When you start reading this book, you are immediately drawn in by its engaging narrative.

As you progress through the pages, you have this strange sensation that there is something amiss, something that you can't quite put your finger on.

You read on, eager to discover what it is that's lacking, but by the time you reach the end, you still haven't figured it out.

However, it is in this very moment of realization that you understand the true beauty of the book.

The gap that you're feeling, that sense of incompleteness, is what makes this book so perfect.

It leaves you with a sense of mystery and wonder, something that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

You know that this book will be unforgettable, a work that will continue to haunt your thoughts and inspire you for years to come.

Amy Tan's novels possess a truly unique charm in numerous aspects. For me, delving into "Joy Luck Club" was a delightful experience that immersed me in Chinese culture, intertwined with a familiar American backdrop. It was like bungee jumping; you descend into the unknown depths, yet know that the rope will bring you back at the right moment.

"The Hundred Secret Senses" struck me as less Americanized compared to Tan's first novel. Every step of the characters here appears to be intricately linked to Chinese legends, beliefs, and traditions. While "Joy Luck Club" presented two distinct national worlds for comparison, in this novel, one cannot exist without the other.

Olive, one of the two protagonists, despite her heritage, is thoroughly American in both appearance and heart. She is organized, practical, prudent, and always knows precisely what she desires.

For Kwan, the other main character, the world is a far more complex system. She has "Ying eyes" that enable her to see spirits, and beyond that, she perceives relationships between things and people that are far more intricate than Olive could ever fathom.

To Olive, her elder sister is a grotesque figure, mumbling nonsensical things about ghosts and secret senses, telling strange and unbelievable stories, and always ready to invade her life when she least wants it. The idiolect bestowed upon Kwan by the author (the lack of endings, frequent use of Chinese words, and incorrect pronunciation of English ones) further enhances the comic effect.

As a child, Olive feels awkward and ashamed of Kwan's presence. Later, this evolves into a mixed feeling of pity and boredom, similar to what one might feel towards an insane relative whom one has to care for.

The stories narrated by Kwan initially seem crazy, but as you continue reading, you begin to understand their inner meaning and, more importantly, their connection to the main characters of the novel.

The world of Kwan is dark, often violent and scary, yet still captivating. You are drawn to it even more because it is completely different from your own understandable reality. So, if you can penetrate the fantastical narration of Kwan at the beginning, you will thoroughly enjoy the novel by the end.

I like this novel because Tan isn't afraid to present China as it truly is, not a glossy picture from a travel magazine or stories watered down for Western readers. She shows it with poverty, superstitious beliefs, and a dark past. This might initially scare you away, but instead, it evokes a profound sense of affection for this country with its thousand years of tradition and its people who live in what sometimes seems like an entirely different planet.

The problems Amy Tan explores are, nevertheless, not narrowly national in nature; they are universal and eternal. She vividly describes all aspects of family relationships: daughters who don't always understand their eccentric mother's penchant for affairs with foreigners; the distance between sisters with a twelve-year age gap, where the elder takes on the role of a mother to the younger; a wife and husband whose relationship has cooled over time; and, of course, the journey of returning to one's roots and getting to know the culture and ways of one's ancestors.

All in all, this novel will be captivating for those who wish to immerse themselves in the world of China and will serve as a reminder that family ties are the strongest and most important of all.

**The Hundred Secret Senses: A Captivating Tale**

The Hundred Secret Senses centers around Olivia, a Chinese-American woman, and her older sister Kwan, who was born in China.

The novel begins by revealing that Kwan has "Yin Eyes," enabling her to see ghosts. In middle age, Olivia separates from her husband, Simon. When they receive an offer to write an article for a magazine together, Kwan persuades them to accompany her to China to write about Chinese food and visit the village where she was born.

Structurally, this book is quite interesting. It follows a relatively straightforward plot in present-day San Francisco and China. These sections are interspersed with stories told from Kwan's perspective, allegedly from a past life. Kwan speaks with an accent, and the writing mirrors her speech, except for the storytelling parts, which are in a more traditional English style.

