Exploring the Depths of the Magical Fish's Realm

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a lonely fisherman named Jack. Every day he would set out to sea, hoping to catch enough fish to sell at the market and make a decent living. However, despite his best efforts, Jack would always return home with an empty boat. One particularly gloomy day, as Jack was preparing to head out to sea, an old man approached him. The old man had a long white beard and a twinkle in his eye. He introduced himself as the village elder and told Jack of a magical fish that lived in the depths of the sea.

"I based a lot of the characters in 'The Magic Fish' on the experiences of my own family that I observed growing up in the United States and learning English and learning the culture alongside them as well," Nguyen said.

If The Magic Fish were nothing but what its first third promises red realist childhood stories and blue fairy-fish stories the book would end up good enough to recommend, not only for its sensitive storytelling pace, its lovely, expectant faces and tender poses, but for the way that Nguyen deploys ink and monochrome color. As the braided tales inform one another, fairy marine princess to immigrant mom to stressed-out, crushed-out kid, the colors do too in one of Nyugen s signature effects, single objects and then panels on pages with one color incorporate another first the red peaches in the blue tale of Alera, then panels of tangerine or indigo inside pages of red.

He introduced himself as the village elder and told Jack of a magical fish that lived in the depths of the sea. This fish had the ability to grant one wish to anyone who caught it. Intrigued by the chance to change his luck, Jack set sail with renewed hope.

'The Magic Fish' is a story of language, transformation and family

This year's KPBS One Book, One San Diego selection for teens is "The Magic Fish," a graphic novel by writer and illustrator Trung Le Nguyen.

"The Magic Fish" is about a second-generation Vietnamese American teenager, Tiến, who uses fairy tales to help his mother learn English.

"I based a lot of the characters in 'The Magic Fish' on the experiences of my own family that I observed growing up in the United States and learning English and learning the culture alongside them as well," Nguyen said.

Tiến is gay, and he is not able to come out to his family. In the book he says he doesn't know the word in Vietnamese to even begin a conversation with his parents.

"This was a struggle that I also had growing up, trying to articulate my sexuality to my parents. When I was growing up, we didn't share a language or share a vocabulary to discuss these things," Nguyen said. "I do remember going to the library and trying to find language resources to be able to articulate the exact things that I wanted to tell my parents."

Nguyen said that he wanted to explore the way language transforms and is significant in both everyday use and broader, big-picture cultural ways.

"When it comes to describing sexuality, when it comes to describing gender and queerness, the ways that we talk about these things, the words that we use kind of change all of the time. They're dependent on where we find ourselves in time and regionally as well. So for 'The Magic Fish,' I think the continued impetus for me to want to tell this precise type of story, is that even within queer communities, we shift in the ways that we describe ourselves, and we kind of have to offer each other a little bit of grace around the language by which we find ourselves. Through which we find ourselves, basically," Nguyen said.

Tiến and his mother read fairy tales aloud to each other in English as a way for Tiến's mother to better grasp the language. The stories also, of course, pack more meaning.

The fairy tales included are two separate retellings of the "Cinderella" story and one of "The Little Mermaid." Nguyen said the Vietnamese Cinderella served as early inspiration for the project.

"I had heard it growing up, because that was a story that was familiar to my parents, and I have a lot of strong, warm, sentimental feelings about it," Nguyen said. "Originally 'The Magic Fish' was just supposed to be a bunch of Cinderella stories put together, and then I had to figure out what these stories meant to me and why I was drawn to Cinderella stories, and stories about transition in these ways."

The inclusion of "The Little Mermaid" suggests the similarities between that tale and Cinderella. Nguyen said that "The Little Mermaid" also involves leaving something familiar behind to seek a different life or love.

"That's something that I find to be really resonant as an immigrant," Nguyen said, adding that there's queer allegory to be found in the traditional Hans Christian Anderson story — another pivotal theme in "The Magic Fish."

