March book group met at Libby's house with 7 of us present and Paige writing in a short email. The discussion was lively because no one had a neutral opinion and there were feelings about the book that ran the spectrum of 'what a tale', an enjoyable book, amazingly intense, visceral, fascinating cultural subtleties, sometimes dreamlike, history vs present, depressing, and all of it transporting us to another culture both in the Vietnamese US and in Vietnam itself. This is what I love about this group, we are so good at discussing a slightly controversial book in an intelligent way. There were many thoughts on the story, and I was hard pressed to note down what everyone said when.
I chose the book because it was a portrait of one person affected by an important part of our 20th century history. It was an immigrant story, a young Vietnamese forced to settle in the US at an early age, and the story of how well or not well they/he survived. Then twenty years later, whatever the author had become through both his family's influences and those of America, and him not really knowing what he was, he travels back to Vietnam to search for his identity and find his memories, perhaps one of those lost souls that people in Vietnam referred to. All in the group found it a heartrending and conflicting journey.
I think that all the conflicts that Andrew wrote about made many of us in the group confused about his journey, but then we felt that maybe we were traveling his inner and outer journey with him at the same time he was writing this book, which can be confusing for anyone as they embark on a journey of self discovery. Often travel brings a sensation that is at once exhilarating and somewhat terrifying, and I have felt those feelings myself. Andrew felt this exhilaration as he begins his cycle trek from San Francisco, "a liberating bliss". But after many miles and finally entering Vietnam, it does become a terrifying journey emotionally affecting his whole core.
We all thought there were passages of remarkable beauty and expression in the book. Joan pointed out a passage near the end of the book where the author meets in pure joy "a portly grandmother" laughing and playing in the water....so much of his journey is about history of the country and his family, and he says "for our truths change with time. There is nothing else. no mitigating circumstances and no power to undo the sins. No was. Only is. Between us there is but a thin line of intention." Andrew's tortured journey is almost over. And as he is asked what he plans to do, he replies, "be a better American". (Interesting that he now lives in Vietnam.)
Sheri said that she understood the Catfish part of the title because if the meal of clay pot catfish at crucial parts of the book in Vietnam, but was wondering what Mandala could mean as it is a Tibetan symbol. Libby thought that perhaps the bicycle wheel was the Mandala part, symbolizing the universe of continuous time, and his journey into the past, present and maybe the future. Margie wondered about the short italicized chapters called "Fallen Leaves" and a few of us said that they seemed to be short histories from another point of view, an effective way to get into a scene as an observer. Sheri liked the parts of the book going back and forth in time and felt it was informative and effective. Saran felt the journey and the book was like a purging of himself. She pointed out a lovely rendition of his father near the end of the book that we didn't see when An was growing up as his father struggles with anger and frustration. Annie said she had mixed feelings about the book as we all did, passages that were so beautiful and others that were so intense and hard to read. Paige wrote to say she enjoyed the book but felt it could have been three books at least, that were too many topics, issues, brought up.
All in all a provocative read! And it led Libby to make a lovely Vietnamese dessert called Banh Chuoi Nuong, baked banana cake, one of the very few Vietnamese desserts. It was made with coconut milk, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and bananas, a fine end to a great group.
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