Tao Te Ching
Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan
Most Amy Chan fans don’t seem to think much of this book. From the point of view of our themes, however, it may be her best. Narrated by a hovering spirit—the organizer of a tour group who unexpectedly dies just before the journey—the book describes unusual cultures and tribes, Burmese political intrigues, and the complex interactions of compelling characters. “Saving fish from drowning” may be one of the world’s most blatant rationalizations as well as a starting point for any journey of self discovery. As an unexpected and challenging external odyssey unfolds, painful experiences rub against cherished illusions and more authentic, more likeable personalities emerge. The physical location—Burma or Myanmar, sandwiched between Bangladesh, India, China, and Thailand—mirrors the diverse psychological influences of the the characters and, because of recent events, makes the book more than relevant today.
Quotes from Saving Fish From Drowning
“Art despises placidity and smooth surfaces... art, lovely subversive are, you see what breaks through in spite of restraint, or even because of it.”
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“He had one of the finest attributes a human being can have—kindness without motives.”
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“Never show a weapon before you need to use it.”
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“Saving fish from drowning... saving people for their own good... killing them as an unfortunate consequence of saving them... like Vietnam, Bosnia... you can't have intentions without consequences. The question is, who pays the consequences”
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“Seek and you shall find your illusions through the magic of tourism.”
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“The most interesting aspect to me is the other Shangri-La alluded to in Lost Horizon, a state of mind, one of moderation and acceptance.”
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“There are different levels of beauty… some are popular and ordinary, and thus of brief value, and others are difficult and rare, and hence worth pursuing.”
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“We fail to see 99% of the glories of nature, for to do so would require vision that is simultaneously telescopic and microscopic.”
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“While it is good to speak well, it is better to speak the truth.”
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“With a limited diversity of life, there is a greater diversity of purpose.”
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“You don't have to be stupid to marry the wrong man... Isn't that what love is—losing your mind? You don't see your beloved's faults... [but] when the anesthesia of love wears off, there is always the pain of consequences.”
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