I’ve never indexed a work of fiction before. I once came close, for a novel which was part of someone’s creative dissertation, if I remember correctly, but that fell through.

I also don’t often think that I want an index when I read a novel. When reading fiction, I am reading for enjoyment and emotional resonance, not so much facts and arguments. But occasionally a novel comes along that begs for a finding aid. 

I recently read Taiwan Travelogue, written by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated by Lin King (Graywolf Press, 2024). It is a delightful novel, deeply moving, and has won several awards, most recently the International Booker Prize. I think it could use an index, and so today I’m going to outline how I would approach indexing this remarkable novel. 

Taiwan Travelogue

Taiwan Travelogue is set in colonial-era Taiwan, shortly before World War II, when Taiwan was governed by Japan. While originally written in Chinese by a Taiwanese author, the novel is framed as a Japanese novel which has been translated into Mandarin Chinese and published in Taiwan (and now, of course, translated into English, which adds an additional layer to the many layers of this book). The novel is written from the perspective of Aoyama Chizuko, a Japanese novelist who has travelled to Taiwan, and is about the relationship between Aoyama and Ō Chizuko, or Ông Tshian-ho̍h in Taiwanese, Aoyama’s Taiwanese interpreter.

I grew up in Taiwan. I found Taiwan Travelogue a fascinating glimpse of a past Taiwan which was both recognizable and different from what I grew up. It has given me a greater understanding of Taiwan’s colonial history, as well as the power dynamics within colonial relationships, which is still relevant and applicable today. I highly recommend it. 

For indexing purposes, Aoyama-san has a “monstrous” appetite and is determined to sample all of the local delicacies. Ō Chizuko, or Chi-chan, as Aoyama-san calls her, is the perfect guide. Food is  integral, so much so that each chapter is named after a different dish. Colonialism is also reflected in the different dishes, in the attitudes and foods that different characters eat and how foods are adapted. I would like to see an index of all of the various foods. 

Aoyama-san and Chi-chan also travel throughout Taiwan, both in pursuit of food and for Aoyama-san to meet her public speaking obligations. I think a separate index for places would also be helpful.

An Index for Foods

Let’s begin with food.

The book mostly discusses Taiwanese and Japanese foods. The Taiwanese delicacies are what Aoyama-san is most interested in, and there are lengthy descriptions of various dishes and how they are prepared. The Japanese dishes feature as both what the Japanese residents prefer and as personal favorites that Aoyama-san reminiscences about, particularly around holidays and the changing of the seasons. Dishes are typically mentioned using either their Taiwanese (not Mandarin) or Japanese names.

The choice of language provides an interesting challenge. English-speaking readers may be somewhat familiar with some of the Japanese foods, such as sashimi or sukiyaki, but are unlikely to be familiar with Taiwanese terms. To be faithful to the book, I think the Taiwanese and Japanese terms should be indexed as given, and they should also be indexed with an English gloss. For example,

bah-sò (braised minced pork)

mitsumame (fruit and jelly ice)

I think it would also be helpful to double-post these dishes, to make them more accessible for English readers. Flipping the main heading is one option. For example,

fruit and jelly ice (mitsumame)

However, I am not sure if all English glosses lend themselves to being an intuitive entry point. I would decide on a case-by-case basis. Instead of flipping, I may instead (or in addition) gather and double-post by main ingredient and type of food. For example,

pork: bah-sò (braised minced pork)

soups: muâ-ínn-thng (jute soup); tshài-bué-thng (leftovers soup)

An Index for Places

I would also create a separate index for places, which would cover cities and towns visited, as well as places such as landmarks, tourist attractions, neighborhoods, and schools. Places are often not discussed in as much detail as food, but I think there is still enough to be of value for anyone interested in colonial-era Taiwan. For me, I found it interesting to learn what was considered tourist attractions at that time. 

As with food, language is again a factor. Although set in Taiwan, the story is told from the perspective of Aoyama-san, who is Japanese, and so Japanese place names are predominantly used. For example, Taichū instead of Táichūng, and Takao instead of Kāohsiúng. To match the book, I would follow suite in the index, with the Chinese name in a gloss.

This raises the question of whether to flip and double-post place names, so that places are also searchable by their Chinese names. I am not sure that that is necessary, to be honest. I would want to see the draft index first before I decide.

Part of the consideration is that many of these names, such as Taichū and Táichūng, would sort next to each other anyway. Double-posting would be redundant. Names such as Takao and Kāohsiúng have a stronger case for double-posting, since they would sort farther apart. However, the places index will likely only take up a page or two, which means it should be short enough to easily skim. The book also contains a detailed map, showing places under both Japanese and Chinese names, which provides another way for readers to orient themselves. Double-posting may clutter the index rather than being helpful. 

Indexing Characters and Colonialism

So far I’ve discussed creating separate indexes for foods and places. Is it sufficient to stop here, or does it make sense to index further?

A third index could be for characters. This could be valuable for tracking minor characters, especially, who pay key roles in specific scenes.

A character index raises problems, however, for the two main characters, Aoyama-san and Chi-chan, who appear in every chapter. Arrays for these two characters would either contain long strings of undifferentiated locators (not helpful) or would potentially contain subheading which reveal spoilers. In a way, the entire novel could be indexed under each character, from each of their perspectives. Would doing so actually be helpful or useful for readers? While possibly indexing minor characters, it may be better to let readers discover for themselves the relationship between Aoyama-san and Chi-chan, reading the story as it is meant to be read.

The other major consideration is whether or not to index colonialism. Colonialism is central to the story, arguably the metatopic. Yet while central, colonialism is also often in the subtext, only being explicitly discussed by the characters at the end. So one question is, how does an index point to a discussion that isn’t actually there? The characters’ actions are shaped by colonial realities, but the characters are either unaware or don’t know how to speak about it.

The other question, as with the two main characters, is whether indexing colonialism would reveal spoilers, or otherwise undercut how a novel is supposed to be read. The reader is taken on a journey, alongside the characters. On the other hand, does excluding colonialism from the index render colonialism invisible, suggesting that it is not nearly as important as food, places, and characters? I don’t want to minimize the importance of colonialism either.

I am still divided on this question of whether or not to index colonialism. If I ever actually did index this novel, this would be a discussion I would want to have with the author, translator, and publisher. 

Drafting a Plan

Lastly, I want to tie this into what I wrote last time, about creating templates and plans to better incorporate best practices and to plan ahead when indexing. What I’ve outlined above is a plan. I have not actually written this index, but if I ever did, I know where I would start. Like any plan, it may need adjusting once I begin drafting the index, but several decisions have already been made and I’m confident that this plan is a reasonable starting point.

You can also create plans. A plan is more like an outline or statement of intentions, considering the nature of the text and audience and weighing different options and scenarios. A plan is a starting point, a framework for making sense of all of the decisions that need to be made. It does not need to be extensive. Have a plan or template, and the indexing process should be smoother.

PS. If you are at Graywolf Press, or are the author or translator, and are intrigued by this proposal to index Taiwan Travelogue, feel free to get in touch! I am curious to hear your thoughts.