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tomweevil's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a long time to read but it was very much worth it. The rise of communism in China, Mao’s deification, and the cultural revolution were things I really wanted to learn about, and doing so in the form of deeply personal stories of real people with incredible lived experiences was probably the best way. I found I had become very attached to Jung Chang and her family, and was crushed by the seemingly unending immense hardships they endured, and inspired by their collective ability to retain humility in the face of extreme condemnation.
Absolutely worth a read!
Absolutely worth a read!
dilchh's review against another edition
4.0
Indeed a very powerful book. One couldn't stop reading this book once started. At least I can't put this book down when I first start reading it.
carrotts's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
dch7's review
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.0
I decided to read this book because I bought a poster with 100 books to read in your lifetime. This is the nineteenth book I've read on this list. I thought I was going to struggle with this book being a non-fiction book, but my heart was hurting for this family throughout this book.
This book is the story of the three daughters of China and it’s their family history that spans a century. Jung Chang recounts of three generations of women in her own family, the grandmother given to the warlord as a concubine, the Communist mother and the daughter herself. She reveals the epic history of China’s twentieth century. It is breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its descriptions. This story is heartbreaking and empowering.
Usually I struggle with non-fictions book, I find them slow, boring and can never pay attention to what is going on that it feels like a drag. This book is heartbreaking and discusses heavy topics and is brutal with some of the descriptions, it was a book I managed to get through and I think this was due to the writing and how Jung had a way of getting her grandmothers and mother’s story across. It was heartbreaking and throughout the book I just wanted to hug these ladies. Even though I hate this generation, it made me thankful on where I was born.
I wouldn’t say this book had any weaknesses, but I think that the length of the chapters sometimes made it a struggle to finish them and obviously some of the dark subjects, I was cringing a bit. I was glad that we got an ending, even though Jung Chang is still alive and well, so I don’t know if there is another book hopefully with the next generation with her children. But I'm hoping that they have all had a healthy and happy life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: War, Misogyny, and Suicide
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Excrement
dany_casimiro's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating story that taught me much about China. But the book could use some editing. When a second book club chose to read it a couple of years later, I opted NOT to re-read it.