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316 ratings, 3.92 average rating, 46 reviews
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published
2007
by Gramedia Pustaka Utama
binding
soft cover, 632 pages
isbn
9792228195
description
Cover Illustration: Dina Chandra
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 444)
Read in June, 2008
Rupanya buku memang ini memang sekedar novel, bukan biografi. Ketiadaan kisah awal kelahiran dan akhir hayat sang Maharani Tzu Hsi di buku ini menandakan hal itu. Jadi saya bingung juga ni, buku ini masuk fiksi atau bukan, yah?
Duluuu... tahun 1990-an kalau tidak salah, ada cukilan buku non-fiksi di Intisari tentang riwayat Ta Ts'ui, putri sulung seorang pegawai menengah kerajaan Manchu, Cina di tengah abad ke-19. Sayang sekali saya sudah lupa judul bukunya. Entah karena biografi ini s...more
Duluuu... tahun 1990-an kalau tidak salah, ada cukilan buku non-fiksi di Intisari tentang riwayat Ta Ts'ui, putri sulung seorang pegawai menengah kerajaan Manchu, Cina di tengah abad ke-19. Sayang sekali saya sudah lupa judul bukunya. Entah karena biografi ini s...more
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Read in September, 2006
This might be my all time favorite book. It had historical properties, strong women, lots of descriptive scenery and well developed characters. I learned alot about China.
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Read in November, 2008
Empress Dowager Cixi is a complicated figure. On the one hand, she certainly broke the glass ceiling in China, rising from a concubine to become the sole ruler of China, an act which required pure grit in one of the most repressive societies towards women. On the other, she was a bit of a tyrant, seizing the throne twice, spending an overtaxed treasury on luxuries for herself, and commanding the infamous Boxer rebellion. Pearl Buck does a decent job with this ambiguity, giving Cixi a sympathet...more
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Read in January, 2003
so here you go: China at its most peculiar and perplexing in a turbulent and precarious time. Imperial Woman is story of the life of Tsu Hsi Empress of the early twentieth century, one of the most formidable and powerful women in China's history. She's up there with Wu Zetian and Jiang Qing as the most ruthless, shrewd and manipulative figures in politics. Coming from a modest background, she exploited her charm to seduce the Emperor, took power when he died, poisoned her own son, allied with a ...more
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Imperial Woman is the fictionalized autobiography of Tzu Hsi, the last Empress of China. Tzu Hsi, first known as Yehonala, starts out as a concubine of the emperor, Hsien Feng. By virtue of the birth of her prized son, a path is cleared for Tzu Hsi to rise from a lowly concubine to a powerful Empress. Of course, it is not just her son that affords her this supremacy; it is also her wily plots and schemes.
I was completely engrossed in this novel through parts one and two. Then in part th...more
I was completely engrossed in this novel through parts one and two. Then in part th...more
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Read in August, 2007
Buku ke-2 karangan Pearl S. Buck yang pernah saya baca.
Menceritakan tentang seorang wanita ambisius yang sejak dari awal pada saat dia dipanggil ke Istana Kaisar untuk diteliti oleh Ibu Suri yang kemudian kalau beruntung menjadi selir Kaisar mempunyai cita-cita untuk menjadi selir favorit bagi Kaisar bahkan Ibu Suri.
Cita citanya tercapai sebagai selir favorit ditambah lagi setelah dia melahirkan anak laki-laki yang akan menjadi pewaris Takhta Naga.
Novel ini juga menyajikan kisah yang...more
Menceritakan tentang seorang wanita ambisius yang sejak dari awal pada saat dia dipanggil ke Istana Kaisar untuk diteliti oleh Ibu Suri yang kemudian kalau beruntung menjadi selir Kaisar mempunyai cita-cita untuk menjadi selir favorit bagi Kaisar bahkan Ibu Suri.
Cita citanya tercapai sebagai selir favorit ditambah lagi setelah dia melahirkan anak laki-laki yang akan menjadi pewaris Takhta Naga.
Novel ini juga menyajikan kisah yang...more
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I read this book in high school (after reading The Good Earth) and have been looking for it ever since to read again because it was such a wonderful book! It is definitely one that I would like to read again!
Update-August, 2008
I followed my own advice, and just finished re-reading Imperial Woman. I had forgotten that it was such an intimate account of China's last ruling Empress, and all about her rise to power in a culture and time that women were considered "stupid." Although Tsu...more
Update-August, 2008
I followed my own advice, and just finished re-reading Imperial Woman. I had forgotten that it was such an intimate account of China's last ruling Empress, and all about her rise to power in a culture and time that women were considered "stupid." Although Tsu...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Joy by:
Sheri McEntire
Fulfilling. I felt like I just took an AP course on the Manchu Dynasty. This story is about the last Empress of China, Tzu Hsi. I was unsure about how to say her name so I asked my Mandarin speaking husband. And he quickly said her name and used the proper tones. I won't presume to spell it out phonetically. I thought it looked like Su-Si. "That little Suzie, what a sweet girl." Which is quite laughable, once you read the book you will see that Tzu Hsi was courageous and cunning,...more
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Seorang wanita yang tau apa yang diinginkannya dan berhasil mendapatkannya. Teguh pada keputusan yang telah diambil dan berani menghadapi resikonya, walaupun ia harus hidup dalam kesepian seumur hidupnya. Tak ada kawan yang dapat dipercaya, tak ada orang yang mencintainya. Bahkan putranya sendiri lebih merasa takut daripada sayang padanya. Posisinya membuatnya harus menyimpan dan merahasiakan cintanya pada satu2nya pemuda yang tulus mencintainya. Penderitaan menjadikannya lebih kuat. Ia memang s...more
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Read in January, 2008
waktu baca novel ini, aku melihat ambisi dan kekejaman memerintah yang digambarkan secara anggun.
