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readerette's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
While this story and the characters are not always pleasant, they feel very real. I was touched by the weaving of the mothers' and daughters' stories, how American culture bled into the lives of all the characters, the struggles of being an immigrant and a parent (and how individual each set of struggles is). Relatable and also informative on aspects of a culture I'm not that familiar with.
That said, the weaving of the characters' stories did get muddy for me, I didn't get enough about the Joy Luck Club itself, and all of these people supposedly friendly with one another could be incredibly petty and cruel to their "friends". Perhaps I'm just leading with my white American eye on that last part though--friendship looks different to different people.
That said, the weaving of the characters' stories did get muddy for me, I didn't get enough about the Joy Luck Club itself, and all of these people supposedly friendly with one another could be incredibly petty and cruel to their "friends". Perhaps I'm just leading with my white American eye on that last part though--friendship looks different to different people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual violence, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and War
amethystofblackrose's review against another edition
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Abortion
lmshearer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
This has been on my TBR list for a while, ever since we read "Two Kinds" in middle school English class. I loved the structure of this book and the vignettes of each mother/daughter. I look forward to rereading the essays out of book order to fully understand some of the relationships and their stories I may have missed on this read-through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Racism, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Abandonment
laurenleigh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This has been on my TBR forever! Amy Tan is really quite amazing. She packs in so much in this short book! All these characters were so multi-faceted. I was especially interested when their storylines intersected. For example, listening to Waverly’s story, I had a lot of sympathy for her. But then she shows up in someone else’s story (Lena?), and she comes off as so rude! A good reminder to greet others with patience and an open heart. We’re all dealing with our own stories, but we have to also remember we’re only the main central character in our own plot line. I have renewed awe for immigrants and all they go through in an attempt to make things better and easier for their children. There’s a line that’s sticking with me, where one of the mothers wanted her daughter to have American opportunities but with a Chinese mentality. I can’t quote the whole part here, so just go read this and come talk to me. 😉
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
tinylittlerat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Fatphobia
nicolesreadingbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
studied it for school and omfg i loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War
major_tom'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It’s just amazing. The writing, the structure, the stories themselves - it is one of those books that perfectly illustrates the nature of mother/daughter relationship. But it also reflects so much on harsh challenges of immigration and cultural adaptation (focusing on Chinese immigration to America).
I am very happy to have stumbled upon this book, and I’ll make sure to check out other works of Amy Tan.
I am very happy to have stumbled upon this book, and I’ll make sure to check out other works of Amy Tan.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation
tonimmarie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
This made me cry a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Grief
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
melanie182's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Car accident, Abortion, and Colonisation
anovelbeauty's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Book TW: child death, loss, trauma, strained parental relationships, war, immigration, racism
The Joy Luck Club is a beautiful story which follows four Chinese women who immigrated to the US in 1949 and their American born daughters. This story is one of the most interestingly formatted stories I’ve come across in a long time. It’s split into four sections and each chapter follows a specific mother or daughter’s POV. There is a loose connection and chronology between the different stories and the characters hop in and out of each other’s lives. However, the most distinct connection is between each mother and her daughter. It is really unique to get a book that shows you the background and perspective of both parent and child. So as the book progresses, you slowly understand why the characters act how they do. I particularly loved getting the mothers’ stories from China and then seeing how they changed (often dramatically) after they immigrated.
Though the book does have a bookended plot line from Jin-Mei (and her mother is the only one who does not get her own chapter), the book reads more like a collection of connected short stories than your average historical fiction novel.
It took a bit for me to settle in to the unique flow of this story, but once I did the character work and writing style of the novel was absolutely phenomenal. The voices of each of the eight different women were distinct and engaging. Jin-Mei is probably the closest to a main character as she has a chapter in each section because her mother is already gone and she is trying to retroactively connect with her. The others show the miscommunication and relationships between the other mother-daughter pairs.
This is a hugely character driven book, so if you are a plot-driven reader this probably won’t suit you. However, I /love/ character books so it was wonderful for me and I do really enjoy familial relationships being explored in stories as well. The book is touching and dramatic and the last chapter made me cry. I definitely encourage you to read it if you think the format of the story would suit you!
The Joy Luck Club is a beautiful story which follows four Chinese women who immigrated to the US in 1949 and their American born daughters. This story is one of the most interestingly formatted stories I’ve come across in a long time. It’s split into four sections and each chapter follows a specific mother or daughter’s POV. There is a loose connection and chronology between the different stories and the characters hop in and out of each other’s lives. However, the most distinct connection is between each mother and her daughter. It is really unique to get a book that shows you the background and perspective of both parent and child. So as the book progresses, you slowly understand why the characters act how they do. I particularly loved getting the mothers’ stories from China and then seeing how they changed (often dramatically) after they immigrated.
Though the book does have a bookended plot line from Jin-Mei (and her mother is the only one who does not get her own chapter), the book reads more like a collection of connected short stories than your average historical fiction novel.
It took a bit for me to settle in to the unique flow of this story, but once I did the character work and writing style of the novel was absolutely phenomenal. The voices of each of the eight different women were distinct and engaging. Jin-Mei is probably the closest to a main character as she has a chapter in each section because her mother is already gone and she is trying to retroactively connect with her. The others show the miscommunication and relationships between the other mother-daughter pairs.
This is a hugely character driven book, so if you are a plot-driven reader this probably won’t suit you. However, I /love/ character books so it was wonderful for me and I do really enjoy familial relationships being explored in stories as well. The book is touching and dramatic and the last chapter made me cry. I definitely encourage you to read it if you think the format of the story would suit you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Racism, Sexism, and Abandonment
Minor: Xenophobia and Death of parent