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enchantedcobwebs 's review for:
The Valley of Amazement
by Amy Tan
I know a lot of people would disagree, but I feel like Tan came close to writing a follow-up novel that is almost as good as her breakout novel. I loved the Joy Luck Club. I loved the strength of the female characters and the tension of different generation of women trying to understand and love each other while straddling two patriarchal societies. I'd also be lying if I said I didn't appreciate Tan's uncanny ability to write her characters into "rock bottom," then give them the resilience to climb their way out. Side-note: if reading about sex gives you the heebie-jeebies, then I would not recommend reading this book.
I actually had two false-starts reading this book. The first chunk (100-200 pages) feel a little meandering, and it's easy to find yourself rolling your eyes and thinking "get to the point" while reading about Violet, her mother, and their cat. Almost no tension. I get that Tan was building up to making a point about what Lucia had created from her own strength of will, but as a reader just joining the story it's a bit boring.
My final complaint is that the wrap-up felt a bit rushed. You can't spend 550 pages with characters struggling and grieving and persevering and have a fulfilling conclusion in about 50 pages.
All that aside, I loved the book. It was spellbinding and wonderful and heartbreaking and frustrating. It was daring and not a carbon-copy of her old work, but that's a good thing. Isn't it?
I actually had two false-starts reading this book. The first chunk (100-200 pages) feel a little meandering, and it's easy to find yourself rolling your eyes and thinking "get to the point" while reading about Violet, her mother, and their cat. Almost no tension. I get that Tan was building up to making a point about what Lucia had created from her own strength of will, but as a reader just joining the story it's a bit boring.
My final complaint is that the wrap-up felt a bit rushed. You can't spend 550 pages with characters struggling and grieving and persevering and have a fulfilling conclusion in about 50 pages.
All that aside, I loved the book. It was spellbinding and wonderful and heartbreaking and frustrating. It was daring and not a carbon-copy of her old work, but that's a good thing. Isn't it?