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Empress Orchid #2
The Last Empress
The last decades of the nineteenth century were a violent period in China’s history marked by humiliating foreign incursions and domestic rebellion, ultimately ending in the demise of the Ch’ing dynasty. The only constant during this tumultuous time was the power wielded by one person, the resilient, ever-resourceful Tzu Hsi, Lady Yehonala -- or Empress Orchid, as readers came to know her in Anchee Min’s critically acclaimed novel covering the first part of her life.
The Last Empress is the story of Orchid’s dramatic transition from a strong-willed, instinctive young woman to a wise and politically savvy leader who ruled China for more than four decades. Moving from the intimacy of the concubine quarters into the spotlight of the world stage, Orchid must face not only the perilous condition of her empire but also a series of devastating personal losses, as first her son and then her adopted son succumb to early death. Yearning only to step aside, and yet growing constantly into her role, only she—allied with the progressives, but loyal to the conservative Manchu clan of her dynasty—can hold the nation’s rival factions together.
Anchee Min offers a powerful revisionist portrait based on extensive research of one of the most important figures in Chinese history. Viciously maligned by the western press of the time as the “Dragon Lady,” a manipulative, blood-thirsty woman who held onto power at all costs, the woman Min gives us is a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly, and who sacrificed all she had to protect those she loved and an empire that was doomed to die.
The Last Empress is the story of Orchid’s dramatic transition from a strong-willed, instinctive young woman to a wise and politically savvy leader who ruled China for more than four decades. Moving from the intimacy of the concubine quarters into the spotlight of the world stage, Orchid must face not only the perilous condition of her empire but also a series of devastating personal losses, as first her son and then her adopted son succumb to early death. Yearning only to step aside, and yet growing constantly into her role, only she—allied with the progressives, but loyal to the conservative Manchu clan of her dynasty—can hold the nation’s rival factions together.
Anchee Min offers a powerful revisionist portrait based on extensive research of one of the most important figures in Chinese history. Viciously maligned by the western press of the time as the “Dragon Lady,” a manipulative, blood-thirsty woman who held onto power at all costs, the woman Min gives us is a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly, and who sacrificed all she had to protect those she loved and an empire that was doomed to die.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
477 people are currently reading
7115 people want to read
About the author
Anchee Min
15 books883 followersAnchee Min (Chinese: 閔安琪) is a memoirist and novelist.
At age seventeen, she was sent to a labor collective, where a talent scout for Madame Mao's Shanghai Film Studio recruited her to work as a movie actress. She moved to the United States in 1984 to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she obtained both B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees. Her first memoir, Red Azalea , was an international bestseller, published in twenty countries.
At age seventeen, she was sent to a labor collective, where a talent scout for Madame Mao's Shanghai Film Studio recruited her to work as a movie actress. She moved to the United States in 1984 to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she obtained both B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees. Her first memoir, Red Azalea , was an international bestseller, published in twenty countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 630 reviews
May 10, 2013
Knjiga "Carica" autorke Šan Sa je zakon za ovaj roman... Naravno, ima veze i loš prevod... :(
March 29, 2024
While I appreciate the effort and creativity put into it, I personally found the pacing a bit slow, which made it challenging to stay engaged. It didn't hold my interest as much as I had hoped.
May 16, 2015
Bullet Review:
So bittersweet at the end. The biggest problem with this though was how hurried and rushed it felt in places. When Min was given the time to flesh out a scene and spend time in it, THAT was pure gold.
Full Review:
Empress Orchid (Empress Dowager Cixi) has lost her beloved husband, the Emperor Hsien Feng. Together with Empress Nuharoo, she raises their son, Tung Chih to be Emperor. But there are trials and struggles, internal and external, not to mention a media and Western world that loves to portray her as a tyrant and despot. Who is the real Empress Orchid? Maybe this book shows a side that traditional historical writers have omitted.
Nearly two years ago, I had the great opportunity to read "Empress Orchid", a fascinating look at Orchid from her childhood to when she became Empress. This book picks up almost immediately after it - but instead of focusing on a tighter timeline, it goes from 1861 to the time of her death in 1908.
And right there, that's the number one complaint I have about this book. In trying to cover nearly 50 years, Anchee Min has to pick and choose what to focus on in her book, to summarize big events and sail over dozens of years to make sure she can fit everything into 308 pages. I think that's a shame because truly Min is best when she is letting the characters talk and move through this magnificent world without a time constraint. It is my wish that instead of a duology, this had been a trilogy.
