Customer Reviews

When Fox is a Thousand

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This must one of the most remarkable and readable magical-realism books ever written in English. In her part-mystery, part-historical novel, part- fantasy, Ms Lai manages to lead us in and out of different dimensions without the slightest degree of confusion. I was never a fan of this genre but have become entranced with this skilfully and delightfully-written work, which uses fantasy to teach us to look at ethno-cultural identity and belonging in a new way. Chapeaux off to Press Gang for a fine production job, with a delightful icon-in-the-margin trick to save the innocent reader from confusion.

Written in three narrative voices, moving between China and Vancouver and between centuries, this is a wonderful tale. While the fox moves towards a thousand, and immortality, we also journey with a ninth-century female Taoist poet, and Artemis, a young Asian-American woman living in contemporary Vancouver.

This novel combines aspects of Chinese mythology, medieval China, and life in modern-day Vancouver to revise the myth of the Fox (a figure who can inhibit women's bodies in order to cause mischief) and to explore some of the identity and dislocation issues experienced by migrants. Ms Lai's imagination results in a tale that continues to haunt long after the story is told.

'When a fox is fifty, it can take the form of a woman. When it is one hundred, it can take the form of a beautiful girl. When it is a thousand, it can speak to Heaven and will never die. '

Recommended to both lovers of fantasy as well as to those who enjoy well-crafted fiction more generally.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I was almost put off by the three different voices narrating this book, but it was easy to read from the first page. The characters are so interesting, you will want to read it all at once. It is very woman-focused and addresses issues of sexuality and ethic identity in a low-key way that does not take away from the story.

I loved this book for the fox lore and the womanism, the title is beautiful. I read the opening chapter on Google Books and was immediately sold, but upon reading the book, I realize that the opening chapter was unique. The rest of the book is a dark life story of an asian-canadian lesbian woman, interdispersed with an ancient poet's life that was not as well written as the rest of the story, I have to admit that it confused me at several turns and I'm going to have to re-read it to clarify. The story comes full circle at the end which I really appreciated.
Despite the depressive story and the sometimes confusing writing, Larissa Lai has caught my attention. There was enough snarkiness, enough characterization, enough skillful writing that made me really fall into the story. It wasn't perfect but I'll be buying Salt, Fish girl next.

This book is the epitome of excellence, the characters are intriguing, especially the fox. The use of 3 voices is just phenomenal. Read this book.