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Title: So Disappointed
Review: I am a fan of Amy's Tan's, but this book was a big disappointment. As other reviewers have said, it's just a rehash of the same old materials. And she doesn't write well in the third person. Her first person writing can be in a simple style, because it lends itself to the diary feeling of her books. But in third person, it lacks substance. I was curious as to the dedication at the beginning of the book. In it, she states that she gives credit to her grandmother and mother for anything good, but she will try harder next time. I wondered if she herself doubted the quality of this book. The middle (the mother's voice) is by far the best part--the ending is of a "slap you over the head with what you should have learned" variety, and the relationship between Ruth and Art just plain isn't interesting. I wonder if Tan has run out of things to say. Perhaps this will be her last book?
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