Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
It feels a bit rushed, as if I'm reading a timeline rather than a story, but it is interesting.
I love how strong of a character Empress Orchid was. She survived so much and worked literally to death. The beginning of the story felt rushed, but the ending was perfect.
I love how strong of a character Empress Orchid was. She survived so much and worked literally to death. The beginning of the story felt rushed, but the ending was perfect.
It definitely does get a bit boring at some points, but it feels satisfying now, having read it to the end.
3.25 stars
You know what I learnt from the book? That the world is a big, big place. I have grown up reading and learning Indian history. From Indus Valley civilization to independence from the British, my country felt so... Encompassing. So overwhelming.
Obviously I was aware about little things from the world history too, world wars, French Revolution, American civil war, Vietnam war, Nazism in Germany and then few other things. You know, the kind of things you can't avoid.
China is a neighbour we share border with and probably has a civilization as old as ours, if not more. And I had no idea how different and similar the struggle and the culture were.
Probably this sounds naïve or even self-absorbed, this book was an eye opener for me towards the history.
Next is politics. Thumb rule: No matter what you do, you are going to be defamed. (On second thoughts, that's a thumb rule of life :haters gonna hate, hate hate...
You know what I learnt from the book? That the world is a big, big place. I have grown up reading and learning Indian history. From Indus Valley civilization to independence from the British, my country felt so... Encompassing. So overwhelming.
Obviously I was aware about little things from the world history too, world wars, French Revolution, American civil war, Vietnam war, Nazism in Germany and then few other things. You know, the kind of things you can't avoid.
China is a neighbour we share border with and probably has a civilization as old as ours, if not more. And I had no idea how different and similar the struggle and the culture were.
Probably this sounds naïve or even self-absorbed, this book was an eye opener for me towards the history.
Next is politics. Thumb rule: No matter what you do, you are going to be defamed. (On second thoughts, that's a thumb rule of life :haters gonna hate, hate hate...
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
This review will have spoilers if you haven't read the first book.
The first book Empress Orchid is about how a young village girl of 17 called Orchid becomes the Empress of China. The book ends with her husband’s death and with her taking the reins of the kingdom. The next book ‘The last Empress’ is about her rule as an Empress.
It was the time when the foreign powers like Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Russia were trying to rip china to pieces and trying to establish their own trade in the country. It was the time of tremendous turmoil when the missionaries came to preach Christianity and set up churches in the country. It was also the time of the Boxers Rebellion which the shook the entire country and the Forbidden palace as well.
When her son, the Emperor of China died of a disease she had to take over the reigns of the country and also train a new emperor. She chose her sisters son Gong and adopted him. But Gong was basically a weak child and was plagued by depression in his twenties. At the age when she wanted to retire and let her adopted son manage the kingdom, she realized her son was unable to take the right decisions for the benefit of her country. He embraced the wrong people and the Empress was unable to do anything about it.
It’s amazing and sometimes shocking to see how foreigners exploited China on its own land. They came to China under some pretext or another and when there was no reason for them to be there, they refused to leave. When there were uprisings because of the foreign invasions, they had the audacity to demand more money and acquire more land in China. Even the missionaries were used for this purpose. When the Chinese rebelled against the missionaries and their agenda to convert as many people to Christianity as possible, the people rebelled. Some of the missionaries were killed. Again the foreigners had the audacity to ask compensation for it.
China was eroding slowly and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The people of China blamed the foreign invasions and in turn the government for not getting them under control. On top of all this were the natural calamities like floods and draughts.
And caught between the midsts of all this was the Empress of China. Her husband failed her, her son failed her too and the adopted son was very easily disheartened. She was the only hope of the Chinese people. At the age of 61, instead of watching her son take over the throne and give her some rest, she had to endure her son’s illness, his depression and finally his death. She took over the reins because of her love for China and its people. In spite of all this she was always held responsible for her husbands and sons death and many other wrong doings all because people thought she wanted to stay in power.
Anchee Min described the Empresses possible state of mind very well. She brought to life one of the strongest and most famous personalities of Chinese history. She gave a human touch to her that was far different from what the historians and the foreign reporters put forward. She showed her daily struggle with the court members, training an heir for China and repressing her inner feelings and cravings for love. Just reading about what she faced exhausted me.
After reading the first book Empress Orchid, I was fascinated by a woman called Orchid or the Last empress of China, but after reading this book I feel honored for knowing this woman even if it’s just through a fictionalized account.
Essentially there are 2 different viewpoints to what the Dowager Empress of China was. One that she was an evil mastermind who wanted only power and the other that she was a result of circumstances and did her best for China and it’s people. I am ready to believe the later.
The first book Empress Orchid is about how a young village girl of 17 called Orchid becomes the Empress of China. The book ends with her husband’s death and with her taking the reins of the kingdom. The next book ‘The last Empress’ is about her rule as an Empress.
