Sunken Fish

Author: Tan Enmei (USA)
Translator: Cai Jun
United States / USA
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: This is Tan Enmei's newest novel, published by Random House in the United States in October 2005. Upon its release, it quickly climbed the New York Times Best Seller list and ranked in the top ten within its first week. American critics have defined this book as a "ghost novel," naturally because the narrator—Chen Bibo—mysteriously dies at the beginning of the story. She speaks as a dead person, recounting the experiences of American travelers to the readers. At the same time, this book is also a rather typical travel novel. From Lijiang in Yunnan, China, to an ancient Southeast Asian kingdom, and then into a tribe in the jungle, it almost includes all the elements of exotic adventure novels. Compared to other authors, Tan Enmei's Eastern exotic settings feel more authentic because she is originally from the East. This book is a powerful work by Tan Enmei, a Chinese-American writer, after a five-year hiatus. Here, the author seems to have shed her usual persona, transforming into a lighthearted and humorous storyteller of another world's wonders. The novel follows Chen Bibo, a socialite and art dealer from San Francisco, who plans to lead a group of high-profile friends from Lijiang, China, across the border into Myanmar, traveling along the Yunnan-Burma Road to appreciate the culture, scenic spots, and natural landscapes. However, before they depart, Bibo suddenly dies for no apparent reason, but her friends still set off as planned, with Bibo following them as a ghost. They encounter many strange events along the way.
Tan Enmei's previous works have always been set in American-Chinese families, with themes centered on mother-daughter relationships, such as her famous debut The Joy Luck Club and The Bone Weaver, published a few years ago. However, The Lost Fisherman is vastly different from her usual style. Although the narrator remains a Chinese-American woman, the main characters are now American whites, and the setting has shifted to the mysterious ancient kingdoms of Southeast Asia and tribes in the jungle. This is absolutely a fresh and innovative attempt.
Chen Bibo's mother was a concubine in the Chen family and died at a young age. In Chen Bibo's memory, she has no recollection of her mother, with the only information coming from the malicious words of her legitimate mother, "Sweet Mom." Bibo believes the most tragic thing in her life is her inability to experience love, but later, during the journey, she gradually learns to appreciate such emotions in the world. Thus, this story carries a subtle sentiment of love—actually, it is undoubtedly a continuation of Tan Enmei's previous works like The Joy Luck Club and The Bone Weaver.
Choosing a ghost as the protagonist and the main narrator is a brilliant aspect of this novel. With the "ghost," the author can freely tell the story without restrictions, and readers can easily observe the actions and thoughts of all characters through the "ghost's" eyes. This passionate, lively, eerie, and prophetic narrator sometimes feels helpless, yet at other times is all-powerful, breaking all limitations for the dramatic plot.