This won't be for everyone. Braised pork is very metaphorical with lots of space for guessing and interpreting.
We also have quite a lot of open ends and strands of the story. Nonetheless it was an interesting read and I want to paint/sketch my own fishman for some weird reason. Don't we all love some good mystery/mysticism?
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

4 stars

Thanks to Grove and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jia Jia finds her husband drowned in the bathtub. His death is odd- he leaves no note, just a drawing of a fish with a man's face.

Jia Jia sets on a quest that takes her from Beijing to Tibet, in search of the origin of this image that haunts her. Initially, she wants to understand her husband. Later, she realizes she wants to understand more about herself.

This is a dark story, and told well. It touches on myth and has a hint of magic. There are some diversions that could have been left out- the uncle comes to mind- though the author could probably write a fascinating story about Jia Jia's aunt and uncle.

Jia Jia is an interesting character- she is quiet, but doesn't want to be. Other characters feel a little one dimensional, but this isn't their story.

It still haunts me days after I read it- this is a book that will be hard to forget.

Listen, I really like books that are riddles, that offer me motifs and clues which I have to piece together in order to grasp what’s going on or what it all means. My main issue with this novel is that An Yu provides her readers with tons of dead ends, with scenes and objects which seem meaningful at first and then lead nowhere, and that the picture that does come together in the end is vague and ornamental – to me, that makes for a frustrating read. But if you are the kind of reader who enjoys being perplexed, who is up for being immersed in a magical world of melancholy and subconscious emotional movements, than this clearly is the book for you.

Our protagonist is Jia Jia, a young painter living in Beijing whose husband mysteriously drowns in a bath tub, leaving behind a sketch of a fish with the head of a man. Jia Jia and her husband had a marriage of convenience, and the relationships between the characters in the novel will turn out to be the main topic An Yu negotiates throughout an otherwise meandering, completely implausible plot (hello, magical realism and narrative over-construction). Jia Jia begins a relationship with Leo who owns the bar next to her apartment, she witnesses the marriage of one of her clients disintegrate, she meets up with her father and his new wife, she travels to Tibet where she meets a man in search for his wife…you get the idea: An Yu meditates about the oscillation between closeness and detachment, the mystery of human connection. In between, a lot of rather enigmatic stuff happens.

To unlock this text (at least partly), you should pay close attention to the theme of water, and, of course, the role of the fish-man from the sketch mentioned above. Jia Jia has trouble painting waves – now think of all the metaphorical qualities of water, because An Yu will pour them right over you and contextualize this measure with the experiences of people in relationships, especially women who are restrained by societal expectations and gender norms. Jia Jia’s hunt for the meaning of the sketch leads her to Tibet, where An Yu opens up an additional metaphorical space that spans from Jia Jia’s painting of a Buddha in Beijing to Tibetan mysticism, and – say what? – tulips. And no worries: The title-giving “Braised Pork” features as well, and it provides an epiphany of authenticity (don’t ask).

This is certainly a daring book because it does not cater to the expectations of the reader, but I have to admit that I found the text often quite exasperating. The meanings that are provided remain vague and thus certainly can’t be called particularly profound. On the other hand, the floating (!) nature of the text and its messages is part of the whole point. So this debut (which was sold in a 7-way-auction) is for readers with a high tolerance for associative writing and perplexing plotlines, which means I’m not the ideal reader for this novel.

This book reads like a complete dream, with sequences that make little sense and are open to interpretation, and a series of events that aren’t given a proper resolution in the face of a mystery. And you know what? It’s fantastic. This book swans along, slowly examining the facets of relationships and love, as well as exactly how we love. It takes this in hand with the fact that grief is a strange beast that rears it’s ugly head for us regardless of our connection to the person who has died, and how close we were at the time. The writing was beautiful, a perfect crystal shell of metaphor and description, and it brings a sense of magical realism to the entire haunting tale. This book, with its constant references to the fish-man and water, flows as such. A brutish, beautiful read, but not one I’d pick up if you need your stories to be heavy on plot and not on philosophy.

This was a wonderfully written book that was both contemplative and dreamy. Such a great debut , I will be keeping my eyes on this author. I loved the descriptions of the places in Beijing and the magical realism interwoven into the plot

This book took a while to get into the plot, with it initially feeling like a romance - there were strong elements to the story, good, interesting characters, vivid settings. But for.me the fantasy elements felt disjointed and unbelievable, and it took too long to get to them. I persevered with this, but for me it didn't quite hit the mark. The writer is clearly talented and there were promising moments but it fell a little short for me.

