Reviews

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

sonalipawar26's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Humans are a complex species; mothers even more so, making mother-daughter relationships intricate.
In ๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜‘๐˜ฐ๐˜บ ๐˜“๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฌ ๐˜Š๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฃ, Amy Tan delves into first-generation Asian-American experiences through four mother-daughter relationships.

Divided into four parts, the book draws from mahjong, showcasing complex dynamics. Both generations carry flaws due to different pasts. Mothers' caution contrasts daughters' American identities, yet their mutual care is evident. The mothers are overbearing, discouraging even at times, but they have a soft spot for each other. All of them have shortcomings, but thereโ€™s a lot of unspoken love, too. Asian mothers express love differently, donโ€™t they?

Tan's writing is impactful, which captivates the reader with interconnected stories of these eight individuals. Rather than a novel, it's a collection of intertwined tales worth exploring. The intricacies of a mother-daughter relationship are beautifully laid bare.
It took me some time to get used to the format and the names, but once I did, I fell in love with the characters. And Iโ€™m sure first generation Asian-Americans will definitely relate to it.ย 

rainbow_reader's review

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3.5

The writing in this was pretty good and I liked the idea of exploring the lives of four connected women. However, the stories of these women seemed very seperate and I was often confused as to whose perspective we were following or how the characters were related to each other. I do want to say that my attention wavered a little as I read this via audiobook so that definitely added to my confusion and is fully my fault.ย 

tabascobich's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

jsmith3's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved the contrast between the mothers and the daughters: the mothers' traditional, Chinese upbringing compared to the daughtersโ€™ American upbringing. And I loved that when it came down to it, the mothers and the daughters were more alike than they had previously thought.

Each character had a story to tell, and they all were captivating and intriguing.

emzrichy's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

orianeosaurus's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kellykaiser28's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a really weel done book, Amy Tan you are amazing! I love how all the stories connected, it only got a little bit confusing trying to connect the people daughters with their mothers and remembering their mother's stories but honestly this is such an amazing book and I would still highly recommend this.

baugh5's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

swaksha_reads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

se_wigget's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0