Braised Pork<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
BRAISED PORK BY AN YU<\/h2>\n
\nWu Jia Jia is shocked to find that her husband has died (drowned? Suicide?) in the bath tub. He leaves behind a strange drawing\u2014of a \u2018fish-man\u2019. She, being an artist, tries to recreate it but is unable to do so. And so she travels to Tibet to find the mystery of the fish-man and his connection (maybe) to her husband\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
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The book set in Beijing night life and Tibetan high plains with ample dreams that tiptoe on magical realism, flows like water. Water finds its mention at several places in the book, sometimes as a direct word, sometimes alluded to. The novel alternates between philosophical, dreamy-storytelling and makes the reader reflect on what has happened to the characters. Was Jia Jia\u2019s marriage one of convenience? Will her new found romance with the barman Leo\u2014who describes her as \u2018like water\u2019\u2014 be a steady relationship or a rebound? Is she happy? We meet a Jia Jia who is visibly liberated through widowhood, free of chains of marriage to a non-encouraging (Chen Hang did not appreciate her art, he would make her feel self-conscious and cover up her birthmark while they have sex) husband and his demanding family.<\/p>\n
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The title comes from a meal Jia Jia shares with her estranged father. I love how the novel pulls the reader into the present\u2014in this case to the father and his relationship with Jia Jia\u2014and introduces a character who feels like a long-lost acquaintance. The act of sharing a meal, reliving memories of her favourite dish of braised pork puts into perspective so many missing pieces in the puzzle. This novel is not for those who crave a steady plot; it is reflective, meditative and contemplative. Braised Pork<\/em> is about self discovery, being at peace with your past, navigating grief and moving forward. Best to surrender yourself to the prose and float in it.<\/p>\nRating : 4\/5<\/p>\n