Reviews

Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

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valaurens's review against another edition

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

Tzu Hsi (Orchid) enters the Forbidden City as one of thousands vying to be a concubine of Emperor Hsien Feng. Eventually she bears him a son and is elevated to rank of Empress. Her reputation in modern-day China is diabolical - she is blamed for the fall of the Qing dynasty. But reality is so much more! Certainly, she is flawed, but in a totally male dominated society she manages not only to survive but to wield enourmous power.

The woman, the time and the place are all fascinating. After I'd read the book I came to understand that the author plans a trilogy, and that this is the first installment. That would explain the somewhat abrupt ending.

alinaprotti's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

slavicreader's review against another edition

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This pains because I was over halfway through it, but it's been over 5 years since I stopped reading it. Still haven't gobe back to it. Bad sign!

gabmc's review

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2.0

I really, really, really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The subject matter was interesting but the writing just did not grab me. It's historical fiction based on the life of Empress Orchid, who was to become the last Empress of China. Orchid was a young Manchu girl whose father was the governor of Wuhu. Despite being governor, when he died his family was left in poverty. The Emperor, Hsien Feng, announces that he is looking for future mates. He has over 3000 concubines and 7 Imperial Consorts. Orchid is chosen as an Imperial Consort and eventually has a son to Hsien Feng, which raises her profile even further. The novel is written in first person and I had to keep reminding myself that it was a novel and not an autobiography. I found the dialogue to be excruciating to read - it was so stilted and unrealistic. The book goes into a lot of detail about life in the Forbidden City and all the different Court rituals which was very interesting. It was a turbulent period for China, with many foreign countries declaring war because they wanted trade to open up. The Emperor was a weak man with bad advisers, and one, Su Shun, made Orchid's life very difficult after Hsien Feng's death. Even though this is the first book in a trilogy, and even though I like historical fiction, I don't think I will read the rest of the series.

novelestic's review

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2.0

I am disappointed. This needed a lot of patience. The pace dragged on tediously and it was unbearable at some point. If not for the notably inconsistent pacing, it had the potential to effectively deliver a strong, thought-provoking message. I think this book just isn't for me.

brittanitanksley's review

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informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

wintermute9's review

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

li_gao's review

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3.0

3.5/4 stars

I find this one hard to review. It was an easy read with flowing language taking me back in time. Yet I found the characters bland and two dimensional.