This is like an overdue review.
Sadly, I was not given the chance to pursue Literature in my teens so eight years later, here I am with a review of one book that has been used as prose text for Literature papers.
The Joy Luck Club
“Between every mother and daughter there is a story that must be told”
These words sum up The Joy Luck Club perfectly. Amy Tan explores Chinese-American cultural translations, the power of storytelling and sacrificial love in this narrative novel. I was drawn to the four-part concept, where each part is aptly titled according to the stories following it, beginning with a parable. With titles like “Feathers from a Thousand Li Away”, “The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates”, “American Translation” and “Queen Mother of the Western Skies”, you can’t seriously tell me you won’t be roused to curiosity. When I first saw the titles, I felt like I was going to read a kungfu manual. But martial arts aside, Amy Tan certainly has skill for the written art. She manages to include mother-daughter perspectives in a different yet same light. You’ll be drawn to the mothers’ stories of their past, and while I was reading their history, I had to keep flipping and associating the present old woman with their younger self in their stories. You’ll experience the mothers’ struggles of trying to instill Chinese values yet wanting their daughters to utilize their American ways. You might feel something familiar trigger inside while reading the daughters’ perspectives. It is an alternate concept, the first section comprises of the mothers’ narration (including the protagonist, Jing-mei Woo- she’s a daughter), the second and third section are told by the daughters and the mothers return at the fourth section. Expect the mothers being lost in translation, Chinese words(with translation, of course), the daughters absorbed by American influence, stories of history, stories of culture and ultimately, stories of love. In a sad way, it reminds me of my own relationship with my late mother, especially so as the novel is centred around Jing-mei’s mother Suyuan, who has just passed away. But it brings back all the love I felt from her, and that I am grateful I had the chance to feel such great love even for a short while in my life.
One might think that only Chinese women will be able to relate to this novel. I beg to differ. As long as you have some Asian blood in you, man or woman, you’ll feel something for this piece. The conservative values, the superstitious tendencies, the rebellious retorts and parents’ tough love. How they lived with each other, how they learnt from each other and how they let go of each other. And please, I am sick of some men who scoff at their fellow males who read fiction. Knowledge is found in where we seek it. And even then, The Joy Luck Club is not purely fictional. It is based on Amy Tan’s own journey as a Chinese woman growing up in America, her autobiographical-inspired novel.
As you might have noticed, the picture I chose for this review is actually the film’s poster. The book is printed in many covers, but I liked this poster the best- it depicts the content beautifully. And I admit, I have not watched the film yet. I was still a little kid when it was released. But I will watch it soon, just to see the characters come to life.
I have to give The Joy Luck Club 4 clocks out of 5, because it deserved my time, and hopefully deserves yours too.
