Stephen King

This year's Mason Award went to Stephen King. We were fortunate enough to get tickets - they sold out quickly. I have never read a Stephen King book and I have only seen one or two of the movies based on his books. I am a total scaredy-cat, which is why I generally steer clear of his works/genre. The Shining pretty much scarred me for life. I never would have chosen to see it on my own. I can blame my husband for that! He insisted I would be fine. I was not.

All that being said, I was very impressed with Stephen King's presentation. He is funny, articulate, intelligent, and charismatic. He may have found a new fan in a crowd full of years-long devotees. He said his greatest inspiration/motivator is - what is the worst that could happen? Interesting!

I might give his new JFK-era novel a try. It sounds more science-fiction/historic than anything.

Amy Tan

We saw Amy Tan speak at the Fall for the Book Festival last night. I was surprised that she did not get the crowds she deserved. I think it mostly had to do with the fact that her appearance was not as widely advertised as Stephen King's this Friday.

Still, because there was not a big crowd the presentation had a very intimate feel. One of George Mason University's professors and an NPR contributor, Alan Cheuse, interviewed her. I assume that the questions were prepared in advance because Amy Tan's responses seemed planned. I was disappointed that she only had an hour and that none of the questions related to Saving Fish from Drowning. I did learn some interesting things about her background that I did not know before.

We got a special treat because for the first time ever, she read a passage from her upcoming book. It sounds like it will be more in line with her previous works. The story will be split between Shanghai and San Francisco and is inspired by her grandmother. It kind of sounds like the Chinese version of Memoirs of a Geisha. I look forward to reading it.

Saving Fish from Drowning - Review

I am a huge Amy Tan fan. I have read The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, and The Bonesetter's Daughter, all of which I really enjoyed. For some reason, I could not get into The Hundred Secret Senses.

I decided to read Saving Fish from Drowning because it got Amy Tan selected as the Fairfax Prize winner for this year's Fall for the Book Festival.

It took me a while to get into this book and to be honest, I never really got into it. At some point, I started tolerating the story but I never felt connected to the characters.

It is very different from the other books of hers that I have read. This book is very much steeped in the present and if anything, seems to be a commentary on stupid/ignorant/well-meaning American tourists than anything else. I enjoyed the journeys to the past that her other books took and the emphasis on relationships and family.

I guess one of the upsides is that it highlights the plight of anti-regime and tribal people in Myanmar.