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From Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi #1-2
Yo fui el último emperador de China
“Important and fascinating.” —The New York Times In 1908 at the age of two, Henry Pu Yi ascended to become the last emperor of the centuries-old Manchu dynasty. After revolutionaries forced Pu Yi to abdicate in 1911, the young emperor lived for thirteen years in Peking’s Forbidden City, but with none of the power his birth afforded him. The remainder of Pu Yi’s life was lived out in a topsy-turvy fleeing from a Chinese warlord, becoming head of a Japanese puppet state, being confined to a Russian prison in Siberia, and enduring taxing labor. The Last Manchu is a unique, enthralling record of China’s most turbulent, dramatic years. 16 b&w illustrations.
341 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
Pu Yi
14 books9 followersAlso credited as "Henry Pu Yi" or "Aisin Gioro Pu Yi"
Pu Yi, of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty.
Pu Yi, of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
November 26, 2021
Pu Yi was the eleventh Qing Emperor of China from 1908 until 1912. He was born in 1906 meaning he was emperor from age two until six before he was forced to abdicate. He was restored to the throne again in 1917 (about a month) before expulsion.
After courting both the Chinese warlords and the Japanese he was established by the Japanese as a puppet emperor over the state of Manchukuo from 1932 until 1945. In 1945 he fled, was captured by the USSR and imprisoned. In 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party to power in China, Pu Yi was repatriated and again imprisoned for re-education. This part is particularly tailored to making the Communist Party look magnanimous - they treat his very kindly, particularly the prison governor. The criticisms of his former staff are more punishment than his reeducation.
In 1959 Pu Yi was brought, rehabilitated, to Beijing, where he was allowed to live as an ordinary citizen. In the 1960s, with encouragement from Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, Pu Yi wrote this autobiography From Emperor to Citizen (with a ghost writer).
As a newly committed communist, the book takes a fairly obvious slant, which is frustrating, but doesn't mean it is not interesting. Surely one of few men who came from the very top echelon of society to end up a common man. Having never done anything himself - brushed his teeth, tied his own shoelaces, needed to know where to go!
Upon returning to Beijing, fully rehabilitated, Pu Yi tries to integrate. He notices his neighbours on the street weeping it clean, and goes out to share the work. On completion, he is unable to find his way home, and must knock on a strangers door. They assist him back to his house!
The story ends quite soon after his return to Beijing.
Still a very slow read, and certainly for the first half of the first book, I struggled to sort out who was who, and how they fit together (many having more than one name or title), and largely had to give up on a full understanding. If you are only 'interested in passing' then I suggest an hour on Wikipedia explains is succinctly and in good detail. Only recommended if you want all the details.
3 stars.
After courting both the Chinese warlords and the Japanese he was established by the Japanese as a puppet emperor over the state of Manchukuo from 1932 until 1945. In 1945 he fled, was captured by the USSR and imprisoned. In 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party to power in China, Pu Yi was repatriated and again imprisoned for re-education. This part is particularly tailored to making the Communist Party look magnanimous - they treat his very kindly, particularly the prison governor. The criticisms of his former staff are more punishment than his reeducation.
In 1959 Pu Yi was brought, rehabilitated, to Beijing, where he was allowed to live as an ordinary citizen. In the 1960s, with encouragement from Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, Pu Yi wrote this autobiography From Emperor to Citizen (with a ghost writer).
As a newly committed communist, the book takes a fairly obvious slant, which is frustrating, but doesn't mean it is not interesting. Surely one of few men who came from the very top echelon of society to end up a common man. Having never done anything himself - brushed his teeth, tied his own shoelaces, needed to know where to go!
Upon returning to Beijing, fully rehabilitated, Pu Yi tries to integrate. He notices his neighbours on the street weeping it clean, and goes out to share the work. On completion, he is unable to find his way home, and must knock on a strangers door. They assist him back to his house!
The story ends quite soon after his return to Beijing.
Still a very slow read, and certainly for the first half of the first book, I struggled to sort out who was who, and how they fit together (many having more than one name or title), and largely had to give up on a full understanding. If you are only 'interested in passing' then I suggest an hour on Wikipedia explains is succinctly and in good detail. Only recommended if you want all the details.
3 stars.
August 24, 2013
Ever since watching "The Last Emperor," I've kind of been obsessed with court life in imperial China, so I decided to read about it straight from the horse's mouth in this autobiography by China's last emperor, PuYi. Sure, the ridiculously opulent palace lifestyle was fascinating, and his descriptions of empress/tyrant Tzi Chi entertainingly creepy, but PuYi's fall from absolute power was even more gripping. This was a man who had complete control over millions of people, lost it during the revolution of 1911, and foolishly tried to gain it back in vain. It's impressive how someone with such entitlement could eventually write with such honesty and humility. In one chapter, for instance, he admits, "Although I had many [court] mothers, I never knew a mother's love." I really felt for him - for someone so powerful, he never received the most basic form of human care.
November 4, 2018
โครตเหนื่อย ตัวละครเยอะ บวกด้วยการเล่าเรื่องย้อนไปมา และการจำชื่อจีนไม่ได้เลยของเรา ทำให้อ่านช้ามาก อัตชีวประวัติของฟู่อี้ หรือปูยีใน The Last Emperor (1987) สรุปสั้นๆ ว่าตอนท้ายไม่ว่างโหวงดราม่าเท่ากับในหนัง ปูยีเล่มนี้ดูมีเหตุมีผลและเป็นคนมากขึ้น เราจะได้ทราบรายละเอียดหลายๆ ช่วงชีวิตของเค้า ที่น่าสนใจสุดก็คือช่วงสุดท้าย-ที่เหมือนถูกจับมือเขียน (แม้ส่วนตัวจะชอบเวลาเค้าเม้าท์เรื่องความฟู่ฟ่าในวังมากกว่าก็เถอะ) ซึ่งก็พาสงสัยเหมือนกันว่าเนื้อความในเรื่องจะเป็นความจริงสักระดับไหนกันถ้ามันถูกเขียนในมุมมองของตัวเองเช่นนี้ ตอนแรกก็มีคิดจะไปหาเล่มอื่นมาอ่านประกอบ แต่ดูๆ แล้วคงบาย ถ้าชื่อจีนจะสะกดให้อ่านยากและไม่เหมือนกันได้อีก (พร้อมคำผิดบานตะไทเหมือนในเล่มนี้)
February 9, 2018
This is a pretty fascinating journey through China's sometimes brutal transition into modernity. From the machinations of the dying Qing court, to the prison like royal palace of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, to a communist brain washing center, the reader gets to live vicariously through quite a bit. I'm sure there are even weirder parts of his story that couldn't be told, and his wholehearted enthusiasm for Marxism toward the end of the book cannot be separated from his survival instinct and the needs of the communist party at the time. But this obsequiousness also fits him completely. Pu Yi was a survivor because of his chameleon like ability to ingratiate himself with any faction. Warlords, monarchists, the Russians, the Japanese and the CCP all saw him as more valuable alive than dead so long as he played the part. Though he was always told he was all powerful and all important, he really seems to have been a prisoner in a gilded cage even from childhood. Perhaps living out his last years as an ordinary man actually was a blessing.
October 21, 2021
Amazing book. Managed to suck me in from the beginning to the end, I wasn't bored for one moment. It was what started a deep fascination with the Qing Dynasty for me. My favorite book ever. Read it, you won't be disappointed.
January 8, 2009
You could almost feel the party official standing over his shoulder as he wrote it.
October 30, 2025
A very interesting read about a distinctly unique life. It was difficult to feel too much sympathy for the time Pu Yi spent imprisoned by the communist regime after spending the first half of the book reading about how cruel he was to his subjects.
October 6, 2018
I've read this book before visiting Pu Yi's Manchukuo palace museum in Changchun, China. With the help from the book's contents, it's a lot of easier to understand the exhibitions in the old Manchukuo palace and its turmoil history. After the book reading and museum visiting, my feeling to Pu Yi is sympathy. As the last emperor of China history, he was stuck in that position forever with Ci Xi Empress's choice. As the man who couldn't choose his own fate at the very beginning, Pu Yi was just a frighten toddler to take over Ching Dynasty's throne. After that, he was the puppet of the powerful Ci Xi Empress, war lords, Imperial Japanese army, Soviet Red Army and Chinese Communist propaganda. I am doubted that Pu Yi had been for himself, even for one day...
Pu Yi's tragedies were the results of modern China history and his illusion. He has my deep sympathy.
Pu Yi's tragedies were the results of modern China history and his illusion. He has my deep sympathy.
March 18, 2010
Seorang lelaki tua berkaca mata dengan perawaan kurus berjalan tertatih-tatih menuju sebuah singgasana kerajaan yang ditutupi kain merah. Lelaki tua itu memandangi kursi dengan penuh perasaan, lalu perlahan mendekati kursi, nyaris melewati tanda dilarang mendekat setelah sebelumnya menengokkan kepala ke kanan dan kiri memastikan tidak ada seorang pun yang memperhatikan dirinya.
Tiba-tiba seorang anak kecil berseru memanggil dirinya, lebih tepatnya memanggil ”Kakek” Anak kecil itu memberitahukan bahwa ia dilarang melewati batas yang sudah ditentukan. Lelaki tua itu tertawa dan menjawab kalau dahulu ia pernah duduk di kursi itu. Sebagai bukti, lelaki tua itu mengatakan bahwa dahulu ia pernah menyembunyikan sebuah bambu berisi jangkrik di balik bantal yang tersusun sebagai alas di kursi tersebut. Sudah pasti si anak kecil tidak mempercayainya. Untuk membuktikan ucapannya, lelaki tua berkaca mata itu merogoh ke balik bantal yang diletakkan disana. Saat menarik tangannya, terlihat sebuah bambu berisi jangkrik yang mengeluarkan suara. Diberikannya bambu tersebut ke anak kecil yang memandangnya dengan takjub!
