01.Aug.2007 The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan

The book is a collection of stories, journal, published writings of Amy Tan. This time it’s non-fiction. I found the book in Biography section. I wouldn’t miss this book, because I’m such a fan of Tan :)

There are some chapters that I love so much, but some others I had a bit of struggle to go through. The main reason being her effort to play more with words, which in my dictionary are considered never-heard-and-probably-never-will-ever-again. She is, after all, a linguistic hobbyist, we can say if she doesn’t prefer the word expert. The language used in her other books, are the ones “simplified” in respect of her mother’s English.

Apparently it’s not only me who wonders why the picture of Dad is never that big in her life. I think it’s really not the matter of the person as a role model. It does not mean the Mother is a better person, or the Dad has weaker personality. I guess some people in your life just make greater impact, for reasons that probably noone really understands. They could be person you love the most, you hate the most, a stranger, someone who’s with you all your life, or one that just passes by ;)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Quotes
“The truth is, I write for more self-serving reasons–that is, I write for myself. I write because I enjoy stories and make-believe. I write because if I didn’t, I’d probably go crazy. Thus I write about questions that disturb me, images that mystify me, or memories that cause me anguish and pain. I write about secrets, lies, and contradictions, because within them are many kinds of truth. In other words, I write stories about life as I have misunderstood it.” ~ Amy Tan