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rebeccazh 's review for:
The Joy Luck Club
by Amy Tan
This book is almost like an anthology; it tells the stories of about seven characters (mothers and daughters) through 2-3 vignettes, some of which can be read independently. The writing is beautiful but it's purple prose at times. The seven characters' voices are honestly indistinguishable; I struggled to keep them separate and I constantly flipped back and forth to try to remember which woman I was reading about.
Note that this book is very very dated. The casual and dismissive attitudes towards other minorities was uncomfortable to read.
What I enjoyed about this book was that I found a story in which I see my mother, aunt and grandmother. This book also prompted me to reflect more on my mother's life. Amy Tan also imitated amazingly well the English speech of the Chinese immigrants.
The shame the daughters felt towards their mothers, the anger, the inability to understand, the frustration, the complicated love... That was so real. I particularly loved the Waverly and Lindo Jong pair because Lindo was one of the most critical and harsh mothers and Waverly (her daughter) was almost codependent. Her mom's opinions shaped all of hers. Lindo reminds me of my aunt a lot, lol, and a also my mom. The daughters' struggles with their roots/their mother's culture, the inability to speak/read Chinese, etc., or basically acculturation etc, were so relatable. I also appreciated seeing the generational trauma carried from mother to daughter. Many of the daughters end up struggling with the same things as their mothers (Lena and Ying Ying being like ghosts, Rose and An-Mei not having a voice).
Note that this book is very very dated. The casual and dismissive attitudes towards other minorities was uncomfortable to read.
What I enjoyed about this book was that I found a story in which I see my mother, aunt and grandmother. This book also prompted me to reflect more on my mother's life. Amy Tan also imitated amazingly well the English speech of the Chinese immigrants.
The shame the daughters felt towards their mothers, the anger, the inability to understand, the frustration, the complicated love... That was so real. I particularly loved the Waverly and Lindo Jong pair because Lindo was one of the most critical and harsh mothers and Waverly (her daughter) was almost codependent. Her mom's opinions shaped all of hers. Lindo reminds me of my aunt a lot, lol, and a also my mom. The daughters' struggles with their roots/their mother's culture, the inability to speak/read Chinese, etc., or basically acculturation etc, were so relatable. I also appreciated seeing the generational trauma carried from mother to daughter. Many of the daughters end up struggling with the same things as their mothers (Lena and Ying Ying being like ghosts, Rose and An-Mei not having a voice).