The Joy Luck Club

By: Amy Tan

Narrated by: Gwendoline Yeo

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Four Chinese women, drawn together by the shadow of their past, meet in San Francisco to play mah jong, invest in stocks, eat dim sum, and to "say" stories to each other. Nearly 40 years later, one of the women has died, and her daughter arrives to take her place. However, the daughter never expected to learn of her mother's secret lifelong wish - and the tragic way in which it has come true. The revelation creates among the women an urgent need to remember the past. What is lost between generations and among friends - and what is salvaged - resonates throughout this novel of friendship among women and the relations between mothers and daughters.

Jacket Illustration ©1989 Gretchen Shields; Copyright ©1989

Critic reviews

"Amy Tan effortlessly mixes tenderness and bitter irony, sorrow and slicing wit. The Joy Luck Club is a fabulous concoction." (Louise Erdrich)

A must read for all immigrant females.

I am surprised that this book does not have a stronger readership or following. It is beautifully written, extremely poignant and masterfully explores the often difficult relationship between mothers and daughters.

One my favorite novels

A beautiful, tragic but hopeful, beautifully written story about 4 Chinese mother/daughter pairs that is full of lessons and reflections anyone can relate to.

A Classic

I rarely give a book a perfect five stars unless it’s truly up there in the stratosphere. Amy Tan has written a story of mothers and daughters that will be cherished for generations.
I read this for the first time years ago and I’m glad I treated myself to the audible version because Gwendolyn Yeo reads it perfectly, having a wide range of tonality. She even sings a couple of times and carries it off beautifully.
The story holds a mirror up to the universal human condition of love and misunderstandings between the generations and reflects the warmth, laughter, and tears of mothers and daughters.
If you’ve never read it, you’re in for a treat. It made me laugh out loud a few times but it also made me cry. It’s worth the credit.

Very good reading

I have always loved this book. The narrator brings the stories to such life. Very well read.

I loved it. I stared at my phone when it was over!

I loved it I wanted more!!! I wanted to know theses people. this book inspires me to get more involved with other cultures and their history.

Different than I remembered

It’s been about 10 years or so since I read this book... it was different than I remembered, yet just as beautiful. Stories of mothers and daughters intertwined, yet each one touches you in a way that is unique from the last. Glad I got to experience this once again.

Great novel, not great narrator

This narrator, trying to change voices for various characters, does disservice to Tan’s writing. The writing is beautiful, but the very strange voices she uses for certain characters, really makes them more like caricatures. Plus, even within one character, the accents come and go - some words sounding British and then the same words losing that British accent. It took some concentration to hear past her poor reading.

Like I was reading about my own family

Loved it….brings me back to my childhood and hearing stories from my mom. Enjoyed it very much.

Amazing

Amazing narrative and performance. Will definitely listen to this again and again. Thank you, Amy Tan.

nice read

i was recommended to read this by my Chinese girlfriend who shared that while it could be an exaggerated set of stories from one perspective, it was enriching nevertheless. i agree.