Hundred Secret Senses

The Hundred Secret Senses refers to Olivia's (the narrator's) Chinese half sister Kwan and her ability to see yin people, people who have died. Kwan came to live with Olivia's mother and siblings when Olivia was 6 and Kwan almost 18. Kwan became her caretaker, which Olivia resented, but through Kwan she learned the Chinese language and much about the Chinese culture. It's only as an adult that Olivia can truly come to appreciate Kwan, when she steps in to help Olivia piece together her failing marriage. And only then does Olivia finally see what a loyal friend Kwan is and has always been. The ending is a surprising tear jerker that I wasn't suspecting. Very good, very worth reading. Highly recommended.

When I first began to read this book, I was glad I was reading a separated woman's realistic perspective about her present situation. It's a love story without the fluff, and I thought it was easy to relate to. Though cynical, Oliva is perceptive and intelligent and I found myself sympathizing with her predicament. I too, was annoyed by Kwan and her endless yin stories. I even skipped many of them in the beginning, only to find myself compelled to read and appreciate them toward the end. Amy Tan does a beautiful job bringing together Olivia's mind and spirit to make her whole again. Reading this book became a wonderful experience as I grew to appreciate Kwan at the same rate as Olivia. I relate to Amy Tan's heroines better than any author I've read. She is a moving and amazing writer.

I am very fond of JOY LUCK CLUB. I have to think of it as a first class display of wonderful writing. And I really enjoyed KITCHEN GOD'S WIFE which is an excellent example of telling a story. However with THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES, Amy Tan is aiming at a higher target and is taking a more honest look at herself, at people, at life and at the spiritual nature of humankind than previously. That she sometimes struggles to achieve her aims (and for sure this book is not as smoothly written as JOY LUCK CLUB) and that there are a few areas that could be strengthened, does not give me enough reason to lower my rating of this novel -- for she does what few writers ever do and reaches out for the truth of existence. She has gone from an excellent writer to a special writer, and in doing so enters into a very select group of American writers. In reading THE HUNDERED SECRET SENSES, I wondered if Amy Tan had read any of Philip K Dick's later novels, for I know of no other American author that was so willing to honestly grapple with existential material with such aggressiveness and sensitivity. Forty years from now we may look at this novel as a turning point in Amy Tan's career. She has shown now that she has both the technique as well as the vision to be one of the most important novelists of our time. The Hundred Secret Senses rises above the limits of both THE BAY AREA culture and AMERICAN culture into the realm of serious observation and representation.