Sepenggal adegan dari Film The Last Emperor membekas di benak saya hingga saat ini. Mungkin adegannya tidak tepat begitu, namun itulah yang terekam di ingatan saya. Pandangan syahdu lelaki tua berkaca mata kearah singgasana sungguh menyayat hati. Lelaki tua berkaca mata tidak lain adalah Kaisar Pu Yi, kaisar terakhir di Negeri Cina.
Untuk sekian lama saya masih terpana dengan jangkrik yang mampu mengeluarkan suara padahal saat itu pagi/siang hari. Maklum sebagai anak yang besar di kota saya hanya tahu kalau jangkrik berbunyi di malam hari. Tidak mengerti kalau ada cara untuk membuat jangkrik berbunyi. Yang ada di kepala saya, adalah perasaan kagum, hebat sekali lelaki tua itu!
Buku ini merupakan Autobiografi Henry Pu Yi (7 Februari 1906 - 17 Oktober 1967) kaisar kedua belas dinasti Qing , yang juga kaisar terakhir Tiongkok. Memerintah dari tahun 1908 sampai 1924. Buku ini terdiri dari enam bagian. Bagian-bagian tersebut berjudul Masa Kanak-kanakku, Masa Mudaku, Pengasinganku, Restorasiku Selama Empat Belas Tahun, Penahananku, serta Hidupku yang Baru. Isinya menceritakan kisah hidup sejak menjadi kaisar ,tukang kebun dan menjadi anggota kongres dan juru bicara bagi masyarakat Manchu.
Membaca buku ini membuat saya merasa kasihan sekaligus kagum pada sosok Sang Putra Langit, Kaisar Pu Yi. Saat berusia 2 tahun ia sudah diambil dari keluarganya untuk menjadi kaisar. Bayangkan anak berusia 2 tahun harus mengikuti berbagai macam seremonial yang sangat melelahkan. Dan jika ia menangis, bukan penghiburan yang diperoleh justru omelan yang diperolehnya. Para kasim bahkan sering mendorongnya ke dalam sebuah kamar dan membiarkannya menangis dan menjerit-jerit hingga berhenti sendiri.
Pertumbuhan psikologisnya sangat menyedihkan. Ia tidak pernah diajari mana yang benar dan salah. Yang perlu dihormati hanyalah orang-orang tertentu saja. Banyak orang yang melakukan kowtow , tindakan menghormati yang ditunjukkan dengan cara membungkuk begitu rendah hingga kepala menyentuh tanah. Setiap saat, Sang Putra Langit disapa dengan sebutan Yang Mulia, Baginda, sehingga mereka yang tidak menyapanya dengan sebutan tersebut akan dianggap bersikap kurang ajar oleh Sang Putra Langit.Belum lagi sejumlah kenakalan yang dilakukan hanya karena iseng.
Walau demikian, hanya sang ibu susu yang mampu ”mengendalikan” Sang Kaisar. Ia mampu memberitahu Kaisar mana yang betul aman yang salah, melarangnya melakukan suatu kenakalan. Untungnya ia bukan wanita yang ambisius, sehingga tidak ada keinginan untuk mengendalikan sang kaisar seperti yang sering dilakukan oleh para ibu susu. Mungkin benar, walau bukan ibu kandung namun air susu mampu mendekatkan seorang ibu dengan anak susunya.
Perkenalannya dengan Johnston tutornya dari Inggris memiliki cerita tersendiri. Saat pertama kali bertemu, Sang Putra Langit duduk di singgasana sambil menerima Johnston yang memberikan penghormatan dengan membungkukkan badan lalu mereka bersalaman. Selanjutnya ganti sebagai penghormatan Sang Putra Langit membungkuk memberi hormat kepada sang tutor lalu pelajaran segera dimulai.
Johnston tidak hanya menjadi tutor bagi Pu Yi, namun juga mempengaruhinya dalam banyak hal, seperti mencarikan nama asing, berpakaian ala barat, memelihara anjing, mengenal berbagai macam produk barang seperti telepon, berlian, hingga permainan tenis. Pu Yi menganggap tutornya adalah orang barat yang paling pintar. Pu Yi bahkan memotong rambutnya karena mendengar komentar Johnston yang bernada mencela
Saat kecil Pu Yi mendapat perlakuan istimewa. Setelah dewasa, kehidupan megahnya justru berakhir dengan mengenaskan. Selama masa tahanan di Rusia, tidak ada pelayanan yang disediakan untuk dirinya. Beruntung masih ada anggota keluarga yang mau melayaninya, mulai dari membersihkan tempat tidur, membawakan makan hingga mencucikan baju.
Walau pemerintah memberikannya perlakuan khusus serta memperlakukannya dengan hormat, namun Pu Yi mengalami masa yang sulit karena terbiasa hidup dilayani. Misalnya saja ia kebingungan siapa yang akan membawakan mangkuk nasinya. Maklum selama hidupnya ia hanya tahu beres saja. Untung adik iparnya mau membawakan nasi untuknya juga mencucikan baju. Belakangan walau sudah menyerahkan banyak hartanya untuk menunjukkan itikad baik, Pu Yi tetap harus mencuci dan menambal pakaian serta membetulkan kaca matanya yang rusak sendiri.Bahkan sekarang semua orang hanya memanggil namanya dan dia harus datang saat dipanggil.
Penderitaan Pu Yi berakhir pada 4 Desember 1959 saat menerima grasi khusus. Tanggal 9 ia sudah tiba kembali di Bejing, kampung halaman yang selama 35 tahun lebih ditinggalkannya. Ia menikmati kehidupan barunya dengan berjalan-jalan mengelilingi kota, terheran-heran melhat berbagai perubahan yang terjadi. Termasuk saat adiknya memanggil dengan sbutan kakak tertua sebutan yang dahulu tidak kan pernah mereka gunakan.
Pada 26 November 1960, Pu Yi menerima sertifikat pemilihan umum dengan nama Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi. Saat itu merupakan saat yang paling membahagiakan bagi dirinya. Saat memberikan suara, ia merasa menjadi orang yang paling kaya di dunia. Apalagi saat ia berhasil membeli sebuah rumah untuk ditinggal bersama istri barunya Li Shu-hsien. Ia tidak akan pernah melupaka perjuangan mendapatkan itu semua.
Banyak hal yang menarik juga bisa ditemui dalam buku ini. Misalnya pengetahuan Pu Yi serta kaisar terdahulu terhadap dunia luar justru diperoleh dari Buku Alice in Wonderland . Lalu kehidupan sebuah kekaisaran berikut intrik-intriknya. Kita juga diajak mengetahui berbagai hal, dari kebudayaan, peristiwa sejarah dari sisi mata seorang kaisar yang diturun dengan paksa, serta ilmu pengetahuan ala china.
Foto-foto yang disajikan dihalaman belakang kian menambah nilai buku ini. Saat melihat wajah Pu Yi yang berusia 2 tahun dan harus duduk dengan tenang di singgsana, saya jadi melirik keponakan perempuan saya yang berusia kurang dari 2 tahun Dia yang tidak bisa duduk tenang walau sesaat pasti akan mengamuk jika harus duduk manis seperti Pu Yi, apalagi Pu Yi menggenakan baju kebesaran lengkap. Saya kian merasa kasihan sekaligus kagum padanya.
Sungguh menyenangkan membaca buku ini, walau seingat saya ada beberapa adegan film yang tidak saya temui dalam buku ini. Namun sepertinya sudah biasa khan sebuah buku saat di filmkan mengalami perubahan demi keindahan tontonan. Yang sedikit mengganjal hanyalah penyebutan nama negara. Misalnya di halaman 310 disebut Rusia Soviet sementara di halaman 311 disebut Soviet.
Kutipan dari The Three World Classic menutup buku ini,
Saat seseorang dilahirkan
Sifatnya pada dasarnya baik
Sifat manusia sama
Hanya lingkungan yang membuatnya berbeda-beda
Tiba-tiba seorang anak kecil berseru memanggil dirinya, lebih tepatnya memanggil ”Kakek” Anak kecil itu memberitahukan bahwa ia dilarang melewati batas yang sudah ditentukan. Lelaki tua itu tertawa dan menjawab kalau dahulu ia pernah duduk di kursi itu. Sebagai bukti, lelaki tua itu mengatakan bahwa dahulu ia pernah menyembunyikan sebuah bambu berisi jangkrik di balik bantal yang tersusun sebagai alas di kursi tersebut. Sudah pasti si anak kecil tidak mempercayainya. Untuk membuktikan ucapannya, lelaki tua berkaca mata itu merogoh ke balik bantal yang diletakkan disana. Saat menarik tangannya, terlihat sebuah bambu berisi jangkrik yang mengeluarkan suara. Diberikannya bambu tersebut ke anak kecil yang memandangnya dengan takjub!
Sepenggal adegan dari Film The Last Emperor membekas di benak saya hingga saat ini. Mungkin adegannya tidak tepat begitu, namun itulah yang terekam di ingatan saya. Pandangan syahdu lelaki tua berkaca mata kearah singgasana sungguh menyayat hati. Lelaki tua berkaca mata tidak lain adalah Kaisar Pu Yi, kaisar terakhir di Negeri Cina.
