Kitchen God's Wife

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Summary: Compelling; Chinese culture unfolded
Review: The KITCHEN GOD'S WIFE is an epic tale that will be remembered history as well as the evolution of a traditional Chinese-American dealing with inner-family tragedies. Throughout the story Tan speaks of her own life and her own inner struggles through Winnie sruggling to develop a relationship with Pearl. This book also deals with the magic and superstition that is only found in Chinese culture. Tan is a master storyteller

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Summary: Saiho and Andrew's review from SFHS.
Review: I think that this book, The Kitchen God's Wife, gave a pretty accurate description of the life of an asian woman during WWII. I think that the main charachters were virtually the same as the ones in the Joy Luck Club, but the structure of the book was much more organized. One of things that I did not like was the fact that the family tree was so vast and disconnected. The author totally ignored informing the reader of the internal relationships between the charachters, and this was quite confusing for one without a chinese background. Overall, this book was well written and very entertaining.

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Summary: It was a interesting book that kept my attention.
Review: A good story of the trials and tribulations of a woman life story of struggles through a life of secrets and lies. It teaches a good lesson about beign truthfull to the people who are most important in your life. Winnie's struggle from her childhood to adulthood shows how being strong and following what you believe in will eventually become a reality.

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Summary: unrealistic books aren't moving in my opinion
Review: I bought this book to read for school because I had read all of the wonderful reviews and I thought I would like it. The problem with Tan's book is 1) it is unrealistic 2) it is a formula book. Tan writes as if she is planning for a movie- but its not a movie, its a book. The plot follows a mother and a daughter (Pearl and Winnie-Louie) and the feelings each has about particular secrets they are keeping from one another. Winnie decides to tell Pearl that her real father isn't who she thinks he is and blah, blah, blah..it goes on for pages! For maybe 250 pages or more she tells a much too detailed account of EVERY SINGLE THING that has ever happened to her and you never hear one remark from Pearl until she's completely finish. It was terrible.

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Summary: Engrossing but tedious, plagued with typical Tan flaws.
Review: This book will really get you feeling for the main characters. Amy Tan is gifted with the ability to evoke strong emotions from her readers. However, the martyr tone throughout the book does wear on the reader. As an author, I think Tan tries entirely too hard to cram in as much 'Asian-ness' and melodrama into her stories, thus her novels suffer and take on an ingratiating attitude. "Like me! Feel sorry for me! My oppressive and backwards Chinese heritage is sooo cruel! Someone get me a US Green Card or a white husband. Boo-hoo" This is what all of Tan's characters seem to say. She definitely gears her works towards a decidely non-Asian and white American audience. Therefore, her interpretations of what is China, Chinese, Asian, or Asian-American is heavily contrived and cliche. If you approach 'The Kitchen God's Wife' purely from an entertainment stand-point and view the story and characters as representative of 'humanity' (where race, gender, and nationality have no meaning) than this is a terrific novel. However, I do not enjoy works where race and identity are disengenuously represented and merely used as commercial spring boards to make money. I give it two stars. Mostly because it is marginally better that 'The Joy Luck Club' which really plays the race card to no end.

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Summary: Very real and moving
Review: I've always been a fan of Amy Tan and wish she had more books out. The Kitchen God's wife was moving, and stirred my emotions. Very engrossing.

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Summary: One of the greatest books a child can be forced to read!
Review: I am a 14 year old girl who was forced to read this book for school. I want everyone to know that "you should not judge a book by its cover." I didn't like the title of this book before I began reading it, however once into the book I learned that, dispite the title, it was a wonderfully emotional story. I felt that I could relate to Winnie when she was a shy and secretivie child, I think the same thoughts as a growing woman, and I pity her for going through such a terrible life. The character of Winnie was a very bright woman and I envy her courage. I pray that I don't have to go through such terrifing experiences as she did. Although forcing a child to read a book discourages them, I believe my school picked a winner with this book. It is the one of the best books a child can be forced to read!

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Summary: Once you start, you can't stop reading it!
Review: The Kitchen God's Wife is a very good. It is one of those that make you wanting to read page after page after page. The book is about Winnie, the mother of Pearl, who reviewed her stories to her daughter, Pearl whom didn't understand her own mother at first. Pearl sometimes protested or rebeled againg her mother because she doesn't understand the ways her mother deals with things. Later, she came to understand that her mother had gone through a lot in her life in China, and she tried very hard to raise her (Pearl) differently from the ways she was raised. She tried to give her the best and teach her the proper ways as being a Chinese. I enjoy reading Amy Tan's books because they reflect my own cultures. Many things she mentioned in her books are imaginable and sensible, for I understand the ways in the Chinese culture. Overall, I will recommend this novel to anyone who enjoy the pleasure of reading. You would have a great time.

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Summary: It's a real sad, but good book to read
Review: The Kitchen God's Wife is a good book to read. It's a real story of how Amy Tan's mom was struggling from her terrible life to a new happy life. It keeps me want to read on to find out how she got out from the threatening life from Wen Fu, her evil first husband. She was a strong woman who had struggled a lot in her early life, but she didn't give up on her hopes. Finally, she got out from her terrible life to live in a new happy life. It's so happy to see that she had left from a bad life to a good one, because it was so terrible to have a life like her before.

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Summary: A study of the Chinese culture toward the new generation
Review: The Kitchen God's Wife is not only the insistent storytelling, but the details of Chinese life and their own special traditions; not only how people lived, but how their sensibility cover all the notably little stories. The Kitchen God, a name that you can really find out in the Chinese belief from Taoism. A common poor young man who gets its god position because of a brzzard reason, stupid enough that you will laugh your stomach until breaks into half. Becuase of this country story which can be the best refer to how Amy Tan use it as a skill to develop it can creats her own little fantasy. It is an absorbing narrative of Winnie Louie's life, which she tells--offers--as a gift to her daughter Pearl. Much happens in the telling; a long held secrets are revealed, and a family's myths are transfered ceremoniously to the next gerneration. Amy Tan returns to the richly textured world of the California's immigrant Chinese with its brilliant taspestry of characteristic in multifarious emotions, over sea toward to America and starts a new page of a deep Chinese human touch. She is a wonderful writer with rare power reach to the botton of people's heart. Mark Lin