In the style of a parable

Maybe this book just wasn't for me. I get it's supposed to be a parable, and I think the characters really brought that aspect of the dark fairy tale to life, but I can't enjoy characters that only exist to nudge the plot along without motivation or direction. Their interactions with each other weren't all that interesting. I can't believe the mermaid would fall so hard so suddenly for the plague doctor.
What exactly the purpose of the story was is also lost on me. There are nods towards this idea of taking/giving, but because I didn't understand the characters motivations, what Khaw might have wanted to say on those themes doesn't resonate. I didn't appreciate the plague doctor explicitly stating this theme at Luke's resurrection, either. In terms of plot, things just seem to happen. The mermaid's tongue grows back. She just decides she loves the plague doctor. She decides to challenge the surgeons. I don't believe the plague doctor's beezor survived the inforno for a second.
A lot of where The Sale Grows Heavy wins points with me is in its language use. It's not perfect, but it beautifully paints this dark fairy tale world. It's clear and complex without being obscure, while also being surprisingly poetic. While I didn't fall in love with the characters, their voices were distinct, and that's always nice. There are a couple of instances where the prose rely on adjectives and adverbs to detrimental effect. The tone was also weirdly neutral and objective, which is strange for a first person narrator. While the writing is mostly excellent, there's a lot of places where you can find excellent writing these days. I thought the setting was neat, but the story, the main thing I'm reading for, didn't satisfy.

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