The Kitchen God’s
Wife by Amy Tan
This is the
second Amy Tan book I’ve read. The first one was The Joy Luck Club, which was
very similar to the movie of the same name. However, it was easier to
understand when you were changing narrators in the movie. Again, Tan uses this
device of changing narrators without giving the reader a clear indication of
the change. Truly confusing at times.
While Tan gives
some great insight into Chinese culture, traditions and history, this book
really reads like The Joy Luck Club. Especially in the beginning. After the
first few chapters, I had to close the book, look at the cover and make sure I
wasn’t reading The Joy Luck Club. Does that make the book repetitive? Well yes.
I believe it does, which is one of the biggest problems I see with this book.
It just seems like a rehash of The Joy Luck Club in parts, which is why I
wouldn’t recommend this book as a must read for journalists. Although not on
the College Media Advisers list of books that journalists should read, Tan is an accomplished
writer who gives a different perspective from the male-dominated, white,
middle-class perspective offered in so many of the books on CMA’s list. But
just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s better.
Tan does give
some great visual images, and I would recommend The Kitchen God’s Wife to my
International and Intercultural Communications class. It would also be a good
read for a Women’s studies class. But the storytelling and writing don’t rise
to the levels of must read.
