The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Hundred Secret Senses
Book Review: Starts off good, but kind of blah overall
Summary: 3 Stars
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The lead character really grew on me, and I found myself laughing out loud several times. However, she really began to grate on my nerves, as did the wimpy Simon, once they all went to China. I just didn't care anymore and found myself skipping over passages just to finish it. I really enjoyed The Kitchen God's Wife ... this one just didn't provide consistency or generate enough of my interest.Book Review: I know this girl, but she's so hard to figure out
Summary: 5 Stars
According to my kids, my youngest girl is a bit like her. She's bright and imaginative, and very annoying. Amy Tan's first-person experiences with her older, mysterious, oriental sister tells us a lot about herself, her world as a child and as a grown-up, and very little about her sister. The firuge of the sister floats there all over the book, but the story is about herself, not about her sister. The character, an almost typical California girl, is touching, and I could easily identify with her (if I were a girl and from California). Although the style is dry, the emotions underneath are powerful and wonderful to read. I enjoyed it enough to order some more of her books (this is my first)Book Review: Enchanting Story
Summary: 3 Stars
This novel is an enchanting read, and the character of Kwan is hilarious and authentic. The only weak point is the dialogue between Olivia and Simon - it sounds very forced and devoid of true emotion. Their fights seem written by a precocious sixth-grader... The best parts of the book are those written in the voice of Kwan and her previous self, Numunu.Book Review: Not as good as "The Kitchen God's Wife," but worth reading
Summary: 4 Stars
If you've enjoyed any of Amy Tan's previous books, then you shouldn't be disappointed. In "The Hundred Secret Senses," you'll find Tan's consistently running themes of mother-daughter relationships, the American vs. the Chinese perspective, and parallel storylines. In this case, the story focuses on the relationship between Olivia and her older sister Kwan, who acts as Olivia's surrogate mother.
All her life, Olivia wanted her mother to pay more attention to her. One day, young Olivia discovers that she has a half sister in China, whom the family has decided to adopt. When Kwan joins the family in America, Olivia's mother gladly hands all mothering duties to Kwan, and Olivia's hopes of gaining her mother's affections are dashed. She is immediately resentful of her big sister, and this attitude continues on into adulthood. However, despite Olivia's often ungrateful attitude, Kwan showers Olivia with unconditional love.
Kwan is a unique character to say the least. She claims to be able to see ghosts, and she can remember her past lives. This is where the secondary storyline comes in. Kwan tells the story of her past life, a century ago, when she was a poor girl from the mountains of China who befriended a young American woman named Ms. Banner.
As we learn more about Kwan's life with Ms. Banner, we learn about the present day conflicts of Olivia and her troubled marriage.
The two storylines weave together to work toward a big reveal. However, in this case, the reveal is really not that surprising since the book foreshadows it so much. Also, The first part of the book is a frustratingly slow read because Kwan's "past life" chapters introduce information and characters in no particular order. My advice: study the first couple of chapters of Kwan's story until you know the characters and their roles. Olivia's chapters will read quickly. My third criticism is that the protagonist, Olivia, is not very likable.
Despite these criticisms, the book still moved me to tears. Amy Tan has a wonderful narrative style, and Kwan is one of the most endearing characters I have ever read.
Book Review: Two Stories or One
Summary: 4 Stars
In The Hundred Secret Senses, Amy Tan tells us the story of two sisters, Olivia who has been raised in America and Kwan who joins the family straight from China after their father's death. Kwan begins to tell Olivia her "Yin Stories" or shall we say her conversations with the dead. The book splits in two different stories, not only do we read about Olivia and Kwan, but Kwan tells us the story of two 19th century women Ms. Banner and Nunumu, but if you are patient and can wait till the two stories eventually are interwoven. I loved Kwan she was such a great character. She seemed so friendly and there was many times that she had me laughing out loud especially with her use of the English Language.
I didn't find this book as good as The Joy Luck Club or The Kitchen God's wife but I did find it enjoyable and worth the time to read to the end. It was the relationship between the two sisters that held me interest through out the book and I loved the way both stories became one at the end.