Scan barcode
gadicohen93's review against another edition
1.0
Canceled midstream. Threw my arms up and surrendered. Such a horridly, tediously terse style packed with details that are so trivial as to make one's head pop. And yet such an intriguing plot.
I hate it when they hook you right in with some type of foreshadowing. It's the worst type of offense when a writer decides to say, "This bizarre and terrifically terrible thing happened" and spend the entire book explaining everything that happened before it (and I mean everything, from the late 18-effing-00s) until reaching that point (which I have not yet reached, and do not intend to, thank god) and realize that the whole book was a waste of time.
Please spare yourselves. Surely, you can Wiki this Mah Yen and read her CONDENSED life story in five minutes rather than read this book. Long, painful, and without anything to merit reading it, a quite futile attempt at interesting memoir-writing.
I hate it when they hook you right in with some type of foreshadowing. It's the worst type of offense when a writer decides to say, "This bizarre and terrifically terrible thing happened" and spend the entire book explaining everything that happened before it (and I mean everything, from the late 18-effing-00s) until reaching that point (which I have not yet reached, and do not intend to, thank god) and realize that the whole book was a waste of time.
Please spare yourselves. Surely, you can Wiki this Mah Yen and read her CONDENSED life story in five minutes rather than read this book. Long, painful, and without anything to merit reading it, a quite futile attempt at interesting memoir-writing.
catbrigand's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the examination of traditional Chinese values and usage of language and sayings. I also liked the descriptions of 1940s Shanghai and how beautiful she made it seem. While I did like Mah's storytelling, I am wary of memoirs as there is little way to verify its accuracy. Some of her siblings have contested her claims, while others have verified. Either way, I appreciate her changing names to protect living members. What I dislike is the way she portrays herself. She portrays herself as someone totally above reproach and incapable of harsh actions--another thing that raises my brow.
srvest's review against another edition
4.5
A heartbreaking Chinese Cinderella story with the cliche evil stepmom.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Falling Leaves is a an absorbing memoir that reads like fiction. Adeline Yen Mah tells of her experiences growing up as the last born child of her father's first marriage. She is later mistreated by her step-mother and step-siblings. Its a sad story about a girl's struggle to make her way through life. This was a popular read in my book club and we had a great discussion about it.
readingafrica's review against another edition
5.0
More detailed account than "A Chinese Cinderella". I skipped the earlier chapters because I already knew the story but I was happy to find that she got a bit of closure in her relationship with her dad. The book made me more grateful for the siblings I have.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars ...
Adeline's mother dies after giving birth to her, the 5th child. Her father remarries a beautiful, young, half-French woman - the epitome of the wicked stepmother. The verbal and emotional abuse heaped on Adeline and her siblings 9but mostly on her), as reported, is heartbreaking. It's a fascinating story. But ...
I couldn't help but wonder why Adeline didn't wake up and assert herself as she grew to adulthood. Perhaps it's because she is of a different culture than I, but she winds up sounding somewhat "whiny" to me.
The use of Chinese sayings (in chinese characters) was effective at first - but I got tired of this device.
Adeline's mother dies after giving birth to her, the 5th child. Her father remarries a beautiful, young, half-French woman - the epitome of the wicked stepmother. The verbal and emotional abuse heaped on Adeline and her siblings 9but mostly on her), as reported, is heartbreaking. It's a fascinating story. But ...
I couldn't help but wonder why Adeline didn't wake up and assert herself as she grew to adulthood. Perhaps it's because she is of a different culture than I, but she winds up sounding somewhat "whiny" to me.
The use of Chinese sayings (in chinese characters) was effective at first - but I got tired of this device.