Empress Orchid Paperback – Bargain Price, April 11, 2005

Our book club read this as our 54th selection. The hostess has a background in Chinese history and wanted to share her passion with the book club group. There were six women in attendance, ages 31 to 40, all with varying backgrounds and education. This review is solely remarking on this book as a book club selection, and so I will limit the story rehash as many other reviews capture the essence of this novel.In a nutshell, Empress Orchid sweeps readers into the heart of the Forbidden City to tell the fascinating story of a young concubine who becomes China’s last empress. Min introduces the beautiful Tzu Hsi, known as Orchid (based on the real-life Empress Dowager Cixi), and "weaves an epic of a country girl who seized power through seduction, murder, and endless intrigue. When China is threatened by enemies, she alone seems capable of holding the country together."The themes in the book itself inspired a wonderful examination of China itself, through a delightful potluck, fun games and prizes, as well opportunities for beautiful decor. The book itself is reader friendly, though at first glance it appears dense. As you begin to read the novel, it's as readable as your average best seller. In fact, it reads like typical women's literature, with a female heroine at the center who you want to root for. The sweeping descriptions of the Forbidden City were, agreed across the board, one of the most winning aspects of this novel. Every book club member was memorized by the vista, the palaces, and the minute discussions of tedious and centuries-old traditions.A large complaint of the novel was that the author seemed to lose track of characters (namely the Empress Dowager, Orchid's mother-in-law, or her sister, as examples). It was frustrating to get snippets of long-forgotten characters, or to have the suggestion of a role that is never played out. A similar complaint was the same issue but with plot points. There are major issues introduced early on (such as supposedly scheming eunuchs, the threat of jealousy from other concubines, or even the risk of being the "favorite" which apparently won one prior concubine a limbless life in a jar, that are just never examined or become a big part of the story... and recognition that they did NOT occur in spades never happens). And last, a minor issue was the description of this novel not holding weight with the contents of the actual material. There was no "seduction" or "erotic examination" to speak of as an example, despite the blurbs and quotes on the cover lending this as a major concept of the book itself. Orchid is presented as a lustful lady, indeed, but more neglected in this way than exploited. She wins the emperor with her wit, not her wiles, but I digress.All that being said, this book was voted as a seven out of ten by all present members, which puts it into our top 20% of books read out of 54. Most of the complaints of the novel examined above are relative and subjective, and the novel itself is still a striking and complex journey to enjoy. Pretty much everyone enjoyed the vivid descriptions so much that the flaws in the read were largely overlooked. In fact, no one was disappointed that the book wasn't more erotic, for example, because everyone enjoyed the wit presented much more (after all, isn't it far more impressive that Orchid won her position with her brain rather than her body?). And there is plenty of intrigue and politics, which we all enjoyed. Invariably, all questions and discussions derived from the material were astute, interesting, and exciting.This book is recommended for a book club because of its readability, strong heroine, interesting discussion, and educational benefits. There are probably similar or even better reads on the subject available, but this one is a strong contender because of its readability and easy-to-understand word choice.

