Empress Orchid

This novel is good from a literary perspective. We follow the life of Yehenara/Yehonala/Orchid/the future dowager empress Cixi as she is taken as a concubine into the Forbidden City until shortly after her husband's death. Keep in mind that this is a novel, and while general historical facts are correct, the details of Orchid's life are speculative, and Anchee Min does a good job writing a story. Here we see the 'romance' between her and Hsien Feng - again speculative because no one knows how things REALLY were between the two of them. So please, pick up this book if you want a good read, but not as a historical text.

This book was difficult to put down, as was "Becoming Madame Mao". As a result I ordered two more Anchee Min books, "Red Azalea" and "Wild Ginger". The customs, costume and palace details in Empress Ochid" were fascinating as was the character development and, of course, the story itself. I found the life-long restrictive environment for both the concubines and eunuchs appalling. However I wondered how much was fact or fiction. The answer came when I reread a 1965 biography by Charlotte Haldane entitled,"The Last Great Empress of China" (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.)It appears from that the events in both books are real, but it's the "who done it and why" that seems up for grabs. No court documentation exists. The opinions and rumors contained in letters written at the time leaves some room for interpretation by the writer. Example, in Empress Orchid, the Empress feels sorry for her unrequited lover and provides him with two town girls. In Haldane's biography, she discovered her lover brought two girls into the palace one night, promptly demotes him and sends him into exile. (He is brought back later.) Haldane also implies she probably caused the murder of many high ranking people, even in her own family. I can hardly wait to see what happens in the sequel to Empress Orchid! I'll be first in line to buy it, truth or fiction.

I have always been fascinated with Tzu Hsi and her power as a woman. I had read Pearl Buck's Imperial Woman when I was in 6th grade, but I have never found another book as good as hers, until now. Anchee Min echos so much of Buck's work. It also gives readers a realistic life as an imperial wife. The idea of sharing a husband, and that your life may not be in your own control may seem more modern than life in the past. Reading Tzu Hsi's life through her own eyes, this book gives every women a sense that they can be successful and that there is no reason for failure. Yet, it also shows the weakness of women, especially as a chinese woman, and how marriage and children may be planned and controlled by others. If you are looking for a romantic novel, an empowering novel, or a glimpse of non-tedious history, pick this book up. I couldn't put it down even while I studied for finals and prepared for college graduation. Enjoy.

I must say, this is a pretty interesting and enjoyable novel I've ever read about the Empress of China the well known Cixi or also known as Yulan "Orchid" when she was still a concubine.Though this is imaginative writing. Anchee Min has tried to get as real as possible which I find that its great. The novel is full of realistic points of views of a life of a girl who comes from a background set in those times that would be so hard to eek out a living. There are some points in the novel which I found with a sense of humour etc... overall the novel conveys how she made her way up from a lowly official's daughter through to concubine and then empress dowager.Through the gates of Peking (modern Bejing) her future was uncertain and through the help of a former palace maid. How life was like in the Forbidden city and how she encounters other Manchurian girls who were chosen to be the Emperor Xiangfeng's wives or concubines. Through selection she manages to rise through the ranks.Anchee Min conveys thoughts and feelings of what would be going through Orchid's mind in regards to having never seen the palace and going through the large gates only to realise that once she was in she wasn't able to leave at all. Through intrigue, gossip, the palace had ears and eyes that could see and hear what was going on between concubines and eunuchs like An-Te-Hai became a faithful servant who served Orchid with loyalty and through compassion they managed to survive many things that China was going through... having to leave the imperial city and spend time in Chengde or Jehol while the foreign troops raided the imperial city.This is a wonderful book to read and each page I turned... I found it more inviting to know what lays beyond it each... its like a surprise full of interesting incidents and many personal feelings are expressed in regards to new consorts or jealously amongst the concubines, anxiety grows as mere humans who are hailed high of high above the subjects to become consorts, wives and concubines, relating issues of household matters and love, chosen to be the next in favour... it goes on and I guess this what must have been going on through the minds of those who are confined within the palace grounds unable to do anything else.There are sections that shows plain reality and how Anchee Min also relates how boring it would have been like to be in the palace and not even venture out into the outside, she does express mundane things that we as human beings are able to contemplate in regards to having no movement and restrictions, and other times there would be great celebrations and social events that concubines and wives would take part in.Very wonderful book... to find out what goes on... you will need to find out... its all a surprised...

I would highly recommend this book to anyone even if you think you're not into Chinese history. I read it because I loved Red Azalea (Min's highly acclaimed autobiography). Min has an amazing way of bringing history to life. I really felt like I knew the characters - Emperor Hsien Feng, Orchid, An-te-hai, etc. From the moment I began reading, I couldn't put it down. Even though the setting is 1800's China, it's themes are relevant to today.