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Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club

Amy TanFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1989

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Book Brief

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Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1989
Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

San Francisco, California • 1980s

Publication Year

1989

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16+ years

Lexile Level

930L

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Super Short Summary

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan follows four Chinese immigrant women and their American-born daughters, exploring their intertwined lives and conflicts through first-person narratives divided into four sections. The novel delves into themes of cultural identity, generational clashes, and the pursuit of understanding across familial relationships, culminating in Jing-Mei's journey to reconnect with her lost sisters in China. The novel contains sensitive topics, including abandonment and traumatic experiences.

Emotional

Contemplative

Melancholic

Bittersweet

Nostalgic

Reviews & Readership

4.2

701,091 ratings

72%

Loved it

20%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club intricately weaves the experiences of Chinese-American women and their immigrant mothers. Critics laud its rich, emotional narrative and cultural insights. Some find the structure disjointed and character depth inconsistent. Overall, it is praised for its poignant storytelling and exploration of generational and cultural gaps.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Joy Luck Club?

A reader who would enjoy The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan often appreciates intergenerational family sagas, cultural identities, and personal struggles. Comparable to fans of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, they likely relish emotionally resonant, character-driven narratives exploring heritage and resilience.

4.2

701,091 ratings

72%

Loved it

20%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

San Francisco, California • 1980s

Publication Year

1989

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16+ years

Lexile Level

930L

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