Untuk sekian lama saya masih terpana dengan jangkrik yang mampu mengeluarkan suara padahal saat itu pagi/siang hari. Maklum sebagai anak yang besar di kota saya hanya tahu kalau jangkrik berbunyi di malam hari. Tidak mengerti kalau ada cara untuk membuat jangkrik berbunyi. Yang ada di kepala saya, adalah perasaan kagum, hebat sekali lelaki tua itu!
Buku ini merupakan Autobiografi Henry Pu Yi (7 Februari 1906 - 17 Oktober 1967) kaisar kedua belas dinasti Qing , yang juga kaisar terakhir Tiongkok. Memerintah dari tahun 1908 sampai 1924. Buku ini terdiri dari enam bagian. Bagian-bagian tersebut berjudul Masa Kanak-kanakku, Masa Mudaku, Pengasinganku, Restorasiku Selama Empat Belas Tahun, Penahananku, serta Hidupku yang Baru. Isinya menceritakan kisah hidup sejak menjadi kaisar ,tukang kebun dan menjadi anggota kongres dan juru bicara bagi masyarakat Manchu.
Membaca buku ini membuat saya merasa kasihan sekaligus kagum pada sosok Sang Putra Langit, Kaisar Pu Yi. Saat berusia 2 tahun ia sudah diambil dari keluarganya untuk menjadi kaisar. Bayangkan anak berusia 2 tahun harus mengikuti berbagai macam seremonial yang sangat melelahkan. Dan jika ia menangis, bukan penghiburan yang diperoleh justru omelan yang diperolehnya. Para kasim bahkan sering mendorongnya ke dalam sebuah kamar dan membiarkannya menangis dan menjerit-jerit hingga berhenti sendiri.
Pertumbuhan psikologisnya sangat menyedihkan. Ia tidak pernah diajari mana yang benar dan salah. Yang perlu dihormati hanyalah orang-orang tertentu saja. Banyak orang yang melakukan kowtow , tindakan menghormati yang ditunjukkan dengan cara membungkuk begitu rendah hingga kepala menyentuh tanah. Setiap saat, Sang Putra Langit disapa dengan sebutan Yang Mulia, Baginda, sehingga mereka yang tidak menyapanya dengan sebutan tersebut akan dianggap bersikap kurang ajar oleh Sang Putra Langit.Belum lagi sejumlah kenakalan yang dilakukan hanya karena iseng.
Walau demikian, hanya sang ibu susu yang mampu ”mengendalikan” Sang Kaisar. Ia mampu memberitahu Kaisar mana yang betul aman yang salah, melarangnya melakukan suatu kenakalan. Untungnya ia bukan wanita yang ambisius, sehingga tidak ada keinginan untuk mengendalikan sang kaisar seperti yang sering dilakukan oleh para ibu susu. Mungkin benar, walau bukan ibu kandung namun air susu mampu mendekatkan seorang ibu dengan anak susunya.
Perkenalannya dengan Johnston tutornya dari Inggris memiliki cerita tersendiri. Saat pertama kali bertemu, Sang Putra Langit duduk di singgasana sambil menerima Johnston yang memberikan penghormatan dengan membungkukkan badan lalu mereka bersalaman. Selanjutnya ganti sebagai penghormatan Sang Putra Langit membungkuk memberi hormat kepada sang tutor lalu pelajaran segera dimulai.
Johnston tidak hanya menjadi tutor bagi Pu Yi, namun juga mempengaruhinya dalam banyak hal, seperti mencarikan nama asing, berpakaian ala barat, memelihara anjing, mengenal berbagai macam produk barang seperti telepon, berlian, hingga permainan tenis. Pu Yi menganggap tutornya adalah orang barat yang paling pintar. Pu Yi bahkan memotong rambutnya karena mendengar komentar Johnston yang bernada mencela
Saat kecil Pu Yi mendapat perlakuan istimewa. Setelah dewasa, kehidupan megahnya justru berakhir dengan mengenaskan. Selama masa tahanan di Rusia, tidak ada pelayanan yang disediakan untuk dirinya. Beruntung masih ada anggota keluarga yang mau melayaninya, mulai dari membersihkan tempat tidur, membawakan makan hingga mencucikan baju.
Walau pemerintah memberikannya perlakuan khusus serta memperlakukannya dengan hormat, namun Pu Yi mengalami masa yang sulit karena terbiasa hidup dilayani. Misalnya saja ia kebingungan siapa yang akan membawakan mangkuk nasinya. Maklum selama hidupnya ia hanya tahu beres saja. Untung adik iparnya mau membawakan nasi untuknya juga mencucikan baju. Belakangan walau sudah menyerahkan banyak hartanya untuk menunjukkan itikad baik, Pu Yi tetap harus mencuci dan menambal pakaian serta membetulkan kaca matanya yang rusak sendiri.Bahkan sekarang semua orang hanya memanggil namanya dan dia harus datang saat dipanggil.
Penderitaan Pu Yi berakhir pada 4 Desember 1959 saat menerima grasi khusus. Tanggal 9 ia sudah tiba kembali di Bejing, kampung halaman yang selama 35 tahun lebih ditinggalkannya. Ia menikmati kehidupan barunya dengan berjalan-jalan mengelilingi kota, terheran-heran melhat berbagai perubahan yang terjadi. Termasuk saat adiknya memanggil dengan sbutan kakak tertua sebutan yang dahulu tidak kan pernah mereka gunakan.
Pada 26 November 1960, Pu Yi menerima sertifikat pemilihan umum dengan nama Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi. Saat itu merupakan saat yang paling membahagiakan bagi dirinya. Saat memberikan suara, ia merasa menjadi orang yang paling kaya di dunia. Apalagi saat ia berhasil membeli sebuah rumah untuk ditinggal bersama istri barunya Li Shu-hsien. Ia tidak akan pernah melupaka perjuangan mendapatkan itu semua.
Banyak hal yang menarik juga bisa ditemui dalam buku ini. Misalnya pengetahuan Pu Yi serta kaisar terdahulu terhadap dunia luar justru diperoleh dari Buku Alice in Wonderland . Lalu kehidupan sebuah kekaisaran berikut intrik-intriknya. Kita juga diajak mengetahui berbagai hal, dari kebudayaan, peristiwa sejarah dari sisi mata seorang kaisar yang diturun dengan paksa, serta ilmu pengetahuan ala china.
Foto-foto yang disajikan dihalaman belakang kian menambah nilai buku ini. Saat melihat wajah Pu Yi yang berusia 2 tahun dan harus duduk dengan tenang di singgsana, saya jadi melirik keponakan perempuan saya yang berusia kurang dari 2 tahun Dia yang tidak bisa duduk tenang walau sesaat pasti akan mengamuk jika harus duduk manis seperti Pu Yi, apalagi Pu Yi menggenakan baju kebesaran lengkap. Saya kian merasa kasihan sekaligus kagum padanya.
Sungguh menyenangkan membaca buku ini, walau seingat saya ada beberapa adegan film yang tidak saya temui dalam buku ini. Namun sepertinya sudah biasa khan sebuah buku saat di filmkan mengalami perubahan demi keindahan tontonan. Yang sedikit mengganjal hanyalah penyebutan nama negara. Misalnya di halaman 310 disebut Rusia Soviet sementara di halaman 311 disebut Soviet.
Kutipan dari The Three World Classic menutup buku ini,
Saat seseorang dilahirkan
Sifatnya pada dasarnya baik
Sifat manusia sama
Hanya lingkungan yang membuatnya berbeda-beda
November 9, 2021
There are many reasons why this book is fascinating. It is the only autobiography ever written by a Chinese emperor. This is especially intriguing because the emperor was the most secluded person in all of China, being locked away in the "Forbidden City." Pu Yi provides a firsthand account of what actually went on behind the palace walls and humanizes the mysterious "Son of Heaven." There are so many fascinating details, from the political intrigues of eunuchs to the lavish meals to Pu Yi's own loneliness and yearning to leave his "prison" and experience the outside world. Pu Yi was crowned emperor as a baby, so in addition to his adult life he describes what life is like for a child emperor. One of Pu Yi's many interesting quirks is that he was very critical of traditional Chinese culture and fascinated by Western culture, which was introduced to him by his British tutor. In almost all areas of culture, he thought the West was superior to China. I found his reflections about this interesting.
The plot thickens when a coup led by a warlord ousts him from the palace and he finally gets to leave his "prison." Later, the Japanese invade and set him up as a puppet emperor before he is eventually captured by the Communists and placed in a labor camp for 10 years. The stark contrast between his lavish imperial lifestyle and his life as a prisoner in a labor camp is also fascinating. It's amazing that he was never killed.
My only complaint about the book is that the section detailing his life in the Forbidden City is too short. He spends most of the book talking about his life after leaving the palace, and much of this material is tedious.
The plot thickens when a coup led by a warlord ousts him from the palace and he finally gets to leave his "prison." Later, the Japanese invade and set him up as a puppet emperor before he is eventually captured by the Communists and placed in a labor camp for 10 years. The stark contrast between his lavish imperial lifestyle and his life as a prisoner in a labor camp is also fascinating. It's amazing that he was never killed.
My only complaint about the book is that the section detailing his life in the Forbidden City is too short. He spends most of the book talking about his life after leaving the palace, and much of this material is tedious.
July 14, 2022
Początek gdy opisywał swoją młodość w Zakazanym Mieście oraz to jak w więzieniu zmieniał swój śwoatopogląd były bardzo ciekawe. Pod koniec tylko wychwalał partie komunistycznom i Chińską Republike Ludową, którą przedstawiał jako utopijne państwo, to było nudne i wydaje mi się że niektóre historie mogły być lekko przekłamane.
