…now there’s a new sort of fear; that one of us might get caught between the hands of a clock and never be seen again.
Catfish Rolling is a myths and legends, young adult, debut novel by Clara Kumagai. This magic realism novel follows Sora, a young mixed race girl, who was witness to the big earthquake of 2011 that hit Japan. However, nothing is what it seems in its wake. People are missing, presumed by most as dead, although their bodies were never found. Areas where people had gone missing have now been ‘zoned’ off, and life for the surviving continues. But not for Sora or her father. There are shadows lurking, and time appears confused, and a catfish continues to roll under their feet.
There’s a giant catfish under this island, the namazu … Every now and then, the catfish gets restless, or maybe has an itch. And then it twists and turns, but when it does, it moves the land about it … The catfish is rolling beneath it.
The characters are all very well formed for the genre. Each character is likeable, realistic, and Sora, our protagonist, is particularly complex when it comes to sharing her emotions – likely due to the impact of the earthquake, as well as the complications of being a teenager and then young adult. This is particularly evident with her relationship with her best friend, Koki, who clearly would like to change their relationship status. However, later in the narrative, Sora meets a second-year science student called Maya, who is a lesbian, and challenges Sora’s feelings, making her question her sexuality. Maya provides Sora with a comfort that she had not previously known.
The atmosphere when Sora explores the zones is captivating and mysterious, with Kumagai successfully creating the unknown. For me this is the key to a successful plot. I don’t want to know what is really happening. I want to keep the tension, the mystery, the intrigue that keeps you turning the page. I often find when I get to a certain stage of a novel, I no longer casually pick up the book, I sit and read until it ends. Rolling Catfish did not let me down.
Kumagai’s written style in her debut novel is not my favourite, especially in the first third of the book. I find the sentences too short and abrupt, though this was less noticeable as the novel progressed. Having already Kumagai’s second novel prior, Songs for Ghosts, I feel that her style has evolved but maintain the essence of her voice. However, I feel written styles are subjective, and should not be a reason not to try a novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed Rolling Catfish. I enjoy the way Kumagai intertwines the historical event with myths and legends, and particularly the realism of the characters, especially the ability to capture the complexities young adults face, including the navigations of being mixed-race, or a different race to the country they are in, as well as the exploration of sexuality. I did, however, have to buy two copies of the book as the hardback I ordered came with beautiful sprayed-edges – this was not expected – and being the OCD reader that I am, I was terrified that if I read it I would somehow ruin the edge, so I downloaded the e-book on my Kobo and read that instead.
