According to Amy Chua, playing drums leads to drugs and a mother is not meant to be liked by her children. Her 'job' is to prepare her children for the future. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a story of how Chua came to raise highly successful children.
Review
Category: Adult non-fiction/Biography
Age Group: Teens and Adults
Star Rating: 5/10
Discussion
After reading about much controversy surrounding this book, I picked it up and was prepared for two things; 1, to be completely shocked and blown away by just how emotionally abusive Chua was, and 2, to feel extreme pity for her children.
I was steeling myself to read the book after reading some reviews (a memorable one from Goodreads by Elisha Condie-
"Holy cow, I hate this lady so much. Her book kind of gives me a headache, but I can't stop reading it. I hope it doesn't end with one of her kids waving a gun around at a piano recital, but I won't be surprised if it does...Amy Chua is just appalling! I can't stand this woman."So yesterday, when I finally picked it up from the bookstore (it is surprisingly sleek and the print is relatively large), I was surprised to find, firstly, that it wasn't all that interesting, and secondly, that Chua was not really the sort of abusive mother I expected her to be. She's tough, sure, but I don't think it's to the point were she's abusive. She does back off at one point.
The problems don't lie there. The book appears to be about conflicts between Chinese and Western parenting on the back cover. However, when you flip through the actual thing, three-quarters of it are about Chua screaming at her kids to play the piano or the violin; the remainder is a song of praise for Chinese parenting and slamming any other conflicting opinions between her and her husband (this isn't a direct quote, but think along the lines of: 'I am always right; you're the American Puss and I'm the Chinese Tiger. You will take our kids to water parks with dangerous slides and let them engage in such revolting behaviours over my dead body.') It isn't keeping me interested and the only reason why I ploughed through it was for the pure sake of finishing the thing. Another big problem with the whole thing is that the author can go on, and on, and on...and on, about something absolutely insignificant.
Take the Caviar example.
The Chua family is in Russia. They order caviar. Lulu refuses to eat it. Mother tells Lulu she must eat it. Lulu refuses. Mother tells Lulu she is an uncultured savage. Lulu screams.
This goes on for pages and Chua focuses all her parenting energy into making her daughter eat that one single egg. As it appears, there is nothing more interesting for her to say.
In summary, we as readers are basically left to ponder the life-changing question of whether Chua's kids will:
- play the piano at Carnegie Hall, and not get into the Ivy League
- play the piano at Carnegie Hall, and get into the Ivy League (which we all know will probably happen)
- not play the piano at Carnegie Hall, and get into the Ivy League
- not play the piano at Carnegie Hall, and not get into the Ivy League (The shock horror of bringing your forefather's dreams and your Chinese heritage down by not getting into the Ivy League and not playing piano at Carnegie Hall!)
Verdict
A brief verdict: firstly, this book is too repetitive. There is apparently nothing more interesting to talk about apart from the fact that Lulu refuses to play the violin properly. If it is that much of a big issue, make her give it up, please. Secondly, the author seems to be very stereotypical, far over-generalising 'Westerners' and 'Chinese' people. This gets to me a little. Otherwise, the book is told in a witty, honest, fresh maner, and is a good read--if the preaching doesn't get to you first.