May 6, 2017
After reading this book, I can't help but feeling sorry for Pu Yi. Suddenly thrust into power in the twilight of Qing Empire, I can see that he was ill-prepared for the inevitable end of the Empire. Throughout his childhood, he did not received proper education about what is right and what is wrong (as an ordinary men learn), and his opulent lifestyle also caught him unprepared when he was separated from any privileges he used to have. For example, I don't know whether to laugh or feel sorry when he explained that he wasn't used to wash his own clothes, can't button shirts by himself, and was unable to keep himself tidy without help from others. Swayed by the promises of the Japanese, he could not escape the fate of being used as a puppet for Japan's imperial ambitions. In the end, when he lived on as an ordinary, regular citizen of People's Republic of China, he was so disoriented, like when he lost his pocket watch, helped people sweeping streets and ended up forgetting where his house was, and left behind by a public bus for not entering it quick enough. After all, this book is an interesting one, for I get insights about life in the Forbidden City told by the one who actually used to own it, and how an Emperor lived his life. Furthermore the effectiveness of Chinese Communists' brainwashing methods also shown, with people who were used to be loyal to Pu Yi gradually one by one turned their back on him. So sad indeed, to have one life such as Pu Yi's.
August 11, 2021
I recently watched the 1987 film The Last Emperor which won 9 Oscars at the Academy Awards that year. After watching that film, I wanted to learn more about Puyi, the last Emperor of China. I discovered that the film used Puyi's autobiography as a main source, hence I read this book to see the events through Puyi's eyes.
This autobiography was surprisingly well-written, and very fast-paced; it really kept me glued to the pages. I learned more about the life of Chinese Emperors, and the bleakness of it. In addition to that, I was able to get more details on Puyi's life events that were highlighted in the film, such as more insight to Puyi's war crimes and his life in prison after his expulsion from the Forbidden City and his collaborations with Japan during WWII--or moreso his captivity by the Japanese who were using him as a puppet Emperor/figurehead for their own means.
It was really interesting to discover how sheltered his education was, how he only learned from Confucius texts, and did not learn any science or mathematics; it wasn't until Puyi had an English tutor that his worldview changed and he was able to open his eyes beyond himself; he writes how he assumed everyone had over 20 different foods served to them every meal, that they were as well off as he was--that is how sheltered he was as he was never allowed to leave the Forbidden City or see the outside world. His tutor gave him a reality check, as did his superiors when he was imprisoned as a war criminal and had to do everything on his own for the first time, like wash his own clothes, dress himself, brush his own teeth, and even open his own doors. I mean, he literally never opened his own doors when he was Emperor. It's just eye-opening to read about. Imagine being raised like that, being told you are the most important person since you were the age of 3 and never reprimanded for your actions even when you misbehaved--that you were so important you could have someone else open a door for you or put the powder on your own toothbrush, and someone else take the beating for you when you did something wrong.
All in all, this was just a sad account of a man who never had any agency, he was always controlled by others, whether that be the Empress Dowager, the Consorts, the eunuchs, the Japanese, the Communists, etc.
His autobiography is worth the read if you are interested in Chinese history. Or if you would like to read the story of a monarch who lost power and finished his life as a poor gardener.
This autobiography was surprisingly well-written, and very fast-paced; it really kept me glued to the pages. I learned more about the life of Chinese Emperors, and the bleakness of it. In addition to that, I was able to get more details on Puyi's life events that were highlighted in the film, such as more insight to Puyi's war crimes and his life in prison after his expulsion from the Forbidden City and his collaborations with Japan during WWII--or moreso his captivity by the Japanese who were using him as a puppet Emperor/figurehead for their own means.
It was really interesting to discover how sheltered his education was, how he only learned from Confucius texts, and did not learn any science or mathematics; it wasn't until Puyi had an English tutor that his worldview changed and he was able to open his eyes beyond himself; he writes how he assumed everyone had over 20 different foods served to them every meal, that they were as well off as he was--that is how sheltered he was as he was never allowed to leave the Forbidden City or see the outside world. His tutor gave him a reality check, as did his superiors when he was imprisoned as a war criminal and had to do everything on his own for the first time, like wash his own clothes, dress himself, brush his own teeth, and even open his own doors. I mean, he literally never opened his own doors when he was Emperor. It's just eye-opening to read about. Imagine being raised like that, being told you are the most important person since you were the age of 3 and never reprimanded for your actions even when you misbehaved--that you were so important you could have someone else open a door for you or put the powder on your own toothbrush, and someone else take the beating for you when you did something wrong.
All in all, this was just a sad account of a man who never had any agency, he was always controlled by others, whether that be the Empress Dowager, the Consorts, the eunuchs, the Japanese, the Communists, etc.
His autobiography is worth the read if you are interested in Chinese history. Or if you would like to read the story of a monarch who lost power and finished his life as a poor gardener.
October 28, 2020
This is an interesting memoir in two volumes by the last Emperor of China, Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, which apparently inspired the movie The Last Emperor. It should be remembered however that this autobiography was written not so much for the Chinese people (or even Pu Yi himself) but for the Chinese government as proof that Pu Yi had been successfully "re-educated". As such, it is littered with factual errors and unfair judgements about other members of the Imperial Family and court. It reads more as an apology to his captors rather than an informative discussion of his decisions as Emperor and his life outside of the Forbidden City. As good a read as this is, every chapter should be taken with a liberal pinch of salt but is perhaps essential reading for anybody interested in the Chinese Imperial system.
June 22, 2025
Borrow.
A worthwhile read simply because it is well put together and such a unique perspective that you can't find anywhere else. You will not come out of this idealizing or romanticising Pu Yi but you will, in some sort of way, respect his journey.
A worthwhile read simply because it is well put together and such a unique perspective that you can't find anywhere else. You will not come out of this idealizing or romanticising Pu Yi but you will, in some sort of way, respect his journey.
February 2, 2021
Autobiographies, even ghostwritten ones, tell us who the person was from what they reveal and hide. Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi was Emperor of China, Son of Heaven, Manchuguo War Criminal and Puppet Emperor, Soviet ‘Guest’ invited to partake in Siberian spring waters, ‘Rag Market’ to derisive cellmates in Chinese Communist re-education camp, and in the end an ordinary citizen taking the public bus with a voter ID card.
To this inimitable list of descriptors, the book jacket adds another: ‘survivor’. He was as a cockroach that survived the nuclear bombing of its dirty shelter (Pu Yi remarkably survived the WW2 defeat of his ‘parental nation’ imperial Japan, having betrayed and debased his Chinese compatriots.) First he survived by throwing everyone around him (wife, nephews included) under the bus to save his own august skin, all the while reciting Buddhist sutras and eating vegetarian food. Then he survived thanks to astonishing magnanimity/ingenuity of the Chinese Communist Party in not decapitating their deposed monarch, unlike the French and the Russians. Most importantly, he survived because because of his cockroach-y skin and watery blood. He describes this as follows,
“I fell back to my bad old ways: I was prepared to forget about my principles so long as I could weather this storm.”
He had a way with forgetting principles: not only trifling scruples such as not brutalising orphan pageboys, but even religions and ancestry if they got in the way of his having a head. For all his entertaining eloquence about self-reform in Chinese re-education camp, an observant reader might infer that he never left his old way.
Finally Pu Yi himself uses this descriptor for his own self: ‘real man’. He says,
“‘Man’ was the first word I had learnt to read. But I had never understood its meaning before. Only today, with The Communist Party and the policy of remoulding criminals, have I learnt the significance of this magnificent word and become a real man.”
Your word carries no currency by now, Mr. Pu Yi! Still a matchless thrill to read this man’s autobiography, brought to us by the good graces of the Chinese Communist Party.
To this inimitable list of descriptors, the book jacket adds another: ‘survivor’. He was as a cockroach that survived the nuclear bombing of its dirty shelter (Pu Yi remarkably survived the WW2 defeat of his ‘parental nation’ imperial Japan, having betrayed and debased his Chinese compatriots.) First he survived by throwing everyone around him (wife, nephews included) under the bus to save his own august skin, all the while reciting Buddhist sutras and eating vegetarian food. Then he survived thanks to astonishing magnanimity/ingenuity of the Chinese Communist Party in not decapitating their deposed monarch, unlike the French and the Russians. Most importantly, he survived because because of his cockroach-y skin and watery blood. He describes this as follows,
“I fell back to my bad old ways: I was prepared to forget about my principles so long as I could weather this storm.”
He had a way with forgetting principles: not only trifling scruples such as not brutalising orphan pageboys, but even religions and ancestry if they got in the way of his having a head. For all his entertaining eloquence about self-reform in Chinese re-education camp, an observant reader might infer that he never left his old way.
Finally Pu Yi himself uses this descriptor for his own self: ‘real man’. He says,
“‘Man’ was the first word I had learnt to read. But I had never understood its meaning before. Only today, with The Communist Party and the policy of remoulding criminals, have I learnt the significance of this magnificent word and become a real man.”
Your word carries no currency by now, Mr. Pu Yi! Still a matchless thrill to read this man’s autobiography, brought to us by the good graces of the Chinese Communist Party.
April 12, 2012
This is the story of the author's personal journey, not a history textbook, and so it's a poor way to try and understand the events of the period. Pu Yi centers the story on himself, a man surrounded and imprisoned by privilege and controlling forces, so the larger events of history come at him second or third-hand. As a result, there's no clear high-level picture, and I was left wondering what other information is necessary to understand all of it: there are times where he makes reference a set of warlords or an uprising or massacre, but without the context necessary for it to make sense. So I'm left feeling that I should have tackled Twilight in the Forbidden City or something before this.
