Soon after the publication of her first novel,

(1989), a critic from an American newspaper announced: “Everyone loves Amy Tan. She's the flavour of the month, the hot young thing, the exotic new voice that is giving hope to a publishing industry weary of old trends” (Streitfield, p. F9). The novel's representation of matrilineal relations in circumstances complicated by the linguistic and cultural differences between Chinese mothers and American-born daughters appeals to a range of readers, mainly women, both inside and outside the academy. What Tan's readers most seem to appreciate is

's apparent closing of the intergenerational gap, as well as its sheer number of narrators.

Mainstream criticism thus responds to The Joy Luck Club in a contradictory

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Citation: Adams, Bella. "The Joy Luck Club". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 June 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=464, accessed 04 December 2024.]