The first 20 or so pages were pretty rough as a LOT of summarizing and "time warping" occurred to get Tung Chih from a boring age 5 to a more interesting teenager and actual Emperor. A part of me wanted to give up, even as I was telling myself, "But 'Empress Orchid' was so good! Where is that?!" Fortunately, Anchee Min then pulled the reigns on the speed and FINALLY we got some really good in-depth moments with Nuharoo, Yung Lu, Orchid, Tung Chih and more.
This sort of pattern - summarizing, then slowing down to get into a scene - pretty much takes place the entire book, though the beginning and the ends are the worst offenders. It might be annoying but when Anchee Min stops to tell her story - WOWEE, it is awesome!
Min knows how to paint a scene and make her vibrant characters jump to life on the page. She also knows how to communicate this very different culture to a Western audience. Throughout the entire story, I grew to empathize with Empress Orchid and the troubling case of China - how all these Western countries were wolves, waiting to feast on China's corpse. It makes me really sad at these moments to be an American and to know my ancestors helped to tear apart another country, all in the name of Imperialism or capitalism or what-have-you.
I had no knowledge of Empress Orchid before these novels, so I wasn't aware that she was considered a tyrant and a despot. But after reading them, I can't see how a person could consider her that way. I'm sure that there is probably some truth in the middle (isn't there always?), but with very few cases (Stalin, Hitler, etc.) I have a hard time buying the "evil tyrant" stereotype.
The very end was so very sad and bittersweet, I wanted to bawl on an airplane (and I never cry). To see her work so many years to hold together the country she loved, to work in an man's world, her words against men, when everyone said horrible things about her, seeing so many of her loved ones die before her, and then to die without being able to be with the one she loved, having to love him from afar and in secret - it's a very sad story. A good, sad story, but a sad one nonetheless.
"The Last Empress" isn't perfect, but it's damn near close to it. Anchee Min does such a delightful job with this story, giving nuance to history, and it was a joy to be able to read it.
Thank you, to my Book Buddy Iset, who gave this to me!!
So bittersweet at the end. The biggest problem with this though was how hurried and rushed it felt in places. When Min was given the time to flesh out a scene and spend time in it, THAT was pure gold.
Full Review:
Empress Orchid (Empress Dowager Cixi) has lost her beloved husband, the Emperor Hsien Feng. Together with Empress Nuharoo, she raises their son, Tung Chih to be Emperor. But there are trials and struggles, internal and external, not to mention a media and Western world that loves to portray her as a tyrant and despot. Who is the real Empress Orchid? Maybe this book shows a side that traditional historical writers have omitted.
Nearly two years ago, I had the great opportunity to read "Empress Orchid", a fascinating look at Orchid from her childhood to when she became Empress. This book picks up almost immediately after it - but instead of focusing on a tighter timeline, it goes from 1861 to the time of her death in 1908.
And right there, that's the number one complaint I have about this book. In trying to cover nearly 50 years, Anchee Min has to pick and choose what to focus on in her book, to summarize big events and sail over dozens of years to make sure she can fit everything into 308 pages. I think that's a shame because truly Min is best when she is letting the characters talk and move through this magnificent world without a time constraint. It is my wish that instead of a duology, this had been a trilogy.
The first 20 or so pages were pretty rough as a LOT of summarizing and "time warping" occurred to get Tung Chih from a boring age 5 to a more interesting teenager and actual Emperor. A part of me wanted to give up, even as I was telling myself, "But 'Empress Orchid' was so good! Where is that?!" Fortunately, Anchee Min then pulled the reigns on the speed and FINALLY we got some really good in-depth moments with Nuharoo, Yung Lu, Orchid, Tung Chih and more.
This sort of pattern - summarizing, then slowing down to get into a scene - pretty much takes place the entire book, though the beginning and the ends are the worst offenders. It might be annoying but when Anchee Min stops to tell her story - WOWEE, it is awesome!
Min knows how to paint a scene and make her vibrant characters jump to life on the page. She also knows how to communicate this very different culture to a Western audience. Throughout the entire story, I grew to empathize with Empress Orchid and the troubling case of China - how all these Western countries were wolves, waiting to feast on China's corpse. It makes me really sad at these moments to be an American and to know my ancestors helped to tear apart another country, all in the name of Imperialism or capitalism or what-have-you.
