Review #7: The Hundred Secret Senses

Book Title: The Hundred Secret Senses

Author: Amy Tan

Year published: 1995

Publisher: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, USA.

My Tidbits

Reading “The Hundred Secret Senses” do feel like having a reunion with Ms. Amy Tan. My first encounter with her works happened back in 2005. Tan’s “The Bonesetter’s Daughter” was used as one of three literary works being examined for English Literature subject that year. I remember I was so hooked up with the book. The storyline was flowing, and the most vital thing: the characters spoke in modern, American English. Everyone will nod in agreement for sure – the other reading materials were Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” (which was actually entertaining) and Henry Handel Richardson's "Getting of Wisdom". 

Instead of the cultural gap between mothers and their daughters, “The Hundred Secret Senses” revolves around a half-American Olivia Laguni and her step-sister from China, Kwan Li. To Olivia, or often referred by Kwan as “Libby-ah”, Kwan is her source embarrassment and fear. Kwan, with her mangled English, is a person of inexhaustible cheerfulness and holds Olivia very dearly. The absent figure of Olivia’s mother after her father’s death is replaced by Kwan, who took care of her needs. Still, Olivia doesn’t regard her highly. Every night, Kwan would also tell stories to her in Mandarin. The story of Kwan’s past life, way back in 19^th century, as she believes she has “yin eyes” and is able to talk with the spirit of dead persons. Although Olivia tried to overlook it, slowly the stories engraved into her memory.

Another central character is Simon Bishop, Olivia’s estranged husband. They grow apart after 17 years of marriage, and it may sound common in individualist Western culture. However, the gloomy story from the past involving Simon’s deceased ex-girlfriend soon prove to be a hurdle in Olivia’s seemingly perfect marriage.

Amy Tan got me amazed with her detailed description on places. The scene where Olivia and Simon took a tour around their future house required my dictionary to be my savior =p Tan’s rich vocabularies, alongside the smooth transition between each character’s personal stories, let my imagination run wild. It took me a while to absorb myself in Kwan’s past life, while occasionally shifted to present day Olivia’s perspective. Nevertheless it didn’t take me long to hail “The Hundred Secret Senses” as Tan’s masterpiece so far! =)

The scenes such as “scolding someone means care about them”, or even the inability to express the frozen feelings after so long don’t sound odd for me. As a Chinese descent myself, and as a human being at a greater view, I have experienced what Olivia or Kwan feel and face. In the end, it is what Amy Tan’s works all about: to touch our real emotion behind the oh-so-celebrated glamorous façade. Behind every perfect image we carve, there’s always hidden pain and discomforts, traced back to our roots. It is necessary to understand that everyone has a significant story that shaped them – you are just yet to hear about it.

“Love is tricky.

It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it.

You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you.

You can never balk.

It moves you like the tide.

It takes you out to the sea, then lays you on the beach again.

Today’s struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens.

You can run from it but you can never say no.

It includes everyone.”

(The Hundred Secret Senses, pg. 92)