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obsidian_blue's review against another edition
4.0
I think that when Amy Tan is right on she is definitely right on. A few years ago I devoured every book she had written and still have all of her books on my bookshelf. I decided to re-read "The Bonesetter's Daughter" for my Booklikes-opoly square.
The "Bonesetter's Daughter"is told as a shifting narrative of a Chines American daughter (Ruth) trying to deal with her mother (LuLing) who is starting to lose her memory due to Alzheimer's. Ruth feels frustrated trying to deal with her mother and with her relationship with her lover Art. At times Ruth becomes mute and is unable to express herself. When she finds her mother's diary she decides to have it translated and the diary allows her to really see her mother for the first time.
Ruth was a trial for me at times. Seriously. I wanted her to take a stand against her boyfriend/lover and his terrible kids. They were exhausting to even read about. But I did feel smidgens of sympathy for her here and there. Her mother's obsession with ghosts, curses, and embarrassing her as a child are definitely things that would make it hard for you to sympathize initially with LuLing until we get to her story.
I will admit that at first I didn't like LuLing until we (readers) get to read the memoirs that Ruth is having translated from what her mother wrote. You get LuLing's earlier younger voice and your heart is definitely going to break when you read about what she dealt with while living in China. It also helps Ruth better understand her mother and realize why her mother acted the way she did while she was growing up. The two women get closer towards the end of the book which did make me happy.
I have always loved Amy Tan's writing. She manages to make every sentence count and just draw you in. I felt every second of LuLing's younger voice via her diary as she remembers what her life in China was like. And also her sadness when she realizes her daughter is pulling away from her. I will say though the reason why I only gave this four stars is that the first part of the book that primarily is told from Ruth's POV was hard to get through. That's why I didn't give it 5 stars.
The setting of the book goes back and forth from San Francisco to China. The China parts of the book felt the most alive to me. Reading about LuLing living at Immortal Heart made it seem like the a stark and desolate place.
The ending was poignant but also sad. I know that this book is quite realistic with showing how Alzheimer's affects people and families, but I still wished for a different ending.
The "Bonesetter's Daughter"is told as a shifting narrative of a Chines American daughter (Ruth) trying to deal with her mother (LuLing) who is starting to lose her memory due to Alzheimer's. Ruth feels frustrated trying to deal with her mother and with her relationship with her lover Art. At times Ruth becomes mute and is unable to express herself. When she finds her mother's diary she decides to have it translated and the diary allows her to really see her mother for the first time.
Ruth was a trial for me at times. Seriously. I wanted her to take a stand against her boyfriend/lover and his terrible kids. They were exhausting to even read about. But I did feel smidgens of sympathy for her here and there. Her mother's obsession with ghosts, curses, and embarrassing her as a child are definitely things that would make it hard for you to sympathize initially with LuLing until we get to her story.
I will admit that at first I didn't like LuLing until we (readers) get to read the memoirs that Ruth is having translated from what her mother wrote. You get LuLing's earlier younger voice and your heart is definitely going to break when you read about what she dealt with while living in China. It also helps Ruth better understand her mother and realize why her mother acted the way she did while she was growing up. The two women get closer towards the end of the book which did make me happy.
I have always loved Amy Tan's writing. She manages to make every sentence count and just draw you in. I felt every second of LuLing's younger voice via her diary as she remembers what her life in China was like. And also her sadness when she realizes her daughter is pulling away from her. I will say though the reason why I only gave this four stars is that the first part of the book that primarily is told from Ruth's POV was hard to get through. That's why I didn't give it 5 stars.
The setting of the book goes back and forth from San Francisco to China. The China parts of the book felt the most alive to me. Reading about LuLing living at Immortal Heart made it seem like the a stark and desolate place.
The ending was poignant but also sad. I know that this book is quite realistic with showing how Alzheimer's affects people and families, but I still wished for a different ending.
beckycoxmedina33's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this one, although it took me four months to read since I kept putting it down. Classic Amy Tan read...story of three generations of women finding peace with each other and in themselves. Didn't top The Joy Luck Club, but came pretty close!
scwilder's review against another edition
3.0
I love Amy Tan but I thought that it was not the best of her work. The book didn't get me into the scene from the get go. The first couple of chapters were dragging. It got better and with a few interesting parts but to me it was just an ok read.
emilyalice28's review against another edition
4.0
Slow begining but the mothers story was facinating.
fowg2024's review against another edition
4.0
I read this for a sociology course back in college. Although I haven't read anything else by Amy Tan, this one was particularly good. Kind of reminds me of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (with the multiple stories woven throughout the principle narrative). You'll enjoy this one.
bv94's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Loved the mother's part, Ruth's character was boring and I didn't enjoy that portion as much. Listened to the audio book and loved the narration.
Loved the mother's part, Ruth's character was boring and I didn't enjoy that portion as much. Listened to the audio book and loved the narration.
leslieposton's review against another edition
4.0
Amy Tan has had my undivided attention since I first picked up a copy of The Joy Luck Club years ago. She does not capture her readers’ hearts and minds with building suspense, senseless murders, cops and robbers or any of the other standard “best seller” formulas. Instead, she chooses to expose a piece of her heart and traditions with every book, drawing you into her stories by sincere writing that sings from the page. That her stories center around women of individual strength only adds to their appeal. Read The Rest Of This Review: [http://books.bgwe.org/?p=15]
changofthesun's review against another edition
5.0
I’ll warn you now to not read Amy Tan’s work if you have a shaky relationship with your mother, but if you read her work anyways it’ll be worth it
lizmorano's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Intertwines Chinese mother's life story - born in China an illegitimate child, the father's brother's family takes her and her mother in as their own daughter and Precious Auntie. Talks of her struggles in China and eventually immigration to the US. Also, her relationship with her daughter Ruth.