Search - The Hundred Secret Senses

Leigh P. (Leigh) reviewed 2/6/2007...
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4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Tan's customary, illustrious writing fills this book with vivid characters that jump to life from the beginning. A sister, Kwan, arrives to the family and changes the life of the protagonist, Olivia, in profound ways, connecting her to a culture-rich history.

I read this ten years ago, yet Kwan remains one of my favorite literary characters to this day, residing with Catherine and Heathcliff.

Marvelle A. (luoja) reviewed 2/4/2009...
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1 member(s) found this review helpful.

I was not at all captivated by this book, which is unusual for an Amy Tan book. I've read her other works and I was sadly disappointed with this one. I thought the main character was self absorbed and not at all likable. I didn't sympathize with her or her "true Love". It was a bit confusing jumping into past lives and back again. I kept reading thinking that it would get better, but the ending was horrible. Yes, the main character reaches some sort redemption, however only through her sister Kwans sacrifices. I didn't care for this book, although others did.

Kim S. (blakta2) reviewed 8/14/2008...
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1 member(s) found this review helpful.

I'm almost embarassed to admit that I did not like this book as well as I loved bonesetters daughter and Joy luck club. I had a hard time getting into the story line of Kwan-li's past life and dream type world. I really did try and forced myself to read it till the end. I did enjoy the story regarding the sisters relationship though.

Carolyn E. reviewed 4/1/2007...
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1 member(s) found this review helpful.

"Truly Magical . . . Unforgettable . . . The first-person narrator is Olivia Laguni, and her unrelenting nemesis from childhood on is her half-sister, Kwan Li . . . It is Kwan's haunting predictions, her implementation of the secret senses, and her linking of the present with the past that cause this novel to shimmer with meaning - and to leave it in the reader's mind when the book has long been finished." -- The San Diego Tribune

Tish O. (tish) - NJ reviewed 5/29/2005...
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once again Amy Tan writes a beautiful about Asain society.

Lori U. (oneangel) reviewed 6/30/2005...
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YA?Olivia, the narrator of this story, was born to an American mother and a Chinese father. She meets her 18-year-old Chinese half sister, Kwan, for the first time shortly after their father's death. Kwan adores "Libby-ah" and tries to introduce her to her Chinese heritage through stories and memories. Olivia is embarrassed by her sibling, but finds as she matures that she has inadvertently absorbed much about Chinese superstitions, spirits, and reincarnation. Olivia explains, "My sister Kwan believes she has Yin eyes. She sees those who have died and now dwell in the World of Yin..." Now in her mid-30s, Olivia, a photographer, is still seeking a meaningful life. The climax of the story comes when she and her estranged husband Simeon, a writer, go to China on assignment with Kwan as the interpreter. In the village in which she grew up, Kwan returns to the world of Yin, her mission completed. Olivia finally learns what Kwan was trying to show her: "If people we love die, then they are lost only to our ordinary senses. If we remember, we can find them anytime with our hundred secret senses." The meshing of the contemporary story of Olivia and the tales Kwan tells of her past life in late-19th century China may confuse some readers. Although this story is different from Tan's previous novels because of the supernatural twist, YAs will find some familiar elements

Joey S. (Joey) reviewed 8/8/2005...
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One of my all-time favorite books.