Book Review: ‘Following Fish’

In his collection of essays, Following Fish: Travels Along the Indian Coast, author Samanth Subramanian manages the perfect balance between intimacy and objectivity. The reader feels as though they’re on the trail with him, meeting the delightful motley crew that schools him about fish.

There are some wonderful anecdotes in Following Fish and heartening trivia, like the reason why the port of Vizhinjam didn’t suffer any casualties when the tsunami hit the Indian coast in 2004. “It was the day after Christmas,” explains a fisherman. “We were all still sleeping off the previous day’s toddy hangover.” Praise the Lord indeed. Aside from expected haunts like Goa and Alleppey, Subramanian also takes the reader to places outsiders may not be able to access easily, like a Konkan hotspot for anglers that he names Xanadu so that the secret of its exact location remains safe. He notices things like the smothered melancholia in Goa’s indolence and the perfectly balanced blend of curiosities that gives sol kadhi its taste and Mumbai its flavour. There are some chapters that seem misfit, like “On swallowing a live fish” which is based in Hyderabad. It’s a beautifully written essay about a family of faith healers but it doesn’t connect quite as neatly into either the experience of eating fish or the culture of fishing that lies at the heart of the book.

Chances are that those who belong to the areas being written about will not find anything they didn’t already know in Subramanian’s essays. Following Fish has a reportage feel to it but it isn’t attempting to present any breaking news about the various fishing cultures of India. It’s a travelogue and in that, it is successful. Subramanian’s easy and intelligent writing style describes the ambience of the places and the people he meets eloquently.

At the end of his piscine travelogue, Samanth Subramanian thanks the Pals for their hospitality. We feel it worth pointing out that neither this reviewer nor any known family member of hers has met Subramanian. This is tragic because this means he probably hasn’t tasted the reviewer’s favourite doi ilish (hilsa with yoghurt), which we believe gives the shorshe ilish (hilsa in a mustard sauce) a run for its money. Despite this miss, Following Fish is a charming read. You’ll wish Subramanian had made more stops along the coastline when you reach the last page.

Following Fish: Travels Along the Indian Coast by Samanth Subramanian, Penguin, Rs 250.