I had no knowledge of Empress Orchid before these novels, so I wasn't aware that she was considered a tyrant and a despot. But after reading them, I can't see how a person could consider her that way. I'm sure that there is probably some truth in the middle (isn't there always?), but with very few cases (Stalin, Hitler, etc.) I have a hard time buying the "evil tyrant" stereotype.
The very end was so very sad and bittersweet, I wanted to bawl on an airplane (and I never cry). To see her work so many years to hold together the country she loved, to work in an man's world, her words against men, when everyone said horrible things about her, seeing so many of her loved ones die before her, and then to die without being able to be with the one she loved, having to love him from afar and in secret - it's a very sad story. A good, sad story, but a sad one nonetheless.
"The Last Empress" isn't perfect, but it's damn near close to it. Anchee Min does such a delightful job with this story, giving nuance to history, and it was a joy to be able to read it.
Thank you, to my Book Buddy Iset, who gave this to me!!
December 6, 2008
Definitely not as good as Empress Orchid. There were about 100 pages in the middle that I was really stuggling to get through....I enjoyed the first part and last parts a lot though. Ended up being glad I finished it.
In Empress Orchid they really got into who she was and why. This book seemed so busy trying to make it through the rest of her life that it wasn't as well developed. Perhaps she should have divided into 2 books...
I still found it a fascinating and educational look at who the last Empress Orchid might have been and how the media could have portrayed her so differently.
In Empress Orchid they really got into who she was and why. This book seemed so busy trying to make it through the rest of her life that it wasn't as well developed. Perhaps she should have divided into 2 books...
I still found it a fascinating and educational look at who the last Empress Orchid might have been and how the media could have portrayed her so differently.
May 7, 2016
Un pic mai istorica decat Imparateasa Orhidee, Ultima imparateasa e mai apasatoare. Mor multe personaje, iar greutatile,durerea, piedicile si razboaiele cu care se confrunta imparateasa de-a lungul regentei sale sunt greu de indurat si pentru cititor, daramite pentru ea. mi-a placut si cartea asta, dar parca mai mult prima. N-am citit multe despre ultima imparateasa a Chinei, Tzu-Hsi, dar am citit ca a fost nemiloasa, sangeroasa, neinduplecata etc. Anchee Min, prin aceste doua carti, ii da un drept la replica, o posibilitate sa se explice, sa se justifice. Trebuie sa ma documentez mai mult sa vad inspre ce inclina balanta mai mult.
Una peste alta, am invatat o gramada despre eunuci, viata la curte, Orasul Interzis, dar mai ales cat de cumplit este sa fii imparat/imparateasa. Cat de tragic te condamni la nefericire, cu toata puterea pe care, chipurile, o detii (caci nu detii puterea decat la suprafata, o gramada de lucruri iti sunt interzise, limitate).
Una peste alta, am invatat o gramada despre eunuci, viata la curte, Orasul Interzis, dar mai ales cat de cumplit este sa fii imparat/imparateasa. Cat de tragic te condamni la nefericire, cu toata puterea pe care, chipurile, o detii (caci nu detii puterea decat la suprafata, o gramada de lucruri iti sunt interzise, limitate).
November 19, 2021
Saga terminée. Ce deuxième tome nous présente la fin de vie de l’impératrice orchidée.
Les points positifs:
Le fait de ne rien connaître de l’histoire chinoise et d’arriver à suivre très bien l’histoire qui était vraiment prenante.
Voir l’histoire à travers les yeux d’une femme qui a été décriée dans l’histoire avec un grand H.
Son impuissance face aux Japon, Français Russes, Anglais etc… Je ressentais sa tristesse sa peine ses doutes mais surtout l’auteur a réussi à très bien reconstruire un scénario écrasant et oppressant.
Le point négatif:
Le fait de la voir se débattre et de ne jamais trouver vraiment de solution après un roman historique doit suivre une certaine trame, on ne peut pas non plus réinventer par exemple Marie Antoinette qui ne meurt pas guillotinée.
Les points positifs:
Le fait de ne rien connaître de l’histoire chinoise et d’arriver à suivre très bien l’histoire qui était vraiment prenante.
Voir l’histoire à travers les yeux d’une femme qui a été décriée dans l’histoire avec un grand H.
Son impuissance face aux Japon, Français Russes, Anglais etc… Je ressentais sa tristesse sa peine ses doutes mais surtout l’auteur a réussi à très bien reconstruire un scénario écrasant et oppressant.
