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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
This is a beautiful anthology of mother daughter relationships that span multiple generations.
The Joy Luck Club explores the emotional complexities of identity, heritage, and the relationships between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. While its themes touch on memory, cultural disconnect, and generational tension, the shifting perspectives and fragmented structure can make the book feel disjointed and hard to follow. Readers seeking a more cohesive or linear narrative may find it challenging to stay grounded in the story.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Rape, Grief, War
Minor: Child death
I started reading this book for the book club at our library. I had never heard of it before and didn't know if I would like it or not, but once I started reading it, I was hooked. I didn't want to put it down until I was finished with it.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed seeing the way culture affects different generations, especially those in immigrant families. I think there were just too many storylines going on to feel very passionate or attached to any specific characters.
This is actually not an easy review to write - on the face of it, this is a simple collection of different stories. It is based on the women of the Joy Luck Club, a group of Chinese women who all emigrated to San Francisco back in the 40s. The book is separated into 4 sections; two of them tell the stories of the older women from when they were living in China, while the other 2 sections are told by their daughters, who are most definitely American-Chinese.
The book covers a myriad of topics, including Chinese folklore and traditions, the family structure and the role of women, and the importance of obedience (to their mother, husband, mother-in-law). But it is also about mothers and daughters, and the distance created from the westernisation of the younger generation. Many of the daughters have started to disregard their heritage; they no longer speak the language or follow the customs, and their attitudes are vastly more entitled. None of the daughters experienced the horrors faced by their mothers, nor understood them, and some of them really felt like spoiled brats!
Overall this was quite an easy read - there is no plot as such, and almost feels like a book of interconnecting short stories as opposed to a novel, but it was still very engaging.
The book covers a myriad of topics, including Chinese folklore and traditions, the family structure and the role of women, and the importance of obedience (to their mother, husband, mother-in-law). But it is also about mothers and daughters, and the distance created from the westernisation of the younger generation. Many of the daughters have started to disregard their heritage; they no longer speak the language or follow the customs, and their attitudes are vastly more entitled. None of the daughters experienced the horrors faced by their mothers, nor understood them, and some of them really felt like spoiled brats!
Overall this was quite an easy read - there is no plot as such, and almost feels like a book of interconnecting short stories as opposed to a novel, but it was still very engaging.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i listened instead of read this one. I think I missed a lot in it honestly. I loved what it did take in but i’ll go back to read it in print