I adored this book. Initially, I had no idea what to anticipate, but it turned out to be surprising, engaging, and fascinating. At times, I was confused by the jumps between the two time periods, but eventually, I was able to follow along, leading to a gratifying conclusion. I was particularly fond of Kwan and found her truly hilarious. Olivia, on the other hand, could be frustrating at times, especially in her treatment of Kwan, but she developed as a character and became sympathetic. This book delves into themes of love, identity, and memory. The prose is exquisite, and the story held me spellbound.

Amy Tan's third novel is filled with so many happenings that it led me to think of two things.

First, she has always been a bit eccentric in her fiction, and perhaps this eccentricity has only increased over the years.

Second, she is an incredibly talented storyteller and writer.

Since I have only read her first three novels so far, I can't yet determine which of these is true. I suspect both are. I vaguely recall that when her fifth novel, Saving Fish From Drowning, was published in 2005, it received some rather negative reviews, although it still had passionate fans.

In The Hundred Secret Senses, Olivia, the daughter of a Chinese father and an American mother, lives in America with a Chinese half-sister and a husband she has fallen out of love with. Quan, the half-sister, the daughter of their Chinese father, entered her life shortly after their father's death. She has "yin eyes" that allow her to see and communicate with the dead.

Olivia is the type of woman who can never get enough love to satisfy her. She can also be quite annoying. However, as the story progresses, I became attached to every character, regardless of their flaws. When Olivia, her husband, and Quan travel to Manchu, China, Quan's life story and ancestors come to the forefront, and the tale becomes darker, more treacherous, and I must admit, less realistic.

But the end of the story eliminates any doubts about realism because it is so wonderful. Did I mention that there are bubbles of humor that surface at just the right moments? Both #1 and #2 above are indeed true!

Having been a little disappointed by my only other foray into Amy Tan territory - an audiobook of The Bonesetter's Daughter, listened to whilst living in China - I began reading The Hundred Secret Senses with some trepidation, but ultimately an open mind. My boss had lent me her unread copy of the book, asking me to give her my opinion. I hoped that I would thoroughly enjoy it and hand it back with my blessings and encouragement to get stuck in as soon as possible. I intended to finish The Hundred Secret Senses and finally get around to reading The Kitchen God's Wife, which I've had on my to-read list for several years.

Sadly, this was not to be the case. Basic writing, dull storylines, and forced supernatural elements were the least of my issues with this badly-written, seemingly rushed and uninteresting book. The story is told by our unlikely (and unloveable) heroine Olivia, in the first person. This style I tend to find somewhat grating almost every time I encounter it, and something to which Tan has not enamoured me in any way. Choosing not to delve deep into the intertwining cultural, philosophical and emotional strands of Olivia's psyche but rather to deliver shallow, generic observations from a shallow, generic American woman, she totally misses the point of this potentially useful tool.

A quote from a critic on the front extolls the virtues of Tan's characters, describing them as "leaping off the page". Frankly, I wonder if she read the same book as me. The narrator is a bitchy, selfish, cold woman, but not to the extent that I am able to "love-to-hate" her. She is frustratingly two-dimensional, with few positive traits to make me wish her well. I found myself bored by her constant complaints, irritated by her lack of compassion and compromise, and appalled by her treatment of the ever-loving sister around whom the story is woven. Yet none of these emotions were strong enough to give me a sense of empathy or affection for the character, even in a negative sense. In fact, I simply found her transparent and easily forgettable.

The supernatural elements of the story were a good concept, but failed miserably in practice. They seemed forced, partially-developed, uninspiring and pointless. If the aim was to create a family drama with a supernatural twist, it didn't work. Instead my reaction was that the novel was another bog-standard, sibling-rivalry, "oh my mother was so mean to me", generic family drama with little to distinguish it other than some ghostly references crowbarred in for good measure. They jarred with the storyline and would, perhaps, have made for an interesting novel on their own had they been better developed and played a larger, deeper part in an otherwise unexceptional book.