What quickly becomes apparent is that the deposed emperor is a small man whose whole existence is puffed up by sycophants and manipulators and who was completely unprepared or unsuited for the role he envisioned for himself. After decades of an empty life in the enclosed garden of the Imperial court-in-exile, as it were, scheming ineffectively for a return to rule, he was ripe to be installed as a puppet in Japanese-controlled Manchukuo.
Pu Yi has more enthusiasm for the aftermath of Manchukuo, and his rehabilitation and redemption. The energy of the time--construction for the benefit of the common people, and a feeling of collective can-do spirit--comes through in his writing, as well as an honestly-felt contrition over his actions as puppet emperor and practically his entire life to that point.
As the book came to a close, I wondered how he fared through the Cultural Revolution. His statements about the time just around his pardon disagree with what I've found regarding the failure of the Great Leap Forward, but likely I haven't got all the information. It appears that he was personally targeted during the Cultural Revolution and lived his last days under a cloud, which makes a very sad closing chapter to an unfortunate life.
What quickly becomes apparent is that the deposed emperor is a small man whose whole existence is puffed up by sycophants and manipulators and who was completely unprepared or unsuited for the role he envisioned for himself. After decades of an empty life in the enclosed garden of the Imperial court-in-exile, as it were, scheming ineffectively for a return to rule, he was ripe to be installed as a puppet in Japanese-controlled Manchukuo.
Pu Yi has more enthusiasm for the aftermath of Manchukuo, and his rehabilitation and redemption. The energy of the time--construction for the benefit of the common people, and a feeling of collective can-do spirit--comes through in his writing, as well as an honestly-felt contrition over his actions as puppet emperor and practically his entire life to that point.
As the book came to a close, I wondered how he fared through the Cultural Revolution. His statements about the time just around his pardon disagree with what I've found regarding the failure of the Great Leap Forward, but likely I haven't got all the information. It appears that he was personally targeted during the Cultural Revolution and lived his last days under a cloud, which makes a very sad closing chapter to an unfortunate life.
April 4, 2019
This book was a challenge to get through not because it's poorly written, but because there's so much history to absorb. What struck me most about the book was that Pu Yi was just a pawn in the power struggle between Japan and China.
There's a description of the book on the back cover - like there is with most books. There's a sentence in this description that says "This fascinating account not only depicts an empire in the throes of death and the zeal of a new-born regime, but also reveals the tragic story of a man who was a helpless subject of family and government turmoils and not really a ruler at all." This sentence describes Pu Yi's life perfectly.
In a way, this is a sad story. Pu Yi became Emperor when he was two years old. He was told what to do and how to do it for most of his life. At one point - when the troubles between China and Japan began to escalate - he had to decide whether to stay in southern China ("below the wall") or move to northern China where the Japanese had a strong presence. He told a Japanese General that he was moving to northern China. The General asked him "was this your own idea?" For me, this was a telling question. Pu Yi was listening to everyone but himself and his own instincts. His own idea was going to Britain.
At the end of the Second World War, he was arrested as a "war criminal" and spent 14 years in a prison of one kind or another. It was only while he was in prison that he was able to achieve some sort of freedom and independence.
There's a description of the book on the back cover - like there is with most books. There's a sentence in this description that says "This fascinating account not only depicts an empire in the throes of death and the zeal of a new-born regime, but also reveals the tragic story of a man who was a helpless subject of family and government turmoils and not really a ruler at all." This sentence describes Pu Yi's life perfectly.
In a way, this is a sad story. Pu Yi became Emperor when he was two years old. He was told what to do and how to do it for most of his life. At one point - when the troubles between China and Japan began to escalate - he had to decide whether to stay in southern China ("below the wall") or move to northern China where the Japanese had a strong presence. He told a Japanese General that he was moving to northern China. The General asked him "was this your own idea?" For me, this was a telling question. Pu Yi was listening to everyone but himself and his own instincts. His own idea was going to Britain.
At the end of the Second World War, he was arrested as a "war criminal" and spent 14 years in a prison of one kind or another. It was only while he was in prison that he was able to achieve some sort of freedom and independence.
May 11, 2020
A study of what happens when an ordinary human is thrust into a tempestuous life. Pu Yi is a colorless, ambition-free, mediocre non-entity who happens to be endowed with the position of importance. As such, he is the poster child for the inadvisability of hereditary power. I struggled to finish the book, even had to take a Robert Crais break in the middle to regain my interest. Pu's story takes place during times of great change in China -- the rottenness of dying empire, Japanese occupation and Sino-Soviet bickering, the Second World War, and the rise of Chinese Communism. In his limp-wristed prose, Pu describes the dissolution of empire, his time as a puppet emperor, and his surprisingly gentle "remolding and reeducation" at the hands of the Chinese communists. I cannot recommend the book, even though it yields some insight into a common thread in our popular culture: the human tragedy of a mismatch between talent and character.
September 10, 2023
As a subject, I knew very little about it. This was pure education, in an entertaining way.
Lives up to the 1000-plus ratings.
Chinese history is very absorbing, Puyi's autobiography is surprisingly frank, given he spent a good deal of his life incarcerated.
I found I bonded with the man, he was completely unprepared for the trials he underwent.
A good read.
Lives up to the 1000-plus ratings.
Chinese history is very absorbing, Puyi's autobiography is surprisingly frank, given he spent a good deal of his life incarcerated.
I found I bonded with the man, he was completely unprepared for the trials he underwent.
A good read.
February 11, 2019
Provided a historical background and anecdotes from the Emperor himself. Sadly, the book, in many ways, turned out to be a CCP propaganda.
October 19, 2022
Hace un tiempo me encontré con un par de series históricas ambientadas en China y ahí empezó a crecer mi interés por conocer más sobre este país.
China es el gigante asiático y es muy normal que despierte una gran curiosidad para los occidentales. La antigüedad y genialidad de su civilización es apabullante y cuanto más sé, más me interesa.
Si bien los comienzos del siglo XX son muy convulsos para este país no son los que más me interesan, aunque obviamente están muy bien documenados. No obstante, cuando busqué información sobre las diferentes dinastías de emperadores descubrí que el último emperador chino había escrito su propia autobiografía, en la cual se relata el final de la dinastía Manchú. Por supuesto, esto me llamó la atención y cuando me encontré con el libro en una librería de segunda mano me hice con él.
Empecé esta lectura con muchas ganas de aprender y sin saber qué esperarme. No sabía demasiado sobre esta época y me sirvió como un buen marco, creo que fue una buena forma de empezar a empaparme de esta cultura y de su historia.
Pu Yi consigue escribir una historia interesante pese a que en ella hay muchos nombres que vienen y van. Gran parte de su vida la vivió aislado, así que su punto de vista no es el más amplio, pero ofrece una gran originalidad. Con dos añitos se convirtió en emperador, lo alejaron de su madre y lo encerraron en el complejo conocido como la Ciudad Prohibida.
Durante toda la lectura no pude dejar de tener en cuenta cómo su forma de criarse, sin amor, con todos los caprichos cumplidos y además, como si viviera en otra época, afectó a su carácter. No me resulta un apersona antipática en la narración, se explica muy bien incluso, pero cuando nos traslada algunos de sus diálogos o cosas que pensaba en algunas situaciones vemos que no fue la persona más amable del mundo. Esta forma de ser tiene mucho que ver con su infancia, con el poder que le otorgan sobre sus sirvientes y también por la falta de una figura que le diese afecto.
Pu Yi escribió la obra tras pasar por un centro penitenciario para pagar sus crímenes pero en el que también fue reeducado en el comunismo. Por lo tanto, en toda la novela nos va mostrando ese cambio de perspectiva, pero es bastante sincero con el lector sobre lo que decía o lo que pensaba. No debió de ser fácil pasar por todo ese cambio y luego plasmarlo en una autobiografía.
La lectura es amena, el rasgo personal y humano que le aporta el escritor hace que sea interesante aunque nos perdamos un poco en todos esos movimientos políticos y sociales. Bajo mi perspectiva es una lectura sumamente provechosa y accesible para cualquiera. al principio no estaba segura de qué podía esperarme pero para mí es una muy buena lectura para recomendar, sobre todo si queréis saber más de historia China.
China es el gigante asiático y es muy normal que despierte una gran curiosidad para los occidentales. La antigüedad y genialidad de su civilización es apabullante y cuanto más sé, más me interesa.
Si bien los comienzos del siglo XX son muy convulsos para este país no son los que más me interesan, aunque obviamente están muy bien documenados. No obstante, cuando busqué información sobre las diferentes dinastías de emperadores descubrí que el último emperador chino había escrito su propia autobiografía, en la cual se relata el final de la dinastía Manchú. Por supuesto, esto me llamó la atención y cuando me encontré con el libro en una librería de segunda mano me hice con él.
Empecé esta lectura con muchas ganas de aprender y sin saber qué esperarme. No sabía demasiado sobre esta época y me sirvió como un buen marco, creo que fue una buena forma de empezar a empaparme de esta cultura y de su historia.
Pu Yi consigue escribir una historia interesante pese a que en ella hay muchos nombres que vienen y van. Gran parte de su vida la vivió aislado, así que su punto de vista no es el más amplio, pero ofrece una gran originalidad. Con dos añitos se convirtió en emperador, lo alejaron de su madre y lo encerraron en el complejo conocido como la Ciudad Prohibida.