It was the time when the foreign powers like Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Russia were trying to rip china to pieces and trying to establish their own trade in the country. It was the time of tremendous turmoil when the missionaries came to preach Christianity and set up churches in the country. It was also the time of the Boxers Rebellion which the shook the entire country and the Forbidden palace as well.
When her son, the Emperor of China died of a disease she had to take over the reigns of the country and also train a new emperor. She chose her sisters son Gong and adopted him. But Gong was basically a weak child and was plagued by depression in his twenties. At the age when she wanted to retire and let her adopted son manage the kingdom, she realized her son was unable to take the right decisions for the benefit of her country. He embraced the wrong people and the Empress was unable to do anything about it.
It’s amazing and sometimes shocking to see how foreigners exploited China on its own land. They came to China under some pretext or another and when there was no reason for them to be there, they refused to leave. When there were uprisings because of the foreign invasions, they had the audacity to demand more money and acquire more land in China. Even the missionaries were used for this purpose. When the Chinese rebelled against the missionaries and their agenda to convert as many people to Christianity as possible, the people rebelled. Some of the missionaries were killed. Again the foreigners had the audacity to ask compensation for it.
China was eroding slowly and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The people of China blamed the foreign invasions and in turn the government for not getting them under control. On top of all this were the natural calamities like floods and draughts.
And caught between the midsts of all this was the Empress of China. Her husband failed her, her son failed her too and the adopted son was very easily disheartened. She was the only hope of the Chinese people. At the age of 61, instead of watching her son take over the throne and give her some rest, she had to endure her son’s illness, his depression and finally his death. She took over the reins because of her love for China and its people. In spite of all this she was always held responsible for her husbands and sons death and many other wrong doings all because people thought she wanted to stay in power.
Anchee Min described the Empresses possible state of mind very well. She brought to life one of the strongest and most famous personalities of Chinese history. She gave a human touch to her that was far different from what the historians and the foreign reporters put forward. She showed her daily struggle with the court members, training an heir for China and repressing her inner feelings and cravings for love. Just reading about what she faced exhausted me.
After reading the first book Empress Orchid, I was fascinated by a woman called Orchid or the Last empress of China, but after reading this book I feel honored for knowing this woman even if it’s just through a fictionalized account.
Essentially there are 2 different viewpoints to what the Dowager Empress of China was. One that she was an evil mastermind who wanted only power and the other that she was a result of circumstances and did her best for China and it’s people. I am ready to believe the later.
There are two things that are mainly commendable in The Last Empress, the two things that make this book great: historical/cultural accuracy, the style of writing.
After being miserably duped by Memoirs of a Geisha, I did proper research (well, proper enough) on Empress Tsu Hzi. So I am not surprised this book took so long to write. The main facts and the timeline are perfectly accurate. Anchee Min paid attention to a variety of historical texts, so even where things get interpretative and fictional, her guesses are very likely to be true. The skeleton of events are there so even if you don't agree with the placing of some of the thoughts in the Empress' mind, you can make your own educated guesses. The beauty of this book lies in how truly informative it is. And not only that, it's entertainingly informative.
The writing is clear, consistent and beautiful. There's a fresh uniformity to it that a lot of writers can't grasp, and contemporary readers will especially appreciate it. Even though it's from so long ago, it's not alien. It's raw and relatable and yet, we understand that Tsu Hzi is a completely different woman from is. We see her, and we see her flaws as well, flaws that she herself doesn't see. The characterisation in this is book is really strong in the Empress and the two Emperors. I guess another thing that makes the book great is the characterisation, especially of Empress Tsu Hzi, the very humane ruler with a susceptible heart.
After being miserably duped by Memoirs of a Geisha, I did proper research (well, proper enough) on Empress Tsu Hzi. So I am not surprised this book took so long to write. The main facts and the timeline are perfectly accurate. Anchee Min paid attention to a variety of historical texts, so even where things get interpretative and fictional, her guesses are very likely to be true. The skeleton of events are there so even if you don't agree with the placing of some of the thoughts in the Empress' mind, you can make your own educated guesses. The beauty of this book lies in how truly informative it is. And not only that, it's entertainingly informative.
The writing is clear, consistent and beautiful. There's a fresh uniformity to it that a lot of writers can't grasp, and contemporary readers will especially appreciate it. Even though it's from so long ago, it's not alien. It's raw and relatable and yet, we understand that Tsu Hzi is a completely different woman from is. We see her, and we see her flaws as well, flaws that she herself doesn't see. The characterisation in this is book is really strong in the Empress and the two Emperors. I guess another thing that makes the book great is the characterisation, especially of Empress Tsu Hzi, the very humane ruler with a susceptible heart.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
The sequel to Empress Orchid, The Last Empress is an excellent book about the Empress' later years, spanning from Tung Chih's reign to her death. The novel itself is an excellent read, and the history it is based in was an interesting time all by itself, made all the better by Min's excellent characterization.