sampai-sampai aku menganggap semuanya memang pada tempatnya.
dan apa yang dia lakukan bukanlah untuk kepentingan pribadi, tapi sebagai wujud kasih sayangnya terhadap anaknya, dan akhirnya bangsanya.
skg aku lagi nonton film tentang dia. dan aku masih ga terima, ternyata sejarah menggambarkan dia sadis, kejam, dsb notabene karena egoisme dia sendiri.
bravo for Pearl S Buck, yang membuatku jadi bi...more
sampai-sampai aku menganggap semuanya memang pada tempatnya.
dan apa yang dia lakukan bukanlah untuk kepentingan pribadi, tapi sebagai wujud kasih sayangnya terhadap anaknya, dan akhirnya bangsanya.
skg aku lagi nonton film tentang dia. dan aku masih ga terima, ternyata sejarah menggambarkan dia sadis, kejam, dsb notabene karena egoisme dia sendiri.
bravo for Pearl S Buck, yang membuatku jadi bi...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommended to Angela by:
book club
Not my favorite from Pearl Buck. Though I didn't enjoy it as I have others that she wrote, I did enjoy learning more of the Chinese culture. This was about the goings on of royal life- based on a real empress. Boy am I glad I live in America, what a great country we live in and what an amazing thing that is was founded. Even with it's flaws it is the best place to live.
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I really liked this book. Some may think that it is slow or redundant but to me it is intellectual and well written and ultimately paints a picture of a life, a culture and a commitment that I still haven't forgotten. It is both a good and bad example of what being committed can accomplish. In this case it is also an example of how power does corrupt.
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Read in May, 2008
Interesting read about the days when the Western civilization ran out of space and decided to turn to China. Really nice descriptions scattered around here and there but in about halfway through it all became a bit exhausting and indifferent to me. The passion just wasn't delivered to the reader. If it had I would have probably given this a 5 star rating.
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Yayy! Girl Power!!!
TErnyata jadi ratu itu nggak gampang.
GW suka buku ini karena bercerita tentang kekuatan wanita dan bagaimana ambisi serta kekuasaan bisa membuat orang kesepian karena nggak ada orang yang bisa dipercaya sepenuhnya.
tapo belon selesai nih, begitu ke belakang-belakang udah politik banget ceritanya, butuh konsentrasi tinggi.
TErnyata jadi ratu itu nggak gampang.
GW suka buku ini karena bercerita tentang kekuatan wanita dan bagaimana ambisi serta kekuasaan bisa membuat orang kesepian karena nggak ada orang yang bisa dipercaya sepenuhnya.
tapo belon selesai nih, begitu ke belakang-belakang udah politik banget ceritanya, butuh konsentrasi tinggi.
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Read in December, 2006
recommends it for:
women but men as well
this is my fave kinda story, the story that tells about how great n powerful a woman can be. she's one hell of a woman if i can say that. but as we know, no pain no gain..n u have to choose which way to go, especially if ur at the crossroads. she made sacrifices needed in order to fulfill her ambition. n she's really tough,ambitious,inspiring lady.
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Read in July, 2007
terkadang untuk satu mimpi yang kita pilih, harus mengorbankan mimpi lainnya. meski ada penyesalan, harus tetap bergerak maju. dan demi mimpi lain yang telah hilang, harus berjuang yang terbaik untuk mimpi yang dibangun.
dan ada kalanya, meskipun ingin, pilihan itu bukanlah cinta.
hidup adalah pilihan.
dan ada kalanya, meskipun ingin, pilihan itu bukanlah cinta.
hidup adalah pilihan.
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Read in June, 2007
kisah tentang perempuan ambisius yg berusaha merebut tahta kerajaan
dengan kecantikan, wibawa dan kecerdasannya dia berhasil memimpin kekaisaran yg pada umumnya pada masa itu di pimpin oleh kaum laki2.
bener2 cerita yg menarik tuk dibaca, membei kita wawasan lebih tentang budaya cina di masa lampau.
dengan kecantikan, wibawa dan kecerdasannya dia berhasil memimpin kekaisaran yg pada umumnya pada masa itu di pimpin oleh kaum laki2.
bener2 cerita yg menarik tuk dibaca, membei kita wawasan lebih tentang budaya cina di masa lampau.
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Read in January, 1996
I found this paperback in my dad's collection. The sticker price is something like 39 cents! I was afraid the pages would fall out. I loved it! It's a great story of life inside the Imperial palace. Hard to believe but it's the only Pearl S. Buck I've read. I really must get to The Good Earth soon.
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Read in October, 2008
Penggambaran kehidupan maupun pemikiran Ratu Tzu Zhi dari pengangkatannya sebagai selir hingga dia menjadi figur paling berkuasa di Takhta Naga.
Menakjubkan..Buck tuurt menggambarkan suasana hati sang Ratu yang secara langsung mempengaruhi kehidupan politik dinasti Manchu
Menakjubkan..Buck tuurt menggambarkan suasana hati sang Ratu yang secara langsung mempengaruhi kehidupan politik dinasti Manchu
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Read in January, 2006
I remember enjoying this story quite a bit. Then I packed it away while moving and days that I couldn't find time to read- quite some time ago and forgot about it, tried to pick up where I left off and am very lost. I think I might need to start over.
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