Durante toda la lectura no pude dejar de tener en cuenta cómo su forma de criarse, sin amor, con todos los caprichos cumplidos y además, como si viviera en otra época, afectó a su carácter. No me resulta un apersona antipática en la narración, se explica muy bien incluso, pero cuando nos traslada algunos de sus diálogos o cosas que pensaba en algunas situaciones vemos que no fue la persona más amable del mundo. Esta forma de ser tiene mucho que ver con su infancia, con el poder que le otorgan sobre sus sirvientes y también por la falta de una figura que le diese afecto.
Pu Yi escribió la obra tras pasar por un centro penitenciario para pagar sus crímenes pero en el que también fue reeducado en el comunismo. Por lo tanto, en toda la novela nos va mostrando ese cambio de perspectiva, pero es bastante sincero con el lector sobre lo que decía o lo que pensaba. No debió de ser fácil pasar por todo ese cambio y luego plasmarlo en una autobiografía.
La lectura es amena, el rasgo personal y humano que le aporta el escritor hace que sea interesante aunque nos perdamos un poco en todos esos movimientos políticos y sociales. Bajo mi perspectiva es una lectura sumamente provechosa y accesible para cualquiera. al principio no estaba segura de qué podía esperarme pero para mí es una muy buena lectura para recomendar, sobre todo si queréis saber más de historia China.
October 27, 2024
Z věků, které jako by začínaly na přelomu prvního tisíciletí (pohledem Středoevropana). Od vzájemných vražd ("bratrů Přemyslovců") přes ("napoleonskou"/"německou") okupaci, loutkové státy a občanské války, vojenské státy, japonský imperiální nacionalismus a čínský poválečný komunismus 20. století až po zakončení jako z Velkého bratra. A to vše v relativně krátkých 70 letech. Zkrátka, jak by řekli Číňané, "zajímavé časy"... Je to jako nějaké sci-fi s promíchanými časovými linkami.
Není to ale jednoduché čtení. Napřed je nutné se prokousat opravdu velmi zmateným a složitým úvodem* se stovkami čínských jmen a kde jsou opakovány a zároveň vynechávány i klíčové informace. Také je potřeba znát základy čínské historie (nebo jako já googlit ostošest). Skáče to totiž v rocích sem a tam. Orientace tak může být dost obtížná, protože ty nejdůležitější události jsou zmíněny jen názvem – něco jako by kniha o českých dějinách zmiňovala mnichovskou smlouvu a následující okupaci, ale nebylo popsáno o co šlo a jak to probíhalo, pracuje se jen s následky. Takto třeba chybí klíčový konec čínské občanské války (a Kuomintangu), ale v Číně ho "přeci všichni znají".
Odměnou je ale neuvěřitelně pestrá paleta informací zdaleka nejen o čínském císařském dvoru před sto lety (množství intrik, uplácení, boje o moc...). Vše je sice psáno velmi odosobněně – o rodinném životě Císaře nevíme skoro nic, snad jen že se jedna manželka rozhodla rozvést a obě hodně utrácely, náhodou je zmíněno, že měl císař i dceru – ale zároveň z toho má čtenář dojem jako z nějaké vymyšlené pohádky. Člověk by nevěřil, co mohlo být realitou, navíc v kulturně odlišném prostředí. A k tomu s přibývajícími roky přibývají věty, které byly očividně přidány pod dohledem komunistické Číny (zdá se mi, že mají i trochu jiný styl a tak nějak se tam nehodí?).
* Přičemž nemyslím velmi dobré úvodní vysvětlující slovo překladatele, kde je kniha uvedena do kontextu doby, jazyka i politické situace.
Co jsem se tak dozvěděl a zapsal si já?
- Jste císař, středobod všeho. Ostatní jsou nehodní služebníci a vy pán deseti tisíce let. Kolem vás se děje množství intrik, vy ale víte jen to, co vám řeknou učitelé. Jste centrem světa, o kterém nevíte nic. A ještě jste hlídáni a omezováni extrémně konzervativní (resp. zároveň na statutu quo vydělávající např. rozprodáváním uměleckých sbírek) Palácová správa. Jste císař, přesto otrok rodu, správy a později Japonců.
- Co byla Bible Mandžukua? Manifesty císaře, které se museli lidé učit nazpaměť a kdokoli nepohodlný mohl být obviněn na základě nesouladu se slovy nebo větami císařských manifestů. Což byla vlastně jediná práce za 13 let tamní vlády. Navíc císař je ani nepsal sám – jako předtím nikam nemohl, nic nesměl, zjednodušeně měl nadvládu pouze nad svými sluhy, čehož zneužíval.
- Čína a její role ve světové politice – imperiální politika v Číně (německá kolonie, Boxerské povstání), období první světové války i to, že v prvních letech republiky neustále probíhala občanská válka různých klik a vojenských vůdců (Warlord Era).
- V roce 1917 bylo poctou získat právo vjíždět do Zakázaného města koňmo, nebo nosit žlutou vestu.
- Až do roku 1912 býval udělován trest smrti za zradu, a to za nenošení povinného copu.
- V císařském paláci se servírovaly desítky až stovky chodů při každém ze dvou jídel, nikdo je ale nejí a jsou dělány jen na efekt. Samotný císař měl třeba za měsíc sníst 240 kusů drůbeže, ale nesnědl je nikdo.
- V co věří palácoví eunuši a jak moc šmelí s penězi? Prakticky ve všechna asijská náboženství naráz. A čím výše byl eunuch postavený, tím šmelil víc a chytřeji.
...a taky to, že cenzoři v Číně nejsou to, za co je bereme tady, že císařovna za rok spotřebuje 300 kuních kožek, že se císař kojí do 9 let, jak krásně se dá pojmenovat ulice/dům/hora (mj. palác nahromaděné vytříbenosti), jak rychle se dá někoho zbavit (dát mu trojnohou židli a když se neudrží, tak ho popravit za pohrdání majestátem), že se povinnému doprovodu císaře dalo ujet jen na kole, jak překvapivě středověké/zastaralé byly zvyky císařského dvora na přelomu 19. a 20. století (otroci, bití, mučení, popravy, medicína, vyučování...).
Není to ale jednoduché čtení. Napřed je nutné se prokousat opravdu velmi zmateným a složitým úvodem* se stovkami čínských jmen a kde jsou opakovány a zároveň vynechávány i klíčové informace. Také je potřeba znát základy čínské historie (nebo jako já googlit ostošest). Skáče to totiž v rocích sem a tam. Orientace tak může být dost obtížná, protože ty nejdůležitější události jsou zmíněny jen názvem – něco jako by kniha o českých dějinách zmiňovala mnichovskou smlouvu a následující okupaci, ale nebylo popsáno o co šlo a jak to probíhalo, pracuje se jen s následky. Takto třeba chybí klíčový konec čínské občanské války (a Kuomintangu), ale v Číně ho "přeci všichni znají".
Odměnou je ale neuvěřitelně pestrá paleta informací zdaleka nejen o čínském císařském dvoru před sto lety (množství intrik, uplácení, boje o moc...). Vše je sice psáno velmi odosobněně – o rodinném životě Císaře nevíme skoro nic, snad jen že se jedna manželka rozhodla rozvést a obě hodně utrácely, náhodou je zmíněno, že měl císař i dceru – ale zároveň z toho má čtenář dojem jako z nějaké vymyšlené pohádky. Člověk by nevěřil, co mohlo být realitou, navíc v kulturně odlišném prostředí. A k tomu s přibývajícími roky přibývají věty, které byly očividně přidány pod dohledem komunistické Číny (zdá se mi, že mají i trochu jiný styl a tak nějak se tam nehodí?).
* Přičemž nemyslím velmi dobré úvodní vysvětlující slovo překladatele, kde je kniha uvedena do kontextu doby, jazyka i politické situace.
Co jsem se tak dozvěděl a zapsal si já?
- Jste císař, středobod všeho. Ostatní jsou nehodní služebníci a vy pán deseti tisíce let. Kolem vás se děje množství intrik, vy ale víte jen to, co vám řeknou učitelé. Jste centrem světa, o kterém nevíte nic. A ještě jste hlídáni a omezováni extrémně konzervativní (resp. zároveň na statutu quo vydělávající např. rozprodáváním uměleckých sbírek) Palácová správa. Jste císař, přesto otrok rodu, správy a později Japonců.
- Co byla Bible Mandžukua? Manifesty císaře, které se museli lidé učit nazpaměť a kdokoli nepohodlný mohl být obviněn na základě nesouladu se slovy nebo větami císařských manifestů. Což byla vlastně jediná práce za 13 let tamní vlády. Navíc císař je ani nepsal sám – jako předtím nikam nemohl, nic nesměl, zjednodušeně měl nadvládu pouze nad svými sluhy, čehož zneužíval.
- Čína a její role ve světové politice – imperiální politika v Číně (německá kolonie, Boxerské povstání), období první světové války i to, že v prvních letech republiky neustále probíhala občanská válka různých klik a vojenských vůdců (Warlord Era).
- V roce 1917 bylo poctou získat právo vjíždět do Zakázaného města koňmo, nebo nosit žlutou vestu.
- Až do roku 1912 býval udělován trest smrti za zradu, a to za nenošení povinného copu.
- V císařském paláci se servírovaly desítky až stovky chodů při každém ze dvou jídel, nikdo je ale nejí a jsou dělány jen na efekt. Samotný císař měl třeba za měsíc sníst 240 kusů drůbeže, ale nesnědl je nikdo.
- V co věří palácoví eunuši a jak moc šmelí s penězi? Prakticky ve všechna asijská náboženství naráz. A čím výše byl eunuch postavený, tím šmelil víc a chytřeji.
