The topic "The Magic Fish" is a popular one in folklore and literature. It often involves a fish that grants wishes or possesses some kind of magical power. Trung Le Nyvlwn is an example of a name that could be attributed to such a fish. In many versions of the story, a fisherman or a poor person catches a mysterious fish that grants them three wishes. The protagonist must be careful what they wish for, as their wishes often come with unintended consequences or lessons to be learned. The magic fish serves as a test of character and teaches the protagonist about the value of their wishes.
The storytelling is impeccable, and if having the stories within the stories do a lot of the heavy lifting serves as a sort of shortcut, so that the “real” characters of the story can be more subtle and circumspect in their emotions, well, what of it? By structuring his story as one that revolves around the sharing of stories, Nguyen makes these narrative shortcuts into the very bones of the book. No wonder then that The Magic Fish proves so compelling. Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews, Young Adult
The present is in red, the past in yellow and the fairy tales in purple, with a few exceptions, as when one setting overlaps with another, or something needs special accentuation within an established setting the peaches or blood in a fairy tale, for example. Nguyen s art is drawn in a style that seems a wonderful compromise between Golden Age illustration of the sort one might find in Andrew Lang s fairy books or collections of Brothers Grimm or Andersen fairy tales and modern, realistic manga.
The magic fish serves as a test of character and teaches the protagonist about the value of their wishes. The story of the magic fish can be found across different cultures and time periods. It is a tale that has been passed down from generation to generation, capturing the imagination of readers and listeners.
Review: The Magic Fish
The Magic Fish
Writer/artist: Trung Le Nguyen
RH Graphic; $23.99 Although Helen and Tiến are mother and son, they sometimes have trouble relating to one another. This is the result, perhaps, of coming from different worlds. Helen is a Vietnamese refugee who came to America as an adult, while Tiến was born and raised in the United States. But every night after dinner, the pair take turns reading fairy tales to one another, a practice that originally began so that Helen could work on her English, but which they never entirely abandoned: By experiencing the events of the stories together, mother and son build up shared experiences, even if they are vicarious ones.
In The Magic Fish, Trung Le Nguyen’s extraordinary debut graphic novel, the artist dramatizes the fairy tales that Helen and Tiến read within the narrative, so that readers also participate in their shared experiences. It proves an intimate and incredibly effective way to connect reader and character. Nguyen’s story takes place in three different times and spaces, and though the art is essentially black and white, each of these settings is represented by a different color, which sometimes fills in what would otherwise be empty backgrounds with solid planes of color and takes the place of shades of gray. The present is in red, the past in yellow and the fairy tales in purple, with a few exceptions, as when one setting overlaps with another, or something needs special accentuation within an established setting (the peaches or blood in a fairy tale, for example). In the present, Helen feel a bit lost, as she struggles with feeling separated from her own ailing mother in Vietnam and works hard to earn enough money to return to visit her without sacrificing any element of the life she helped build for Tiến. Tiến, meanwhile, has a crush on the boy in his little circle of friends at a private Christian school, and he struggles with if or how to come out to his parents, as he doesn’t even know if there is a word for “gay” in Vietnamese.
SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENTThe three fairy tales they read reflect their conflicts in various and, admittedly, sometimes pat ways. For example, the first story they read is
“Tattercoats,” a Cinderella variant that thus prominently features the attendance of a series of balls…which unfolds around scenes of Helen sewing patches on Tiến’s coat, and of he and his friends preparing for a school dance. The other stories are a Vietnamese version of Cinderella and Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” the latter of which is presented here as a story of a frowned-upon relationship (“My sweet child, this is transgressive,” the sea witch tells the little mermaid when she learns of her love for a mortal), albeit one whose ending is rather radically changed in a twist resolution to Tiến’s anxiety regarding coming out. Nguyen’s art is drawn in a style that seems a wonderful compromise between Golden Age illustration of the sort one might find in Andrew Lang’s fairy books or collections of Brothers Grimm or Andersen fairy tales and modern, realistic manga. The designs seen within the fairy tale passages, passages set mostly in modern milieus, are all quite striking, perhaps none more so than the climactic retelling of Andersen’s “Little Mermaid,” in which the people of the sea are given elaborate Asian fashions and the sea witch has the shape and silhouette of a giant hammerhead shark, while land-dwelling mortals wear 1980s fashions.
