Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
This book was very much a mixed bag for me...
It didn’t read like serious history, but more like a high school theme with all the passion and blindness to alternative theories that implies...
I’d like to bring up an issue for possible discussion...
the book doesn’t qualify as literary biography. It clearly falls into the “popular” category for me....
My overall impression was that the book was an interesting and fun read and that I learned a fair amount from it, but that the treatment ultimately was cheesy and it didn’t make the cut as a literary work, for me.
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I do like your post about this book, Issybird! You bring some very valid things on the table. Some thoughts about this.
I can see your point about the Empress Cixi being a literary book or not. But on the other hand, I think most non fiction books, well researched or documented are not literature. Sometimes such a book turns in a dry list of facts and where is the literary aspect, the beautiful language or the less beautiful language that stimulates reflection and so on? I found this for example in The Conquest of the Incas (John Hemming), which may be a good book(literary?…) but it didn’t make me think or reflect in any way, except horror for the Spaniards and some surprise at the naivety of the Incas.
I found the Empress Cixi an exciting read and am still reading up about the the context. For me, Chang made a very readable book out of it, but I don’t see it per se as ‘The historical book' ‚ or 'The truth’ about the China of that period. I would find it difficult to judge such a book on a professional level and also for this Book Club, as this is too far away from the Literary Book club we’re reading for. In that sense I do agree with Issybird, but perhaps for other reasons.
And what is the truth about history? It always is an interpretation after the facts and the big question is by whom. China’s history in any given period is very complex. I always like to critically read several books, historical or otherwise about/around a country/subject and make up my mind afterwards.