Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement is a sweeping, evocative epic of two women’s intertwined fates and their search for identity, that moves from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village.Spanning more than forty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement resurrects pivotal episodes in history: from the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty, to the rise of the Republic, the explosive growth of lucrative foreign trade and anti-foreign sentiment, to the inner workings of courtesan houses and the lives of the foreign “Shanghailanders” living in the International Settlement, both erased by World War II.A deeply evocative narrative about the profound connections between...
This Family Saga give to us some advantages, like this :
1. Generic Amy Tan
As an enthusiastic fan of Amy Tan ever since her first novel,The Joy Luck Club, and then even more so after my emotional connection with her memoir, The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life - which brought me to my knees because I too, like Amy, am afflicted with Chronic Lyme Disease - it hurts me to write anything less than a 5-star review for her latest work, THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT.
But if I am to be honest here, even at the risk of being unpopular among my fellow reviewers who are also fans of Amy Tan, I am afraid I must take the middle road in my evaluation of it. Let me cut to the chase - I found this novel less than amazing. At best I would say it is generic Amy Tan.
Even though parts of the book are really quite good, perhaps even worthy of a 5-star assessment, for several reasons the book as a whole...
2. An epic story of a courtesan at the turn of the 19th century Shanghai
Violet was raised in a courtesan house in Shanghai run by her American mother Lulu. Lulu was not only the madam of one of the most exclusive courtesan house, but a rich and well connected business woman. As a daughter of a powerful American woman, Violet considered herself above courtesans and Chinese people. She later found out that her father was Chinese and she was only half American. That fact added to her self identity problems.
When Violet was 14, Lulu decided to leave Shanghai to go home because of the political instability. Then, Lulu was tricked by her lover, and ended up leaving Violet behind. Violet was sold to another Courtesan house and forced to become a virgin courtesan. Violet experienced many heartaches, and eventually learned to live her life as well as possible.
I have read every book (except for children's books) by Amy Tan. And she is one of my favorite authors. "The Valley of Amazement" would be my 4th favorite of hers after...
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Not my favorite
*** Warning, there are some spoilers***
It is a testament to Tan's writing that I finished this book. I do not like spending so much time with characters I do not like or respect. Violet Minturn, the daughter of a famed American courtesan mistress in Shanghi, is someone I didn't enjoy. A spoiled brat would be a good description. Violet is half American, half Chinese, a fact that she doesn't discover until she's 8 or 9. She creeps around the house spying on all the courtesans at work. Nothing her mother does is good enough and Violet never feels loved.
Violet's mother decides to return to San Francisco and is tricked into leaving Violet behind. Word is sent to her that Violet has died. Violet is sold into another courtsesan house as a virgin and is trained to take up the profession. Even though she knows her mother was tricked in leaving her behind and that her mother believes her dead, she is outraged her mother doesn't come back for her. Her unhappiness colors every...
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