The storytelling is impeccable, and if having the stories within the stories do a lot of the heavy lifting serves as a sort of shortcut, so that the “real” characters of the story can be more subtle and circumspect in their emotions, well, what of it? By structuring his story as one that revolves around the sharing of stories, Nguyen makes these narrative shortcuts into the very bones of the book. No wonder then that The Magic Fish proves so compelling. Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews, Young Adult
SHARE:About J. Caleb Mozzocco
J. Caleb Mozzocco is a way-too-busy freelance writer who has written about comics for online and print venues for a rather long time now. He currently contributes to Comic Book Resources' Robot 6 blog and ComicsAlliance, and maintains his own daily-ish blog at EveryDayIsLikeWednesday.blogspot.com. He lives in northeast Ohio, where he works as a circulation clerk at a public library by day.
The three fairy tales they read reflect their conflicts in various and, admittedly, sometimes pat ways. For example, the first story they read is
“Tattercoats,” a Cinderella variant that thus prominently features the attendance of a series of balls…which unfolds around scenes of Helen sewing patches on Tiến’s coat, and of he and his friends preparing for a school dance. The other stories are a Vietnamese version of Cinderella and Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” the latter of which is presented here as a story of a frowned-upon relationship (“My sweet child, this is transgressive,” the sea witch tells the little mermaid when she learns of her love for a mortal), albeit one whose ending is rather radically changed in a twist resolution to Tiến’s anxiety regarding coming out. Nguyen’s art is drawn in a style that seems a wonderful compromise between Golden Age illustration of the sort one might find in Andrew Lang’s fairy books or collections of Brothers Grimm or Andersen fairy tales and modern, realistic manga. The designs seen within the fairy tale passages, passages set mostly in modern milieus, are all quite striking, perhaps none more so than the climactic retelling of Andersen’s “Little Mermaid,” in which the people of the sea are given elaborate Asian fashions and the sea witch has the shape and silhouette of a giant hammerhead shark, while land-dwelling mortals wear 1980s fashions.
The narrative often includes themes of greed, gratitude, and the importance of appreciating what one already has. The concept of a magical fish is a metaphor for the power of dreams and the potential of the human imagination. It reminds us to be careful what we wish for and to use our wishes wisely. The story encourages reflection on the nature of happiness and what truly matters in life. In conclusion, the concept of the magic fish and the name Trung Le Nyvlwn are part of a larger narrative tradition that explores themes of wish fulfillment, moral lessons, and the power of the human imagination. The story serves as a reminder to be grateful for what one already has and to approach wishes and desires with thoughtfulness and wisdom..
Reviews for "The Art of Depicting the Magic Fish Trung Le Nyvlwn in Visual Media"
1. Julia - 1 star - I found "The Magic Fish" by Trung Le Nyugen to be extremely underwhelming. The story felt disjointed and confusing, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters or understand their motivations. Additionally, I found the writing style to be overly descriptive and flowery, which made it hard for me to stay engaged with the plot. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. Mark - 2 stars - "The Magic Fish" by Trung Le Nyugen lacked the depth and substance that I was expecting. The characters felt flat and one-dimensional, making it hard for me to care about their stories. The pacing was also quite slow, with not much happening for large portions of the book. While I appreciated the themes of family and culture that the author was trying to explore, I found the execution to be lacking. Overall, I was left feeling bored and unsatisfied with this novel.
3. Sarah - 2.5 stars - "The Magic Fish" by Trung Le Nyugen did not live up to the hype for me. While the artwork was beautiful and visually stunning, the story itself fell short. The plot felt predictable and lacked any real surprises or twists. Additionally, I found the dialogue to be clunky and unnatural, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters. While I appreciate the cultural representation in this book, I wish the storytelling had been stronger. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed by this graphic novel.