The Hundred Secret Senses, Week 3

This brings us up through Chapter 18.

We find ourselves in China.  To my mind, the author seems to effortlessly take us to another country, another atmosphere, another way of thinking.  I noticed this also in Saving Fish from Drowning, in which she transports us to Burma; a very real Burma, complete with the ever-present danger of being set upon by its military goons.  In this work, the little village of Changmian and its inhabitants are sparingly, but effectively, described and we feel we are there.

Kwan tells us that the name of the town can mean either “song-silk” – “something soft but go on forever like thread” – or “long-sleep” – “this another name for death.”  And this kind of symbolism, this poetry, continues throughout this quadrant of the book, culminating in some very admirable prose by Ms. Tan concerning the relationships between men and women.

Tantalizingly, there is a hint of things to come in the form of the legends surrounding the history of the village, and how it got the name, “long-sleep.”  There are legends of ancient settlements in huge underground caves and archaeological treasures that may be found there.  Nice Indiana Jones type imagery that would perk the interest of any young male who has managed to make it this far into a book that might otherwise be considered rather a yawn for him.

The descriptions of customs and procedures in a small Chinese village are fascinating.  One assumes the author has done her research here, and it certainly feels authentic.  The scene involving the preparation of the evening meal is mesmerizing, from the killing of the chicken (accompanied by the screams of the pigs!) to the addition of its blood into the broth.  At the same time, there is some intriguing detail concerning the art of the photographer as the heroine of the story records the events on film.  Loving this book!

In June, it might be fitting to do a little traveling.  Overseas again?  I’m thinking A Passage to India, by E. M. Forster.  If you have a different suggestion, or have already read it, by all means, let me know!