Tan's descriptions of family life in modern rural China, the rolling mountains of Guanxi and the historical tales of the invaded Middle Kingdom are well-executed and interesting to read. She clearly has a genuine and deep love not only for her own people and homeland, but the history behind both of them. Her enthusiasm and joy comes through in the passages when she is describing the most mundane of tasks, in the most basic of settings. But this, perhaps, is where she should limit her tales. Trying to make them up-to-date by forcing the juxtaposition of traditional China with modern-day San Francisco is a gamble which did not pay off, simply because the sections of the story which take place in America are lacklustre and boring.

There is, of course, a strong possibility that Tan's intention was to contrast the hidden boredom of American life, with all of its goals, accomplishments and targets with the hidden joy of Chinese life, free as it is of deadlines, assessment criteria, appropriate spouses and 2.4 children. Maybe she deliberately wrote the first half of the novel with thinly-veiled unenthusiasm, creating two-dimensional characters with little to endear them to the reader so that one would be forced to "look deeper" and see the real emotion underneath the uninspiring written words. But I doubt it. I think that whilst that may have been her intention, it backfired by being, simply, not very interesting... and with no hidden agenda to save it from itself.

Tan writes simple books with dot-to-dot plotlines, ideal for someone who wants an easy introduction into the shallower waters of recent Chinese history. Other than that, I don't have a lot with which to recommend her novels; and The Kitchen God's Wife has been struck off my list for the foreseeable future.

This book holds a special place in my heart as it is one of my absolute favorites. I have read it not just once, but a couple of times, which is quite rare for me as I don't usually re-read books. The character of Kwan is truly captivating. Amy Tan's portrayal of Kwan through her dialogue is so vivid and authentic that I could almost hear Kwan's voice echoing in my mind.

The storyline revolving around past lives and reincarnation is utterly fascinating. As I delved deeper into the book and started piecing everything together, it was a moment of pure shock and excitement - a "HOLY SHIT" moment, if you will. From that point on, I simply couldn't put the book down. It is just as excellent as "Joy Luck Club," albeit in a different way.

I would absolutely love to see this book adapted into a movie. However, Amy Tan's track record when it comes to book-to-movie adaptations has been rather inconsistent. Nevertheless, I still hold out hope that one day, this wonderful story will grace the big screen and bring Kwan and her adventures to life in a whole new way.

I loved this book for a plethora of reasons.

Primarily, it was a captivating story centered around sisters, which immediately drew me in.

Moreover, Tan's writing was truly amazing. Her words seemed to dance on the page, painting vivid pictures and evoking a wide range of emotions.

I found myself deeply connecting with both Olivia and Kwan. They felt like real people with their own flaws and virtues.

The secondary plot told through Kwan was also a wonderful addition. It added depth and complexity to the overall story.

Reading about Kean was an absolute delight. Tan had an incredible ability to describe a person's energy in such a way that you could almost feel it while reading.

Their sister relationship was extremely realistic. There were times when they got on each other's nerves, just like in real life.

I particularly liked the ending. It was realistic and provided some form of closure, which is all I really ask for in a book.

Overall, this book was a wonderful read that I would highly recommend to others.

I see “The Hundred Secret Senses” has a plethora of positive reviews on this site. However, I’d like to present my opposing opinion, simply for the sake of perspective. The basic plot can already be perused right here on the site, so I’ll get right into it.

The book has a decent progression for a certain period. Olivia, the narrator, though at times mean and not always making the appropriate choices, is a relatable individual. But if you’re inclined to like this Olivia from the start of the book, you’ll be rather let down by her at the conclusion.

At the beginning of the second half (when they take off to China), you can sense things going downhill. In the sense that from then on, everything becomes quite predictable. Also, it appears that the second part was written in a hurry, as if the writer couldn’t sustain the complexity she herself crafted in the first half. So, she simply resorted to following clichés and taking the easy way out.