Braised Pork was a slow burning read about a woman grieving for her husband she found in the bathtub at their luxurious Bejing apartment.

I just didn't click with this book but managed to persevere. The writing is lovely but I just found the pacing a little slow. I wouldn't recommend if you're a fan of plot driven books (which I am) so this just didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this.

I was unsure about this book and Jia Jia, the main character, at the beginning, thinking it might be a murder-mystery because of the opening scene, but it’s really more introspective literary fiction about dealing with grief. I really enjoyed it. A lot took place inside Jia Jia’s head, but I was enthralled and wanted to find answers just as she did. It’s full of fabulism/magical realism, and the author writes beautifully. Jia Jia gains wisdom and I noted many quotes that I want to remember. Highly recommend.

I love books set in a different place/culture.

Described in part as: "...a cinematic, often dreamlike evocation of nocturnal Beijing and the high plains of Tibet, and an exploration of myth-making, loss, and a world beyond words, which ultimately sees a young woman find a new and deeper sense of herself."--I beg to differ.

Jia Jia, newly widowed [accidental drowning? suicide? other?--never resolved], is set adrift. Who is she? Who was her husband? What is the meaning behind the fish man drawing he left behind?

This book was written well enough. Some lovely descriptions:

"After dinner, the village eased into slumber."

"Disappearance, she thought was really nothing more than departure without saying goodbye."

But, I was never engaged or captured by the story. It felt very flat even when Jia Jia went out of her wheelhouse--to reinvent herself as a painter, to go to Tibet to try to solve the mystery of her mother [her husband not the only mystery].

In sum:
Jia Jia loses her husband.
Begins drinking at a local bar and meets Leo [and then his parents; this is an interesting segment].
Tries to make amends with her father [her parents long divorced].
Resumes painting and is hired to make a portrait of Buddha for Ms Wan.
Moves back in with her grandmother...

yadda yadda

Very slow moving but I suppose that's the point of the book.

Just not for me.

2.5 but rounding up because it wasnt awful and may be perfect for someone else!

This was an engaging character-driven novel about loss and grief. It's a slow-burn novel with lots of symbolism and I'm sure I would have enjoyed analysing it while at university.

I really enjoyed this character-driven deep-dive into the theme of grief particularly. I also really connected with the strong theme of empowerment that Jia Jia embodies, her literal self-discovery as how this is developed in the narrative in connection with finding meaning behind her late-husband's death (and the mysterious note left by him). A really solid debut!

Title : Braised Pork

Author : An Yu

Genre : Contemporary Fiction

I decided to finally expand my reading horizons this year by picking up books from different regions so as to gain more knowledge on newer topics everyday. So, when I got the opportunity to pick up Braised Pork by An Yu, I was pretty intrigued about the cultural importance of China and the knowledge it would impart and here is my take on the book.

Braised Pork is the story of Jia Jia who one day suddenly finds her husband dead in the bathroom after his meal. Eventhough their marriage wasn't as happy as it used to be before, their mutual understanding of each other did not deter them from each other. It came as a shock to Jia Jia when her husband drowned himself. What was even more mysterious was the drawing of the fish man that he had been intrigued with since his visit to Tibet. The novel explores the story of Jia Jia and her journey to solve this mystery.

I was pretty much attracted to this book because of its unique blurb and title and this turned out to be one of my goto books for the year. As the readers start exploring the novel, we see that the title has much more personal meaning to the central protagonist and is not a reader could predict. We do get attached to Jia Jia from the time we turn the very first page and the author has been brilliant about how to get the readers emote with the character.

Coming to the plot of the book, this is where I apparently couldn't connect. By the time, I completed the novel, I was pretty much confused on how a lot of plot points worked and a lot of end points were not given a closure. Though one could easily love how the plot has been weaved and quite a few characters have been central to the plot, but not all of them gave us that satisfaction that the novel is complete.

A lot of reviews that I had read on it have been highly positive and I do feel that I have missed out on something that others were able to see. So, I would rather ask others to be their own judge of the book and put up their own interpretation on what the author is trying to portray. Though, I would say that it has been an amazing journey on the cultural references to China.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

"Even if I take my heart out, dissect it into pieces, and explain each piece in intricate detail to you - in the end, I would still have to stuff the whole damn thing back into my own chest."


I absolutely love this debut novel from Chinese author An Yu.

Wu Jia Jia finds her husband dead with his head in the bathtub and nothing but a drawing of a fish man lying next to him. From there, she tries to figure out how to move forward with her life while also trying to understand what the drawing of the fish man has to do with her husband's death. Like everyone, she's dealing with her complicated family and love life as well.