Anchee Min takes the story of Yehonala, the concubine of Manchu Emperor Hsien Feng and gives it an erotic, feminine twist, creating a memoir-like portrait of this legendary woman. This novel is not perfect, yet it is exciting and takes a great deal of risks in style and substance.If you aren't familiar with much Chinese history of the Ching Dynasty (ending with "The Last Emperor" Pu Yi) it helps to know a few things beforehand. Orchid, or Yehonala (her family name) became "Tzu Hsi" --Empress of the Western Palace, and was known as The Dowager Empress to the Europeans. She ruled as regent for her infant son Tung Chih after the death of Hsien Feng. She survived a coup attempt, the Opium Wars, the Tai Ping rebellion in Nanking, and the Boxer Rebellion and she died in 1908, on the same day as her nephew, the emperor successor to Tung Chih, who died of smallpox not long after coming of age.A biography of the Empress by an English adventurer named Backhouse was considered gospel truth by the British, who despised this stubborn woman who kept China from modernizing and prevented the Europeans from establishing as much of a colonial beachhead in China as they had done in India and Indonesia. Backhouse's work was only discredited in 1974, which I find amazing, as I read his book in 1971 and thought it was pure bunkum with stories that surely were colonial propaganda and sensationalism (his tales of sexual escapades and sado-masochism were pure Victorian English erotic fantasy.)Anchee Min plays some interesting turns on well-known history events (the selection of concubines after the death of the first Empress, the flight of the Imperial Household to Jehol during one European invasion, the death of Hsien Feng amid the struggle of his Viceroy Su Shun to become Regent, and Yehonala's rise to power.) The real story is vastly different -- actual events are sketched in altered form or as they were reported to happen, depending on Min's novelistic requirements.What author Min is apparently attempting is an internal history, the development of the China's most powerful rulers rising from poverty-stricken and uneducated girl. It echoes the rise of Madam Mao during the Cultural Revolution, a subject of another of Min's novels ("Becoming Madam Mao.") As a work, the novel is flawed; characters are developed importantly, then dropped except for trifling reappearances (Yehonala's siblings, the Dowager foster-mother of Hsien Feng.) There is a lot of improbability and derivative plot device (the education in a whorehouse to learn erotic technique and the poisonous plotting of the other wives of Hsien Feng seems to owe more than a little something to novels such as Barbara Chase-Riboud's "Valide", the story of a concubine who rises to power in Ottoman Turkey.)But despite the literary vagaries, this is an exciting read, not quite as good as I'd hoped, and not nearly as good as Pearl Buck's version "Imperial Woman" which is just as inaccurate historically. Anchee Min takes risks, and though this may not be her finest work, I think she will continue to delight and amaze her readers with her style.

I enjoyed the first half of this novel more than the last. The first half had a more personal feel and a little less historical data. The last half, at moments, was too much political drama and history for my taste. I love to read history, but it must be told in a manner that I will not forget it 5 minutes after reading it. I liked the main character, Orchid and I grew very angry at times reading about her plights and the way she was treated in the forbidden city. The novel follows Orchid as teenager living in very poor conditions and to better her family's situation, she becomes a concubine in the Emperor's palace. As luck would have it, she steals the Emperor's heart, tho briefly, and bears him his only son. Upon the Emperor's death, she has her hands full trying to retain some measure of control over the court. Meanwhile, the other empress and her very own son, keep her jumping thru hoops. I am unsure of the historical accuracy, but I grew confused about one thing in particular. No man was supposed to see the Emperor's wives. Even a doctor has to diagnose her thru a curtain, sight unseen, so how is it that Empress Orchid is able to talk to all these men that keep popping up? There is Prince Kung, Su Shun, Yung Lu. She meets plenty of male characters and talks to them face to face but cannot let the doctor lay eyes on her. I grew very confused about the harem rules and court etiquette as a result. Also, the fact that there was thousands of treasures in the palace and 99 meals a day and 99 dishes to choose from when the rest of the country is dealing with famine and whatnot did not sit well with me. It was a good story, but I am not planning on reading the next one.

At first I enjoyed this book but after fifty or so pages I found it became tedious. I am halfway though and not sure I can finish it. So far, Orchid has been chosen as a concubine and has spent her first night with the Emperor and it's taken over 100 pages to get that far. Named Orchid in the book, history knows her as the Dowager Cixi.The detail is overwhelming but it doesn't actually say much. Unless you are familiar with Chinese and world politics in the mid 19th century, the details of the events can be hard to follow. And of course it's all told from Cixi's perspective so it's hard to know how balanced that it.The style of writing is odd. At times it reads as if it's an English translation of Chinese , even though the author has lived in the West for decades. The writing has a childlike quality about it- maybe that is intentional as the Empress is only seventeen - but equally there are some words and phrases that are right out of the 21stC (the use of 'gotten' for a start) and which are very out of place.The final few pages read like something out of a bad Mills and Boon novel, with a bit of Indiana Jones added for action. In the Emperor's tomb, where he has been laid to rest, and standing next to the man she has the hots for, Orchid asks him to 'Take her' and he refuses. They fall into an embrace and manage to run to escape- only just- before the tomb is sealed with three large boulders. This is not a well-written book and hard to understand how it's so highly rated.It's historical fiction so you are left wondering how much is the truth and how much is the author's imagination.

