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ashley_x's review against another edition
4.0
I knew if I sat down & read a physical copy of this book, I would never finish it because I would be so intimidated. Even with an audiobook version it took me a while but I learned so many things. I don't recall learning enough about other countries in school so I was fascinated & enjoyed listening to this.
marakairisa's review against another edition
4.0
Great book, history/fiction.
Con: A bit one-sided so that you need to have a critical view on the praises and justifications which makes the book seem a bit hyperbolic and even unbelieveable.
Pro: Shifts the negative historical stigmata about Empress Cixi, who was one of the great women rulers. And has factual evidences on which it is based.
Not quite sure to which audience it was meant, because it is far too factual to be fiction, and far too unilateral to be history. Too explanatory to be for Chinese audience and a bit complicated and unexplained for the West.
Con: A bit one-sided so that you need to have a critical view on the praises and justifications which makes the book seem a bit hyperbolic and even unbelieveable.
Pro: Shifts the negative historical stigmata about Empress Cixi, who was one of the great women rulers. And has factual evidences on which it is based.
Not quite sure to which audience it was meant, because it is far too factual to be fiction, and far too unilateral to be history. Too explanatory to be for Chinese audience and a bit complicated and unexplained for the West.
operatic_owl's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I'd put off starting this because it's a 450pg book, but it read like a gripping novel and I finished it in a couple days of reading my every spare moment. Wonderfully written, clearly the result of meticulous research, and just a really good story. Had barely heard of Dowager Empress Cixi, but a truly incredible woman who achieved unimaginable things. Glad she's finally getting a bit of her due.
imenesaid's review against another edition
1.0
I love biographies and especially those of strong women figures. The author lacked the ability to give life to the Empress. Her depictions read like a long list of events without creating any dimension to the story
Very disappointing
Very disappointing
ztada's review against another edition
3.0
There is something to be said when an historian/author writes something that goes against what the majority of other historians have written. I was always taught, and have always read Empress Dowager Cixi as the villain of Chinese history. Jung Chang, in fact, portrays her as powerful, but also civil, fair, and as a thoroughly positive modernising force for China. Regardless of whether you whole-heartedly agree with Chang's portrayal of 'The Old Buddha', it does make quite a good read, where history is presented as a story, much like Chang's 'Wild Swans.'
scipiodadawg's review against another edition
1.0
This book feels all over the place. There's not much here that actually challenges popular knowledge it really just dismisses it. The formatting of the bibliography feels strange for the sake of page clarity in the plot. I say plot because it feels like it's more important than the story is there rather than depth. The hypocrisy that Chang may rightly be calling out by historians feels present in Cixi's adversaries where they must be powerful and scheming, but also incompetent and meek.
I think, as a history book, you should be answering questions or promoting them. This feels like the author went into, or at some point along the process, decided that Cixi's reputation was more important than facts. Towards the second half, there are a lot of assumptions that are made without explicit backing or even contradict surrounding actions to place her in the best life. The author describes an adversary of Cixi as a myth maker which very well could and seems to be true to an extent. This extent isn't clear and gives a blanket falsehood to these while supposing motives in a similar mythical fashion. It's very easy to see a shift from history to apologia at best and propaganda at worse
I think, as a history book, you should be answering questions or promoting them. This feels like the author went into, or at some point along the process, decided that Cixi's reputation was more important than facts. Towards the second half, there are a lot of assumptions that are made without explicit backing or even contradict surrounding actions to place her in the best life. The author describes an adversary of Cixi as a myth maker which very well could and seems to be true to an extent. This extent isn't clear and gives a blanket falsehood to these while supposing motives in a similar mythical fashion. It's very easy to see a shift from history to apologia at best and propaganda at worse
sams84's review against another edition
3.0
I am rather torn by this book, on the one hand Cixi's life is incredible and she really did push the boundaries of what women were allowed to do in a country governed by tradition. However on the other hand Chang has an obvious affection and awe for Cixi which colours her portrayal of her and results in her justifying and apologising for many of her less positive decisions and actions (which I can understand but such works need a little balance I feel, or at least a bit more evidence to back up the justifications made). I also wasn't overly keen on the general layout in that while Cixi's story was told in a generally chronological order some of the chapters did jump back and fore in an effort to cover specific subject matters (such as assassination attempts) as a whole rather than as single events. As I'm not very familiar with Chinese history (in fact I know next to nothing about it) this did make things a little complicated and I found myself getting slightly lost at times. A timeline or something similar detailing key events might have helped with this as it has done so in other similar works that I've read. Having said all of that though, Chang has been thorough in her research and provides a good portrayal of a woman ultimately let down by the history books (as many such women have been). Worth a read but readers may benefit from a bit of background knowledge (or the brain power to keep up with a little time-travelling as they read).