Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

13 reviews

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

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.

goodolnicole's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

jelen's review against another edition

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Classism

const_elle_ations's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Abandonment

Moderate: Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Rape, and Abortion

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and War

kappafrog's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Pedophilia, Self harm, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Trafficking, and Murder

ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

Disclaimer: my library only had this book on audio and I don’t do well with fiction on audio. This one was particularly difficult for me because of the shifting timelines and perspectives, which I would have found less confusing in print. However, I looked up a character list (thanks, Cliff Notes!) that helped my brain keep track. 

So, this was not the right format for me to experience a book like this. Because it was audio, my brain at times felt like that Charlie Day meme, trying to figure out which character was related to which (we get stories from the mothers and daughters of the Joy Luck Club). 

BUT! Despite all of my confusion and extra brain power, this book made me FEEL things. One advantage of the audio is I think it made the stories (particularly the mothers in China) feel more real, as if I was sitting with them as they told me about their lives. The book packs an emotional punch. I definitely recommend it. I wish I’d had a physical copy, though. 

CW: miscarriage, abortion, homophobia, rape, war, death of parent, death of child, drowning, infidelity, divorce 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Abortion, and Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and War

kstericker's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty and Child abuse

hollymich's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

The Joy Luck Club contains beautiful, captivating, and heartwrenching stories about the early lives of four women in China. It is difficult to conceptualize the hardship they each faced at such young ages; their strength truly is inspiring. It felt so intimate being invited into the Joy Luck Club, observing the deep, familial bond that these women have nurtured in America. They each attempt to impart their wisdom and lessons to their daughters, but their meaning is lost in translation across cultural and language barriers. It was lovely to see how these mother-daughter duos eventually connected as the daughters became adults themselves. 

This book will certainly leave you with a warm feeling

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War