Magical realism is a hit or miss for me, and this one was a HIT. An Yu managed to make the characters believable and the story of the fish man intriguing enough without being overbearing. Honestly, the fish man kind of made this a page turner for me cause I really wanted her to find him and understand what was happening to her. I feel that a lot of people don't like magical realism because it can be complicated and difficult to understand, but this is just... perfect. The reader can definitely come to their own conclusions on what the fish man and the world of water means to them, plus they could also have some fun analyzing the novel. Magical realism can also be hard to connect to emotionally, but I truly felt for Jia Jia and her relationship/family/emotional hardships, which made the dream-like sections more interesting because I was with her in them. I wanted to be where Jia Jia was.

I know that I would have had a field day with this in any literature course in college. I couldn't help myself from analyzing any time colors were mentioned, or when meals were being eaten (braised pork, anyone?), or the fish man was mentioned, or someone's physical state was described. Oh, the papers I could write.

This story also added some culture to my reading, which I have been deprived of lately. Diversify your reading! Pick this one up!

This story is more contemplative and thought-provoking than action/plot based, which I personally enjoyed, but others may not. I can't wait for this to have a wider audience so I can read other interpretations. If anything, read this for my benefit please.

Highly recommended.

Happy Reading!

Set in present day Beijing, this is a story about a woman who finds her husband drowned in the bathtub. Jia Jia's husband was a very wealthy businessman but he leaves all his money to his family apart from the apartment he shared with his wife, which is the only thing he leaves to her, apart from a strange drawing of a half-man half-fish, scribbled on a piece of paper and left by the bathtub. Jia Jia falls into despair after her husbands death. His family disown her and she worries how she will manage for money as her husband never allowed her to work. And Jia Jia gradually becomes more and more intrigued by the fish man drawing, obsessed even. Why did her husband leave such a strange thing for her when he died?
This is a slow burning and sometimes surreal tale about finding oneself, with a touch of folklore and superstition. A slightly weird but quite wonderful little story.

3.5 rounding up
Braised Pork starts off with this mysterious death of Jai Jai's husband Chen Hang. We quickly learn that Jai Jai's marriage to Chen Hang was one of convenience and duty rather than one of love. Chen Hang leaves Jai Jai with very little to support herself, other than their apartment, a small sum of money, and the idea of a "fish-man" that Chen Hang sketched out poorly. Jai Jai becomes consumed with the idea of the "fish-man" and is certain it plays a role in Chen Hang's death.

Braised pork is a very meandering and contemplative novel where Jai Jai tries to rediscover herself through her husband's death. I very much enjoyed this novel up until the second half where it started to take a turn towards the magical realism genre. Overall, it was a good read. However, be warned if you're expecting a plot driven novel - this is not that.

Thank you to NetGalley and An Yu for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Braised Pork is a strange mythical novel that unwinds into unknown territory within the real world and beyond. The book starts in tragedy with the death of Jia Jia’s husband. From there she has questions to answer and a empty flat and life to make sense of. Jia Jia is seen as a curse from her husbands family and quickly needs to make sense of what her husband left behind in his death. When she goes in serarch of answers she goes to uncharted worlds and comes across a huge mix of strange characters. Throughout there is a man in bar who seems a constant calming presence, perhaps the thing that is keeping her in reality whilst everything else becomes anything but normal. A fresh, dynamic voice and worth the acclaim its getting.

What a fantastic book! Be warned, this is not for the reader who loves a steady, clear plot. Braised Pork has a surreal feel to it, dream-like, melancholic, contemplative. Wu Jia Jia is shocked to find that her husband has died (drowned? Suicide?) in the bath tub. He leaves behind a strange drawing—of a ‘fish-man’. She, being an artist, tries to recreate it but is unable to do so. And so she travels to find the mystery of the fish-man and his connection (maybe) to her husband’s death.

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’s marriage one of convenience? Will her new found romance with the barman Leo—who describes her as ‘like water’— 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.

The title comes from a meal Jia Jia shares with her estranged father. I love how the novel pulls the reader into the present and immediately introduces a character that they feel they know for ages. I hadn’t thought about the father at all, until this point. 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. Braised Pork is about finding yourself, being at peace with your past, navigating grief and moving forward.

What I was unsure about?—Maybe there are too many references to ‘water’ and a few might be lost to the reader. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed the writing and felt parts of it were a interesting examination of the life of a widow, while the later part had a slight Murakami, specially A Wild Sheep Chase, vibe.

Real life with a touch of magical realism.