...a taky to, že cenzoři v Číně nejsou to, za co je bereme tady, že císařovna za rok spotřebuje 300 kuních kožek, že se císař kojí do 9 let, jak krásně se dá pojmenovat ulice/dům/hora (mj. palác nahromaděné vytříbenosti), jak rychle se dá někoho zbavit (dát mu trojnohou židli a když se neudrží, tak ho popravit za pohrdání majestátem), že se povinnému doprovodu císaře dalo ujet jen na kole, jak překvapivě středověké/zastaralé byly zvyky císařského dvora na přelomu 19. a 20. století (otroci, bití, mučení, popravy, medicína, vyučování...).
Všechno v Zakázaném městě pro mě bylo názornou učební pomůckou. Říká se, že císař Čchien-lung kdysi stanovil, že nic v paláci se nesmí ztratit, kdyby to mělo být třeba jen stéblo trávy. Aby se přesvědčil, že jeho slova se stala skutkem, položil na stůl v paláci několik stébel trávy a nechal je denně přepočítávat. Říkalo se tomu „stéblo trávy jako vzor“. Po celá ta léta, co jsem žil v paláci, leželo těch šestatřicet suchých stébel stále ještě v Síni pěstění mysli v malé nádobce z cloissoné. Ta hromádka suché trávy ve mně kdysi budila nekonečný obdiv k tomuto mému předku, a současně i bezmezný hněv a pohrdání vůči Sinchajské revoluci. Neuvědomoval jsem si, že z těch suchých stébel, která tu zůstala po Čchien-lungovi, neubylo sice ani jediné, zato ze země porostlé čerstvou trávou, z té země, kterou tento veliký císař zanechal svým potomkům, ukrajují „spřátelené mocnosti" kousek po kousku tisíce čtverečních mil.
Plýtvání na císařském dvoře nelze už dnes přesně vyčíslit. Z materiálů sestavených Palácovou správou vyplývá, že ve čtvrtém roce Republiky (1915) dosáhly výdaje dvora víc jak 2 790 000 liangů, a i když se v následujících třech letech neustále snižovaly, představovaly nakonec stále ještě 1 890 000 liangů. S mlčenlivým souhlasem republikánských předáků vedla nepatrná skupinka lidí se mnou v čele dál svůj dřívější honosný a příživnický život, živený potem a krví prostých lidí.
December 1, 2021
อ่านนานมาก เล่ากระโดดไปกระโดดมาไม่เรียงไทม์ไลน์ ผู้เขียนคือตัวอดีตจักรพรรดิเอง เลยเป็นเหมือนเรื่องเล่าที่ไม่เน้นแหล่งอ้างอิงเท่าไหร่ จริงหรือไม่จริงยังไงก็ไม่รู้ คิดซะว่าเป็นนิยายละกัน
August 11, 2025
"كنت أعتقد أن اليابانيين سيعيدون لي المجد الإمبراطوري، لكنني كنت مجرد أداة في أيديهم. لم أكن إمبراطورًا حقيقيًا، بل كنت موظفًا برتبة عالية لدى الاحتلال."
March 9, 2024
Needed a good editor.
May 9, 2020
When I clicked “buy” on this one, I didn’t read the description as carefully as I should have. I was wanting a biography. This is an AUTObiography. Big difference. Fortunately, although not what I was wanting, this was a very satisfying read. The last emperor of China has a lot of potent, powerful history surrounding his reign, his removal, his imprisonment, and his eventual freedom. I never saw the popular (1988?) movie, but heard it was very good. After reading this, I definitely want to watch it at some point.
Since this book is an autobiography, most of the historical turmoil surrounding the life of Henry Pu Li is not really dwelled upon within the pages. The emperor, as you might imagine, lives in his own isolated world; surrounded by ivory carvings, expensive jewelry, and hundreds (if not thousands) of servants to cater to his every need and whim. Why should such an individual care about what happens beyond the palace walls as long as he’s allowed to live as tradition dictates? Especially when he’s basically still a child.
So we read about his whole life, yet most of the early episodes deal with things most others could never dream. We read about how meals are prepared, how the young emperor is fascinated with watching ants climb trees, how he picks his empress bride (and concubines) from photographs, and how the entire nation is subjugated towards him when they’re in his presence. It’s incredibly difficult if you’re one of the young emperor’s tutors when he would rather watch ants than study. God help you if you’re his tutor and you say something like “you must focus on your studies, your highness, instead of watching insects”. This leads me to point out that we also see a cruel side to the young ruler. We constantly read about how he has his eunuch servants flogged if they show the slightest bit of discourtesy towards him. If the floggers aren’t flogging hard enough, they themselves run the risk of being flogged as well.
Because of the political turmoil within China, the eventual invasion of Japan (leading to his imprisonment in the USSR), and the Communist takeover of China, we do read an awful lot of internal strife and conflict, yet strangely, the emperor’s ‘captivity’ never really seems that severe. We read nothing at all about things such as gulag-like tortures that communist prisons are known for throughout history. His imprisonment (both in Russia and China) seems rather mild. Of course, being that this is an autobiography, you have to wonder if many of his reflections in this autobiography were heavily censored. That, or the fact that maybe he really was ‘brainwashed’ during his captivity. He seems to concede awfully easily how his reign and history is a farcical sham, and he seems to praise the new communist leaders of his country rather liberally.
On a negative note, there’s an awful lot of Sino names within this autobiography, and it was awfully difficult for my Western brain to assimilate and keep track of the different people. It seemed there were at least a dozen different individuals named either ‘Chan’ or ‘Chen’. Then, as other reviewers have pointed out, there’s quite a bit of punctuation errors and misspellings here as well. My guess is that this is probably due to the transition of this book to electronic format. Still, though, it only makes a complicated endeavor that much worse.
Although I still wish I would have read something more geared towards the actual history of the particular time and places, I still felt that this book was very well written, and a quite different change of pace. I mean, how many autobiographies have you read where the person telling the story doesn’t know what a hair dryer is? Or how to get on a public bus? Or how to even open a door?
Since this book is an autobiography, most of the historical turmoil surrounding the life of Henry Pu Li is not really dwelled upon within the pages. The emperor, as you might imagine, lives in his own isolated world; surrounded by ivory carvings, expensive jewelry, and hundreds (if not thousands) of servants to cater to his every need and whim. Why should such an individual care about what happens beyond the palace walls as long as he’s allowed to live as tradition dictates? Especially when he’s basically still a child.
So we read about his whole life, yet most of the early episodes deal with things most others could never dream. We read about how meals are prepared, how the young emperor is fascinated with watching ants climb trees, how he picks his empress bride (and concubines) from photographs, and how the entire nation is subjugated towards him when they’re in his presence. It’s incredibly difficult if you’re one of the young emperor’s tutors when he would rather watch ants than study. God help you if you’re his tutor and you say something like “you must focus on your studies, your highness, instead of watching insects”. This leads me to point out that we also see a cruel side to the young ruler. We constantly read about how he has his eunuch servants flogged if they show the slightest bit of discourtesy towards him. If the floggers aren’t flogging hard enough, they themselves run the risk of being flogged as well.
Because of the political turmoil within China, the eventual invasion of Japan (leading to his imprisonment in the USSR), and the Communist takeover of China, we do read an awful lot of internal strife and conflict, yet strangely, the emperor’s ‘captivity’ never really seems that severe. We read nothing at all about things such as gulag-like tortures that communist prisons are known for throughout history. His imprisonment (both in Russia and China) seems rather mild. Of course, being that this is an autobiography, you have to wonder if many of his reflections in this autobiography were heavily censored. That, or the fact that maybe he really was ‘brainwashed’ during his captivity. He seems to concede awfully easily how his reign and history is a farcical sham, and he seems to praise the new communist leaders of his country rather liberally.
On a negative note, there’s an awful lot of Sino names within this autobiography, and it was awfully difficult for my Western brain to assimilate and keep track of the different people. It seemed there were at least a dozen different individuals named either ‘Chan’ or ‘Chen’. Then, as other reviewers have pointed out, there’s quite a bit of punctuation errors and misspellings here as well. My guess is that this is probably due to the transition of this book to electronic format. Still, though, it only makes a complicated endeavor that much worse.
Although I still wish I would have read something more geared towards the actual history of the particular time and places, I still felt that this book was very well written, and a quite different change of pace. I mean, how many autobiographies have you read where the person telling the story doesn’t know what a hair dryer is? Or how to get on a public bus? Or how to even open a door?
July 14, 2011
Henry Pu Yi. Lahir tanggal 7 Feb 1906 dan diangkat menjadi kaisar pada tanggal 13 Nov 1908. Tanggal 12 Feb 1912 janda permaisuri Lung Yu mengumumkan penurunan tahta Pu Yi.
Pu Yi adalah kaisar yang berkuasa hanya selama 3 tahun tanpa adanya kesadaran yang nyata akan situasi politik . Setelah kedaulatan pemerintahan China berganti menjadi Republik, Pu Yi masih diperbolehkan melanjutkan kehidupan di istana yang disebut dengan Kota Terlarang dan mempertahankan tradisi kerajaan. Hal ini tertuang dalam “perjanjian kelakuan baik”.
Di abad 20, sementara yang lainnya bisa menikmati gaya hidup modern, Pu Yi terus menghirup udara abad ke-19 dan sebelumnya. Selama masa kecilnya, dia masih diperlakukan seperti layaknya seorang raja. Dia terbiasa dipanggil Yang Mulia, Baginda dan terbiasa pula menghadapi orang berlutut dihadapannya, tak peduli orang itu lebih tua atau lebih muda darinya. Hal ini menjadikan dia bersikap berlebihan dan egois.
