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bookishevy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Four Chinese women who immigrated to San Francisco have been meeting weekly since 1949 to play mahjong and tell stories of their lives in China and what led to them leaving their home. They call themselves the Joy Luck Club.
This is a story about four women and their four daughters. The women tell about their pasts and their hopes for their daughters' futures. The relationship between a mother and daughter is intricate, but it's even more so when the mother is an immigrant raising an American daughter. The younger women have no idea the types of lives their mothers led in China. Secrets are revealed.
From the daughers' perspectives, it's clear they're more American than Chinese, but their mothers are unwilling to accept their American mentalities.There is this struggle between the American and Chinese identities. The daughters don't think their mothers know anything while the mothers think they know everything while also dealing with their anxiety around not being good enough.
Through storytelling, they warn their daughters against making the mistakes they made so they can be more successful. Storytelling also instills their legacy. The stories cover topics like Chinese mythology and the horrors of the Sino-Japanese War, like having to leave loved ones behind, the things they had to do to survive, including honoring their parents and doing what was expected of them as young Chinese women. They expect their daughters to make the same sacrifices they made, but their daughters are American. They have choices and times have changed.
The mothers reminisce about a China of the past. 1980s China is becoming Americanized, as one of the daughters realizes on a trip. And I laughed when one of the mothers realizes she's viewed as an American tourist on her own trip back home.
I absolutely loved this book. Now I have to re-watch the film.
Minor: Racism and Rape
kmaffett's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and War
vixenreader's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Pregnancy, War, Child death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Ableism, Abortion, Antisemitism, Infertility, and Rape
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
- 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
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.
Moderate: Death of parent, Classism, Death, Grief, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, and Rape
michaelion's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I don't like reviews with quotes from the piece of media but I had to stop reading to make note of this masterpiece and let it simmer for a while: "And even though I taught my daughter the opposite, she still came out the same way! Maybe it is because she was born to me and she was born a girl. And I was born to my mother and I was born a girl. All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way."
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, War, Grief, Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Classism
Minor: Self harm, Animal death, Rape, Xenophobia, Blood, Pedophilia, Abortion, and Homophobia
melancholymegs's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Racism, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
mattyb's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Abortion
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Addiction
m0_x13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Suicide, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, War, Rape, and Racism
buud_w0rm's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: War, Rape, and Death of parent
ehmannky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Rape and War