The way the characters end up is just exasperating and contradictory to how they were portrayed at the beginning. And yes, I’m aware that in most books, there’s supposed to be a “character development”. But here, their evolution takes a sudden turn towards the end, seemingly only for the sake of a “happy ending”, which makes the conclusion feel extremely artificial.

It could’ve been a far better novel if the character of Kwan had remained consistent throughout the book. Her gift of connecting with the world of the dead gradually becomes a solution for everything, undermining the individuality of her “talent”. Amy Tan apparently felt the need to define whether Kwan’s ability was real or just madness. But in my view, this was unnecessary. The mystery surrounding her behavior and the characters’ tolerance of her wackiness was essentially the whole charm of the novel.

The other storyline, involving Miss Banner, General Cape, and others, remains enjoyable until the end, except for the way it intertwines with the present narrative, which I found unjustified. This account of Kwan’s supposed past life could’ve been kept separate yet parallel, mirroring the Olivia/Kwan storyline.

I didn’t commence reading this book anticipating it to be a masterpiece. I was merely hoping for “pleasant”. Sadly, it just turned out to be a literal equivalent of a low-budget romantic movie.

What an odd book!

This is one of those that I would never have chosen to read if it hadn't been for my book club. It's also yet another reason why I'm glad to be in a book club and use it to push myself to read outside of my comfort zone.

I'm still not completely certain what this book was all about, nor what I'm supposed to think or believe about it. However, it was extremely human and intense. Beneath all the discussions of ghosts and past lives, there was something very believable about this story. It was like that feeling when you know something is there, even though you can't quite see it.

I'm not sure how to categorize this story. It can only be considered paranormal if there truly were ghosts and past lives in it, and only if those things don't actually exist in reality. It's a love story, but not in the traditional sense of a romance. I'll have to be content with simply calling it "other" and then recommending it to those who are in the mood for something a little out of the ordinary.

3.5 stars.

Olivia, as the protagonist, was truly an annoyance. Her actions and behaviors often grated on my nerves, making it difficult for me to fully engage with her character. However, on the other hand, I absolutely adored Kwan. Her unwavering cheer and boundless compassion were like rays of sunshine in the story. She brought a sense of warmth and humanity that was truly refreshing.

Another aspect that I really liked about this piece was the incorporation of mythological and magical realism elements. These elements added an extra layer of depth and intrigue to the narrative, making it stand out from other works. They created a world that was both familiar and yet充满奇幻色彩, captivating my imagination from start to finish.

Overall, despite my issues with Olivia, I still found this story to be an enjoyable read, thanks in large part to Kwan and the wonderful mythological/magical realism elements.

This story is beautiful, as if it is the true embodiment of the Yin and Yang symbol, where the opposites come together to complete each other. And what's more interesting is that these are not the opposites that one would actually expect to exist. It tests the true and the false, and you don't know which one is more real!

Between two Chinese sisters, the first leans towards the side of her American mother, while the other is the messenger of true Chinese culture.

It is difficult to blend the two colors together, but there will always be a part of the other in the heart of each of them... exactly like Yin and Yang!

~ A missing star because the ending didn't come to me. To be honest, I don't know a good ending for such a story!

My mom told me to read this book.

It's truly remarkable as it's one of the very few books that I've witnessed her keep on her bookshelf without fail.

The pace of the story might seem slow throughout, but don't let that deceive you.

This book delves deep into the essence of the human soul and explores the profound meaning of what it means to be family.

It makes you reflect on the relationships we hold dear and the unspoken bonds that tie us together.

As you read, you'll find yourself immersed in a world where the characters' emotions and experiences are laid bare, allowing you to connect with them on a deeper level.

It's a book that has the power to touch your heart and make you see the world around you in a different light.

So, if you're looking for a thought-provoking read that will leave a lasting impression, I highly recommend giving this book a chance.