinities, and a ragtag tribe hiding in the jungle - where the sprites of disasterknown as Nats lurk, as do the specters of the fabled Younger White Brother and a British illusionist who was not who he was worshipped to be.
With her signature "idiosyncratic, sympathetic characters, haunting images, historical complexity, significant contemporary themes, and suspenseful mystery" (Los Angeles Times), Amy Tan spins a provocative and mesmerizing tale about the mind and the heart of the individual, the actions we choose, the moral questions we might ask ourselves, and above all, the deeply personal answers we seek when happy endings are seemingly impossible.
"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." Amy Tan's novel of 11 Americans stranded in Burma possesses the resonance of the fable of the Burmese fisherman. Another compelling fiction by the author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter.
From the Publisher
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." - Anonymous
Twelve American tourists join an art expedition that begins in the Himalayan foothills of China - dubbed the true Shangri-La - 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.
Drawing from the current political reality in Burma and woven with pure confabulation, Amy Tan's picaresque novel poses the question: How can we discern what is real and what is fiction, in everything we see? How do we know what to believe? Saving Fish from Drowning finds sly truth in the absurd: a reality TV show called Darwin's Fittest, a repressive regime known as SLORC, two cheroot-smoking twin children hailed as divinities, and a ragtag tribe hiding in the jungle - where the sprites of disasterknown as Nats lurk, as do the specters of the fabled Younger White Brother and a British illusionist who was not who he was worshipped to be.
With her signature "idiosyncratic, sympathetic characters, haunting images, historical complexity, significant contemporary themes, and suspenseful mystery" (Los Angeles Times), Amy Tan spins a provocative and mesmerizing tale about the mind and the heart of the individual, the actions we choose, the moral questions we might ask ourselves, and above all, the deeply personal answers we seek when happy endings are seemingly impossible.