This novel was recommended to me after reading Memoirs of a Geisha and subsequently taking a real interest in historical China and Japan. I have just finished Empress Orchid and I enjoyed it so much!The writing style took a little getting used to, as it can be a little matter of fact about some enormous situations, but I overcame that and have thoroughly enjoyed being transported into a totally amazing world through this book.Such an incredible glimpse into life inside the Forbidden City in the 19th century, from ceiling to floor, plants, soil, animals, sights, sounds and smells- this book brought it all alive so beautifully. Orchid lived an amazing life and even more unbelievable to think it is based on true events and people.I’ve been trying to time finishing this book with the arrival of the second one, The Last Empress, but I just couldn’t resist devouring the end of the story. Would definitely recommend this story for anyone wishing to be transported to a hidden world.

AVOID THE KINDLE VERSION! I have read this book many times and as I have lost my paperback version, I decided to purchase the kindle version. Mistake.. Big chunks of text are missing. How annoying! I dont expect this for the price I paid. I have requested a return/refund and the book has now gone from my Kindle app. I just have to wait and see how long the return takes to process! On the book itself, I love the story, it is one of my favourite books. Its not the best written and the characters could do with some renovations to make them feel a bit more real but it is still brilliant. After reading a few of the author's novels I see her style throughout all of them and love them. I will buy a new (physical) copy and leave Kindle behind I think.

Having grown up in Communist China and emigrated to the States only in her twenties, Anchee Min has carved out a niche as an author of historical fiction with a strong Chinese flavour. She writes in English - which she famously claims she learned from watching Sesame Street - but with firsthand experience of Chinese culture. In Empress Orchid, Min turns her attention to Empress Dowager Cixi. A fascinating historical figure; Cixi ruled for much of the 19th century; a era of wrenching change for China. For Cixi, this was a remarkable period of overcoming humble origins and widespread sexism to achieve supreme power. Moreover, her rule encompassed China's final years as an imperial nation; the ruling Qing dynasty crumbling in the face of internal strife and conflict with technologically superior Western powers.Empress Orchid's premise, then, is wonderful. It is a terrible shame than Min does not do it justice. Written and published first in English, one imagines this is a book intended for Western audiences. Yet I assumed at first that Empress Orchid was a translation; and not a terribly accomplished one. Min's prose is pedestrian at best; clunky at worst. It is littered with odd turns of phrase, and Confucian idioms whose meaning is not apparent, or explained. Such is the strength of Cixi's biography, it would not take more than a capable writer to make it sing. Yet Min fumbles some key emotional beats, whilst spending far too long dwelling on Cixi's isolation and unhappiness. Despite this being a supposedly revisionist history of Cixi - aiming to rehabilitate her historical image - she finishes the book quite unlikeable.What makes up for Empress Orchid's narrative deficiencies is Min's painstaking historical research. Peking's Forbidden City emerges as the novel's most memorable character. Its stifling rituals and brutal intrigues are brought to life vividly; so decadent and self-absorbed is the heart of imperial China, it beggars belief that the country was ruled as successfully as it was for centuries. Where Min's writing shades into excess, it has the feel of Peake's fantasy Gormenghast. Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed.Essentially the first half of a novel - the duology is completed by The Last Empress - Min makes no attempt to round off her story. Readers unprepared for the novel's abrupt ending may therefore be disappointed. Despite Empress Orchid's problems, however, I will persevere with the sequel. One may wish for a more accomplished writer at the helm. but the subject matter is too fascinating to jump ship halfway through.

Her family faced total poverty when young Orchid had the chance to become a concubine in the daunting Forbidden City of China. Although it was a lifeline for her family, for Orchid it meant facing total isolation from them for the rest of her life in a place that was full of dangers and intrigues counterpoised with crushing boredom. Orchid had only her intelligence and resourcefulness to help her to stand out among the other girls. The customs and surroundings are described in loving, exotic detail. I found it totally absorbing and plenty to make you smile as well as to draw back in horror.