Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

62 reviews

rubberrosebooks's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

juliej0715's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was enjoyable, not what I expected it to be like. Interesting to hear the stories of these women and their daughters. Less plot than I expected, more like a collection of short stories that are also intertwined from time to time. Interesting reflections on how these women thought of their childhoods, their mothers, their lives, husbands, children. How they are full human beings who have lived very full lives, and yet their daughters are so oblivious, even combative, to see that. The daughters are so dismissive of their mothers. It's quite heartbreaking, and makes you want to know more about your own parents; learn more about their lives, their emotions, and what you can learn from them and how you can connect with them. Of course the magical realism and the Chinese beliefs are so interesting to include in these stories. I can see why this book remains popular decades after being published. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

_peaseblossom_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

small_shrimp's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Death and Sexual violence

mahela's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

35 years later, this book's topics still feel very current and important. It tells the stories of four Chinese women who emigrated to the US, and their four daughters who set out on very different paths in life but are united by their families‘ ties. It's about hope, loss, family, growing up, standing up against racism and misogyny, and much more... every chapter is told from a different woman’s perspective. This sometimes makes it hard to distinguish between the characters. But overall it’s very beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

thepassivebookworm's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

caitlin033's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Abortion, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Eating disorder and Homophobia

kmaffett's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and War

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Although it is a product of its time, it is still a pinnacle work in depicting the lives of Asian women, and it is a tender portrait of the deep pain and love that is shared among mothers and daughters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Fatphobia, Infertility, Racial slurs, Rape, Antisemitism, and Abortion

Be warned that there is divorce, intergenerational trauma, unrealistic expectations for children, arranged marriage, polygamy, long lost sisters, and drowning of a child.

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The chapters are essentially a compilation of short stories that help the reader come to a consensus reaction about the personal history and lives of these mothers and daughters. You experience their joys and struggles regarding the dynamics in their personal relationships. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Some of the triggers are overt, others are strongly suggested, perhaps in other countries in historical periods where long ago childhoods and family histories are elaborated on, in small country towns that could be called backward, clinging to old practices such as having a proper wife but also additional wives/concubines.