Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

32 reviews

eudoxia_yar's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Xenophobia, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and War

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

kmoyer07's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, and War

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicide

Minor: Rape

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

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

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.

phantomgecko's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

This novel was about both interpersonal and intrapersonal complexity. Big fan of that. Also an enlightening look into Chinese (and Americanborn Chinese) culture. I actually liked the nonlinear and episodic narrative. The sections about early 1900s China were most interesting to me. 

It would have been easier for me to keep the characters straight if I'd been reading instead of listening, so rip to my understanding.

Serious question tho...in Chinese culture...is there such a thing as friends? None of these women liked each other. All competition and judgment all the time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

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

emorine13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

This is an amazing story made up of multiple generations’ stories. It makes you reflect that everyone around you has a background and story, and the only way to remember them is to ask. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism