Amy Tan (1) (1952–)

In the Opposite of Fate, Amy Tan takes us on her own personal journey, within the confines of the mother/daughter relationship. Her journey brings us insight into her mother/daughter relationship, and how the words of her mother are a constant nagging, yet guiding force, in her own life. Her cultural background, along with her maternal influences, direct most of the choices she makes, even when she tries to let go of those influences.

Tan makes us think about and question the issues of fate show more and choices, and she touches upon the varied paths we take. Is there such a thing as “free will…do we direct our life course”, or is our journey one of destiny…a predetermined end? We are brought to think about the outcome of our own steps we have chosen to take, and what is the relevance between those pathways and fate, faith and luck.
Tan blends several essays that she has written, and adds more substance to them, bringing us a book filled with poignancy, choices, spirituality, the meaning of “fate and luck”, and, towards the end of the memoir, her own battle with Lyme Disease, and her struggle to get a correct diagnosis. She does this with both seriousness and humor, laying the roadwork of her life before us.

Fans of Amy Tan, and her previous works, will enjoy reading her memoir, and will enjoy learning more about the woman behind the wonderful novels essays, and short stories. show less

I sought this book out after watching the gripping documentary based on it - An Unintended Memoir. Tan's unique history does more than fuel her writing - I was reminded of [[David Morrell]]'s [Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing], as he explained the therapeutic nature of his own writing experience and it bears a striking resemblance to Tan's, even though she doesn't characterize it quite that way.

A couple reviews here bemoan that the book isn't a straight memoir - just the facts, ma'am. But show more Tan makes it clear from the start she wasn't interested in that sort of a book. She was more interested in giving us a peek inside her head, and she does that more than most any other writer I've ever read. (A recent example of this kind of glimpse might be the back material of [[Chaim Potok]]'s book [The Chosen].) One section of her book actually has her transcribing a piece of music she's expanded into a fairytale; another section has her dipping into her linguistic knowledge and curiosities; and throughout, there are snippets of her journal. I felt like a tourist in a grand house, peeking into various rooms and enjoying the sights displayed.

All along, she lays out the bread crumbs of her life and history, always careful to explain how they affected her emotionally. Memory and emotion are really the thematic pillars of the book.

Anyone who considers themselves a writer would do well to read this one. show less

"I think about a child’s capacity to hurt her mother in ways she cannot ever imagine."

"Mostly I see my mother sitting one table away, and I feel as lonely as I imagine her to be. I think of the enormous distance that separates us and makes us unable to share the most important matters of our life. How did this happen?"

"For many years, my mother was the source of funny and bad stories, terrible secrets and romantic tales. It was like digging up her grave, then pushing her down farther, show more always throwing more dirt on top."

"According to our custom, when the new year began, not one single speck of dust from last year could remain. Not a single copper’s worth of debt could be left unpaid. And not a single bad word could fall from anyone’s mouth for three days."

"Chance is the first step you take, luck is what comes afterward."

"If you don’t take a chance, someone else will give you his luck. And if you get bad luck, then you need to take another chance to turn things from bad to good."

"You did not get a reward for being good, that was expected."

"In this matter, you should not trouble yourself for my sake."

“If you can’t change your fate, change your attitude.”

"I don’t know why something that made me so happy then feels so sad now. Maybe that is the way it is with the best memories."

"She smiled, wiped another stain onto her dress, took my elbow, and pointed me toward the stairs."

"She was putting all this into her own heart, so that I could finally see what was left. Hope."

“'In this matter,'” I say in a mock formal voice, 'you should not concern yourself for my sake.'”

The Kitchen God's Wife exists in two worlds simultaneously: the tidy domesticity of a Chinese-American community in modern California, and the brutal, beautiful chaos of pre-revolutionary China. Tan renders wartime Shanghai and the rural provinces with an almost tactile intimacy: you feel the damp cold, the perpetual fear, the oppressive social hierarchies bearing down on every choice Winnie makes. There is a particular quality to the novel's atmosphere that can only be described as a kind of claustrophobic tenderness; Winnie's world is small because it has been made small for her, and yet within it, she carries a life of enormous proportions. Reading it feels like sitting across from someone who has waited decades to be truly heard. show less

A powerful labyrinth of a book--beautiful and moving with every word.

Amy Tan may be known for her Joy Luck Club, but this book reaches far beyond that work to explore a short line of mothers and daughters, each to the next transitioning from one role to the other and becoming more in the process. Tan's work here is without flaw---heartbreaking, humorous, sweet, and harsh. I was engaged with every page, and couldn't recommend the book highly enough. This one is worth reading, and re-reading. show more The book itself is a journey, worth relishing and passing on. show less