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sage1994's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
aleks_png's review against another edition
4.5
Genuinely so interesting and as it’s more of a memoir than a history book, it’s quite accessible
hannahnana73's review
3.0
Finally! I finished this book after like a month (partly because it took a lot of motivation to actually pick it up and continue reading!) Tbh it was recommended by my history teacher and I wasn't expecting much of it... but actually it did surpass my expectations... In the sense I actually wanted to finish it and some parts I was in tears because of all the suffering they went through which I was completely oblivious to... Definitely not something I'd read normally (I'm more of a YA person and usually DESPISE autobiographies and any kind of non-fiction) and it does need quite a lot of perseverance to finish (627 pages ppl!) but I can say it was incredibly saddening and an eye-opening read:)
carmentxx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
on my cover Mary Wesley writes that ‘it is impossible to exaggerate the important of this book’. in my ignorance i said to my friend, how important can it be? yeah, pretty fucking important. one of the only truthful, harrowing, beyond emotional memoirs to come out of the apocalyptic, cultish nightmare that was 20th century china. how can you give this book anything other than 5 stars? this book took me through every inch of human emotion and poured every detail of the horror- and small amounts of relentless hope- that maoist china enforced. mao was a psychopathic sadist who thrived on horror, destruction, and genocide of his own people. we can never forget. we will not forget.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Confinement, Death, Police brutality, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Murder, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Bullying, Child abuse, and Medical content
zaczytanaati's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
max_booth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
abbie1512's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Not something I would have chosen myself but am pleased I took the recommendation. Very interesting to read about a culture I know little about