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nafisa_tabassum 's review for:
The Last Empress
by Anchee Min
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.