Imperial Woman

The book was described as “good condition,” but the musty smell was obnoxious. The smell was not mentioned.

One more excellent example of Buck's love for China's ancient culture.

Pearl S. Buck is a great author. Her characters come to life as you read their story..

The story of Tzu Hsi, last Empress of the Manchu empire of China, is dramatic and reads like a novel. Pearl Buck, who grew up in China and was there as a child while the Empress was alive, draws from the attitudes of the country people towards their almost mythical ruler "Old Buddha." While Buck takes liberties with some of the history, the story is essentially correct while giving an imperial-eye-view of how the times must have seemed to the woman who ruled for decades in turbulent times. The language is exquisite, the story is exciting. One of Buck's best novels and an enjoyable read for anyone who loves historical novels.

All about Tzu-Hsi, last empress of China, who reigned from the 1860's until her death in 1908. She reigned during a period of great transition in China, as the book goes on there is increasing pressure from outside - the nations of England, France, Russia, United States and others demand from China increased trade and the rights to allow their citizens to live in China and their priests & missionaries to travel wherever they please. Japan too is an ever present threat. The empress was unable to adapt to modern times, and rather than building modern ships and arms that would have enabled China to defend itself, all the taxes collected were spent on luxuries and palaces for her, only at the very end of her days after defeat did she accept the idea that China could not keep itself isolated from all the other peoples of the world and finally opened to the idea of sending Chinese abroad to study foreign ways. The story begins with the teenager Yehonala, betrothed to Jung-Lu, she and her cousin Sakota are chosen to be royal concubines of the Emperor, a sickly and weak man who so far has been unable to produce an heir. Through sheer guile and ambition, Yehonala becomes the favorite, and produces a son for the Emperor (or is it his son?). When the emperor dies, she becomes Empress mother, regent for her still young son, and upon his death she seizes the throne and becomes Empress in her own right, first sharing the throne with her cousin Sakota, then finally alone. As Empress of China, Tzu-Hsi has absolute power and can raise people up or down, have them beheaded or bestow mercy according to her whim, but she is unloved and deeply lonely as the extremely powerful often are.This is a great novel, there is never a dull moment or wasted word and I found it hard to put down, this is a fascinating look at Chinese history and Tzu-Hsi herself is unforgettable. Selfish and sometimes foolish as she is, the reader is compelled to like her. I remember first reading about Tzu-Hsi in a novel called the Forbidden City by Muriel Jernigan and I never forgot her, it was a real treat to discover this book, a really great work of historical fiction.

Imperial Woman tells the story of Tzu-Hsi, the last Empress of China. It is well known that she was a formidable, fierce and cruelly efficient leader, but this story begins when she is a beautiful young teenager, vibrant, full of life, and deeply in love with her cousin, a handsome and stalwart guard at the Imperial Palace.As was the custom in the day (as I learned from this book), the Emperor yearly picked a new crop of concubines from the daughters of the wealthy of China. It was considered a great honor to send one's daughter into whoredom at the palace, and the shocking details of how they were chosen and used make up the first part of the book. Our heroine, who is still known by her childhood name, Yehonala, is sent, along with her cousin Sakota--both are picked. On one inevitable night, Yehonala is sent to the Emperor's bedroom, and there loses her innocence forever, in more ways than one.Swiftly becoming the Emperor's favorite, our heroine learns the intrigues of the palace, learning to trust nobody but to rely on only those closest to her. She consolidates her position by giving birth to the Emperor's only son, thus receiving the new name of "fortunate mother"--and a place of power higher than any woman in the palace.But was the Emperor's son really his son? Can the formerly innocent concubine, fast becoming a political player worthy of anybody in today's world, stay alive to see her son crowned? Or will she be murdered in the truly baroque but terribly dangerous palace in-wars?All is told in this fascinating book, written in Buck's simple but elegant style. This is one of her best, and well worth finding and reading.

A fascinating account of the life of China's last Empress, as seen through the eyes of our foremost writer of Chinese historical fiction. While all of Buck's works are wonderful and vivid, Imperial Woman is truly one of her very best.

Though Tzu Hsi (pronounced Sue- Z) was the last Empress of China very little of her life-- both personal and private-- is known. Much as been written about this unfortunate woman; nearly all of it speculation and a good deal of it obscene. In her book "Imperial Woman" Mrs. Buck trys her hand at telling the story of Tzu Hsi and,in my opinion, comes about as close to the real woman as we're ever going to find. Tzu Hsi here is no cardboard figure but a flesh and blood woman with fear, ambition,helpless, cunning, triumphants, and deep loniless. All set mid-late 19th century China in a court, in a county, weak and rotting from the inside out while struggling to deal wth coming of the West and the 20th century. The characterization, dialogue, and discription are magnificent. A "must read"-- definatly!