Nguyen was also drawn to fairy tales because of their commonalities across cultures, and that it highlights that storytelling is a universal, communal phenomenon.

"[Fairy tales] feel like they're people, almost. I love the notion that a fairy tale is something that can exist in multiple places, or that it moves from place to place and it changes clothes depending on the culture in which it finds itself and it changes its priorities," Nguyen said.

To delineate the past, present and the fairy tale universes, Nguyen casts the illustrations in certain colors. He originally wanted the book to be in black and white, inspired by manga and newspaper comics, but the editors encouraged him to use a limited color palette — and in doing so, create a sort of roadmap to orient readers along the way.

Red tones signal the present moment, with Tiến and his mother or at school. Yellows and sepias mean his parents' past in Vietnam. Blues indicate the imaginary realm of the fairy tales. While the effect is ultimately practical, it's also beautiful, and each color change feels transformative.

"The Magic Fish" is an enchanting, visually astonishing story about immigrants and their many migrations — whether from place to place, from one understanding of oneself to another, or from an imaginary, magical life to a lived reality. But it's also a simple story about a family and about love.

"I chose to tell 'The Magic Fish' from the perspectives of people who aren't thinking about their marginalization in terms that might be considered academic. They are kind of just trying to get by and live their lives," Nguyen said.

Nguyen will hold two events this week for One Book, One San Diego — at 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 12 at San Diego State University, and a livestreamed event at 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022.

"Wife, wife," said the man, "why should we wish to be the king? I will not be king."

He sailed far from the shore and cast his net into the water. Hours turned into days as Jack tirelessly waited for a bite. Just as he was about to give up, his line suddenly tugged. With all his strength, Jack pulled in his catch, and to his astonishment, there it was - the mystical, shimmering fish. The fish spoke to Jack in a soft, melodic voice. It explained that it had been watching him struggle and had decided to grant him one wish. Jack thought for a moment, considering all the things he could ask for. In the end, he decided to wish for an abundance of fish so that he could provide for his village and never go hungry again. The fish granted Jack's wish and disappeared into the depths of the sea. Jack looked down into his now overflowing net and could hardly believe his eyes. The net was bursting with fish of all shapes and sizes. Ecstatic, he quickly returned to the village and shared his bountiful catch with everyone. From that day forward, Jack became known as the fisherman with the magical touch. He never had to worry about providing for his family or the villagers again. And as for the mystical fish, its story lived on, inspiring generations to dare to dream and believe in the power of magic. And so, the tale of the magical fish served as a reminder that sometimes, the most incredible things can happen when you least expect them..

Reviews for "The Magical Fish: A Fisherman's Tale"

1. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magical Fish Story". The plot was confusing and all over the place, making it hard to follow or even care about what was happening. The characters were also very one-dimensional and lacked depth, and I couldn't bring myself to connect with any of them. Overall, it felt like a poorly written and rushed story that didn't live up to the hype.

2. James - 1 out of 5 stars - This book was a complete waste of time. The writing was incredibly dull and lacked any sort of excitement or intrigue. The magical elements felt forced and out of place, and the story dragged on without any clear direction or purpose. I found myself having to force myself to finish it, and even then, I didn't feel any sense of satisfaction. I would not recommend "Magical Fish Story" to anyone.

3. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - I had high hopes for "Magical Fish Story" based on the positive reviews, but I was left disappointed. The pacing was incredibly slow, and I found myself losing interest multiple times throughout the book. The characters were also quite forgettable, and I didn't feel invested in their journeys at all. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. Overall, this book just didn't live up to the hype for me.

4. Robert - 2 out of 5 stars - "Magical Fish Story" had an interesting premise, but it failed to deliver. The writing was mediocre at best, with poor character development and a lackluster plot. I found myself struggling to stay engaged and ended up skimming through a lot of the book. It felt like a missed opportunity to explore the magical elements and create an immersive and engaging story. Unfortunately, I can't say I enjoyed this book.

The Incredible Powers of the Mythical Fish