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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
Liked this way better than The Joy Luck Club
Pretty good. Nice character (Kwan), a little insight into another way to look at the world. 3.5/5.0
I loved Kwan, a character in the book. I thought she was well developed, multifaceted and so interesting.
My least favorite so far. The further into the book I got, the more strongly I disliked Olivia, which isn’t great since she has the main viewpoint when Kwan isn’t telling a story. The ending felt like a mess and I kept wanting to shake Olivia for being ridiculous.
emotional
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
A powerfully beautiful and emotional story about love through and transcending time. I definitely cried at the end of it. Whilst being a largely reflective story, Tan’s writing is completely immersive and electrifying the whole way through. I just loved nearly every minute of reading this book.
Somehow I missed this one when I initially devoured Amy Tan's work. It's great though, and maybe I should be glad that I prolonged the pleasure.
It reminded me a bit of [b:Saving Fish from Drowning|9503|Saving Fish from Drowning|Amy Tan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166020855s/9503.jpg|1223399], which was actually written 10 years later, as both include ghosts and a bit of a magical realism feel.
It reminded me a bit of [b:Saving Fish from Drowning|9503|Saving Fish from Drowning|Amy Tan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166020855s/9503.jpg|1223399], which was actually written 10 years later, as both include ghosts and a bit of a magical realism feel.
Lovely and powerful. I forgot how good of a writer Amy Tan is.
Meh. I thought this was okay. Not great, but okay. It took a while to warm up for me, was interesting in the middle, and then had a strangely rushed ending that I struggled to really buy into. After such careful build up, I was surprised to see such a strangely weak ending.
I can see why people like Tan's writing, but it just wasn't quite there for me. I like sentimental and emotional, but this was weirdly so, especially in the end. I like paranormal, but I had a hard time buying this one, and it was hard to tell what I was supposed to believe and not believe.
Basically, interesting reading, but a little disappointing in the end.
I can see why people like Tan's writing, but it just wasn't quite there for me. I like sentimental and emotional, but this was weirdly so, especially in the end. I like paranormal, but I had a hard time buying this one, and it was hard to tell what I was supposed to believe and not believe.
Basically, interesting reading, but a little disappointing in the end.
I have read a few Amy Tan short stories, but this was the first time I have read a whole novel.
It was definitely a slow burn for me. If I had been in an airplane with nothing else to do, I’m not sure I would have finished it. Guess six hours flights are good for something.
Olivia grows up in the late sixties with a half sister Kwan, and “benignly neglectful” mom, two brothers and her mom’s boyfriends. Thing is, Olivia’s Chinese dad neglected to mention that he already had a wife and daughter in China. The wife is dead (how isn’t exactly clear - he tells one story, Kwan another) but he asks that Kwan come to live with the family.
Kwan is a rough country girl, completely unaware that her dad’s family thinks she odd. Also, she has yin eyes — meaning that she can see dead people. Yeah, that admission gets her a trip to the psych ward.
This long backstory is part of what made it hard for me to get into the story initially. You hear about some things, but there are other threads in the background that you never get into. Like when did George and Kwan get married?
The book is mostly narrated by Olivia, but Kwan’s “history” — set in 1864 during the Tiaping Uprisings — is the other half of the story. Until you get into the swing of moving back and forth between the times and characters, it’s a little confusing. (And occasionally a bit deep and Literary)
Then the last part of the story is a trip to China — a work article for photographer Olivia and her estranged writer husband (they have a rocky relationship too and if you want to know more read the book). The consequences are both tragic and joyful.
On my rating scale, of course this is well written. It’s a bit dreamy and you get pulled into the stories. I enjoyed it even if I don’t see myself reading it again. Does it have a moral? Maybe that there’s more to life than you might think? Be nice to your family? Believe in fate?
I’m not sure, but I’m glad I picked it up.
It was definitely a slow burn for me. If I had been in an airplane with nothing else to do, I’m not sure I would have finished it. Guess six hours flights are good for something.
Olivia grows up in the late sixties with a half sister Kwan, and “benignly neglectful” mom, two brothers and her mom’s boyfriends. Thing is, Olivia’s Chinese dad neglected to mention that he already had a wife and daughter in China. The wife is dead (how isn’t exactly clear - he tells one story, Kwan another) but he asks that Kwan come to live with the family.
Kwan is a rough country girl, completely unaware that her dad’s family thinks she odd. Also, she has yin eyes — meaning that she can see dead people. Yeah, that admission gets her a trip to the psych ward.
This long backstory is part of what made it hard for me to get into the story initially. You hear about some things, but there are other threads in the background that you never get into. Like when did George and Kwan get married?
The book is mostly narrated by Olivia, but Kwan’s “history” — set in 1864 during the Tiaping Uprisings — is the other half of the story. Until you get into the swing of moving back and forth between the times and characters, it’s a little confusing. (And occasionally a bit deep and Literary)
Then the last part of the story is a trip to China — a work article for photographer Olivia and her estranged writer husband (they have a rocky relationship too and if you want to know more read the book). The consequences are both tragic and joyful.
On my rating scale, of course this is well written. It’s a bit dreamy and you get pulled into the stories. I enjoyed it even if I don’t see myself reading it again. Does it have a moral? Maybe that there’s more to life than you might think? Be nice to your family? Believe in fate?
I’m not sure, but I’m glad I picked it up.