Ketika dia akan makan, Pu Yi hanya tinggal mengatakan “sediakan makanan pilihan”. Maka kasim di dekatnya akan mengulangi kalimat tersebut, para pengawal yang menjaga istana yang dia tempati akan meneruskannya dan mereka yang berada di luar akan mengulanginya dan seterusnya sampai akhirnya kata itu mencapai ruangan makanan pilihan kerajaan di jalan barat kota terlarang. Bayangkan jika Pu Yi mengatakan kalimat panjang dengan kasim yang mempunyai daya ingat seperti *uhuk* aki-aki, jangan-jangan nasib kalimat itu seperti nasib kalimat pada kopdar GRI ke-4 kemarin.
Pu Yi hanya diijinkan berjalan-jalan di kota terlarang, setiap dia berjalan-jalan rombongan kasim akan mengikutinya. Bagai sebuah parade. Disaat dia ingin berkunjung ke tempat di luar kota terlarang, dia tidak hanya membutuhkan 10 mobil untuk menampung semua rombongan, tetapi juga harus meminta polisi republik untuk menempatkan penjaga untuknya dan menjaga jalanan untuk melindunginya. Betapa repotnya.
Johnston tutor Pu Yi berkebangsaan Skotlandia mempunyai peran penting dalam pertumbuhan Pu Yi. Johnston telah memperlihatkan Pu Yi peradapan barat dan merangsang rasa penasaran jiwa mudanya. Pu Yi yang mulai beranjak remaja merasa dunianya sangat sempit. Dia ingin merasakan kebebasan hingga dia memiliki rencana untuk kabur dari istana yang sayangnya rencana ini gagal total.
Setelah Jepang kalah, Pu Yi ditahan oleh tentara Soviet selama 5 tahun hingga akhirnya dia dikembalikan kepada pihak China dan dipenjara selama 10 tahun kemudian di sana.
Perjalanan Pu Yi yang tidak mudah dari mulai dielu-elukan hingga dia menjadi bual-bualan teman-teman sell nya ketika dalam penjara.
Membaca buku ini membuat saya merasa marah, sedih, kasihan, kagum dan senang secara bersamaan.
Marah karena sikap Pu Yi sebagai kaisar yang semena-mena dan kejam
Sedih karena sikap keluarga Pu Yi yang berbalik memusuhinya dan menjauhinya
Kasihan karena Pu Yi yang sedari kecil tak pernah melakukan pekerjaan sepele hingga membuat dia sulit beradaptasi ketika di penjara yang semuanya harus dikerjakan sendiri.
Kagum karena akhirnya Pu Yi mengakui semua kesalahannya
Senang karena pemberian grasi khusus dan dia dibebaskan dari penjara dan menjalani hidup seperti rakyat biasa.
Sekaligus, buku ini menambah pengetahuan saya akan sejarah China.
Btw, buku ini termasuk buku “mutu” kah?
Ah, masa bodoh buku ini bermutu atau tidak, yang penting saya dapat menikmati ketika membacanya.
Pu Yi adalah kaisar yang berkuasa hanya selama 3 tahun tanpa adanya kesadaran yang nyata akan situasi politik . Setelah kedaulatan pemerintahan China berganti menjadi Republik, Pu Yi masih diperbolehkan melanjutkan kehidupan di istana yang disebut dengan Kota Terlarang dan mempertahankan tradisi kerajaan. Hal ini tertuang dalam “perjanjian kelakuan baik”.
Di abad 20, sementara yang lainnya bisa menikmati gaya hidup modern, Pu Yi terus menghirup udara abad ke-19 dan sebelumnya. Selama masa kecilnya, dia masih diperlakukan seperti layaknya seorang raja. Dia terbiasa dipanggil Yang Mulia, Baginda dan terbiasa pula menghadapi orang berlutut dihadapannya, tak peduli orang itu lebih tua atau lebih muda darinya. Hal ini menjadikan dia bersikap berlebihan dan egois.
Ketika dia akan makan, Pu Yi hanya tinggal mengatakan “sediakan makanan pilihan”. Maka kasim di dekatnya akan mengulangi kalimat tersebut, para pengawal yang menjaga istana yang dia tempati akan meneruskannya dan mereka yang berada di luar akan mengulanginya dan seterusnya sampai akhirnya kata itu mencapai ruangan makanan pilihan kerajaan di jalan barat kota terlarang. Bayangkan jika Pu Yi mengatakan kalimat panjang dengan kasim yang mempunyai daya ingat seperti *uhuk* aki-aki, jangan-jangan nasib kalimat itu seperti nasib kalimat pada kopdar GRI ke-4 kemarin.
Pu Yi hanya diijinkan berjalan-jalan di kota terlarang, setiap dia berjalan-jalan rombongan kasim akan mengikutinya. Bagai sebuah parade. Disaat dia ingin berkunjung ke tempat di luar kota terlarang, dia tidak hanya membutuhkan 10 mobil untuk menampung semua rombongan, tetapi juga harus meminta polisi republik untuk menempatkan penjaga untuknya dan menjaga jalanan untuk melindunginya. Betapa repotnya.
Johnston tutor Pu Yi berkebangsaan Skotlandia mempunyai peran penting dalam pertumbuhan Pu Yi. Johnston telah memperlihatkan Pu Yi peradapan barat dan merangsang rasa penasaran jiwa mudanya. Pu Yi yang mulai beranjak remaja merasa dunianya sangat sempit. Dia ingin merasakan kebebasan hingga dia memiliki rencana untuk kabur dari istana yang sayangnya rencana ini gagal total.
Setelah Jepang kalah, Pu Yi ditahan oleh tentara Soviet selama 5 tahun hingga akhirnya dia dikembalikan kepada pihak China dan dipenjara selama 10 tahun kemudian di sana.
Perjalanan Pu Yi yang tidak mudah dari mulai dielu-elukan hingga dia menjadi bual-bualan teman-teman sell nya ketika dalam penjara.
Membaca buku ini membuat saya merasa marah, sedih, kasihan, kagum dan senang secara bersamaan.
Marah karena sikap Pu Yi sebagai kaisar yang semena-mena dan kejam
Sedih karena sikap keluarga Pu Yi yang berbalik memusuhinya dan menjauhinya
Kasihan karena Pu Yi yang sedari kecil tak pernah melakukan pekerjaan sepele hingga membuat dia sulit beradaptasi ketika di penjara yang semuanya harus dikerjakan sendiri.
Kagum karena akhirnya Pu Yi mengakui semua kesalahannya
Senang karena pemberian grasi khusus dan dia dibebaskan dari penjara dan menjalani hidup seperti rakyat biasa.
Sekaligus, buku ini menambah pengetahuan saya akan sejarah China.
Btw, buku ini termasuk buku “mutu” kah?
Ah, masa bodoh buku ini bermutu atau tidak, yang penting saya dapat menikmati ketika membacanya.
November 10, 2021
3.5 stars
I love a good biography or autobiography now and then, but the second part of the book where Pu Yi has nothing but great understanding and words of praise for the communist jail in which he learns to me a "normal" human being drove me crazy. I can understand that his experience was different given how his life started; and I get it - the book could probably be published during Mao's rule only if there was praise for the new China which emerged after WW2 and Mao's consolidation of power, but given that every reader knows just how "great" was a Great Leap Forward and how many lives had to be laid down on Mao's altar of "progress" and "industrialization" I cannot help but be skeptical about last emperor's enthusiasm with new society he wanted to join so eagerly. However, even in this setting some of the episodes were interesting, especially transformation from a person who almost never opened the door himself to a person who suddenly must learn to wash their own clothes and actually WORK for a living. What we all take as the most common thing is life was quite exotic and difficult to imagine for the last emperor of China.
The description of his life before arrest by USSR officials, especially the story of his miserable childhood and youth in golden cage was interesting. The years spent as a puppet in imperial theatre ran by Japan didn't reveal many details about Japanese occupation, but than again, I doubt Japanese officials would openly admit atrocities to the person they manipulated into being a puppet statesman for their own goals.
Interesting personal view of turbulent part history with a bonus: it's from a person who lived through some terrible mistakes and an unique experience of moving from god-like status to an ordinary employee in a communist country.
I love a good biography or autobiography now and then, but the second part of the book where Pu Yi has nothing but great understanding and words of praise for the communist jail in which he learns to me a "normal" human being drove me crazy. I can understand that his experience was different given how his life started; and I get it - the book could probably be published during Mao's rule only if there was praise for the new China which emerged after WW2 and Mao's consolidation of power, but given that every reader knows just how "great" was a Great Leap Forward and how many lives had to be laid down on Mao's altar of "progress" and "industrialization" I cannot help but be skeptical about last emperor's enthusiasm with new society he wanted to join so eagerly. However, even in this setting some of the episodes were interesting, especially transformation from a person who almost never opened the door himself to a person who suddenly must learn to wash their own clothes and actually WORK for a living. What we all take as the most common thing is life was quite exotic and difficult to imagine for the last emperor of China.
The description of his life before arrest by USSR officials, especially the story of his miserable childhood and youth in golden cage was interesting. The years spent as a puppet in imperial theatre ran by Japan didn't reveal many details about Japanese occupation, but than again, I doubt Japanese officials would openly admit atrocities to the person they manipulated into being a puppet statesman for their own goals.
Interesting personal view of turbulent part history with a bonus: it's from a person who lived through some terrible mistakes and an unique experience of moving from god-like status to an ordinary employee in a communist country.
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