Le point négatif:
Le fait de la voir se débattre et de ne jamais trouver vraiment de solution après un roman historique doit suivre une certaine trame, on ne peut pas non plus réinventer par exemple Marie Antoinette qui ne meurt pas guillotinée.
July 29, 2012
At times, I found myself getting tried of the book, and then there would be this wonderful passage of sheer poetry.
This continues the story of Orchid. At times, it feels like Anchee Min is going down a checklist, but I did like the use of perspective as well as whether or not to trust the voice. It does capture the confusion of the time as well as time and place.
Worth reading if you have read the first volume.
This continues the story of Orchid. At times, it feels like Anchee Min is going down a checklist, but I did like the use of perspective as well as whether or not to trust the voice. It does capture the confusion of the time as well as time and place.
Worth reading if you have read the first volume.
October 11, 2009
I'm not going to make it through 50 pages. First of all, as Jill noted in her review, Min basically takes what's written in the history books, puts quotes around it, and calls it dialogue, with occasional brief references to how it makes the empress feel. I felt this was true of Empress Orchid as well, and I don't have the patience to plow through another book like that. Second, as other goodreads reviewers noted, this book is extremely rushed, with each chapter picking up a few years after the previous one and starting with the next significant event on the timeline. Not that I need to know every detail of every day, but this was the opposite extreme -- it lacked flow and felt jarring and discontinuous, less like a novel and more like a recounting of separate historical events.
The best book on China I've read, hands-down, was Wild Swans Three Daughters of China. It focused on a different period of history, but it succeeded where Min's "empress" books failed -- offering me both an engrossing story and an opportunity to deepen my understanding of Chinese history. It's a hard thing to pull off, and I haven't read many other books which succeeded in doing both. So I can't really blame Min for failing, but I can't recommend these books either. I do hope to try Becoming Madame Mao, though -- Min may write more convincingly about the Cultural Revolution, since it's something she experienced firsthand.
The best book on China I've read, hands-down, was Wild Swans Three Daughters of China. It focused on a different period of history, but it succeeded where Min's "empress" books failed -- offering me both an engrossing story and an opportunity to deepen my understanding of Chinese history. It's a hard thing to pull off, and I haven't read many other books which succeeded in doing both. So I can't really blame Min for failing, but I can't recommend these books either. I do hope to try Becoming Madame Mao, though -- Min may write more convincingly about the Cultural Revolution, since it's something she experienced firsthand.
January 19, 2011
I thought this book was absolutetly fascinating. The first book in the series Empress Orchid was an amazing book too. Detailing China's history, The Last Empress not only focuses on the Empress and her struggles, but also the struggle of China to merge its cultural past with the "western" technologies and advancements that are needed to enable China to compete in the world. This book made me want to take a Chinese history class. In both books by Anchee Min, I was amazed at the great lengths she went to explain the Forbidden City, the court of the Empress, the servants, and the lush and rich culture and traditions that were forced upon the Empress. These books had me hooked and were hard to put down. I would read more by this author. I also thought the viewpoint of the 2nd book was very thought proking as (in the US) we are so apt to look at history through our viewpoint, and this really showed the struggle of China to survive, and thier loss of land to other foreign countires. It was interesting reading about the Boxer Rebellion from the "opposite" viewpoint. So interested in the 2 books, I will now have to read some non-fiction on the subject and compare.
September 21, 2023
Випадково натрапила на цю книгу і не пожаліла. Дуже багато сторінок історії Китаю мені невідомі, тому дуже незвично було розуміти, що імператори Китаю жили досить в недалекому минулому. У книзі дуже багато розповідей, де можна дізнатись китайську культуру та традиції - їжу, вбрання та макіяж імператриць, як імператор обирав дружину та наложниць, процесія народження сина імператора на та поховання імператора, про євнухів, як ними ставали та їх обовʼязки, про придворних астрологів та архітекторів. Загалом - така загадкова Піднебесна!
November 2, 2011
“I had to be strong for my son. Although Tung Chih, who was seven, had been Emperor for two years, since ascending the throne in 1861, his regime had been chaotic.”
The follow-up to her acclaimed Empress Orchid, Anchee Min continues to tell the story of real-life Empress Tzu Hsi, who governs China on behalf of her son in the midst of huge changes in the world order. China, which had always been resistant to change, was powerless as Japan took over parts of her provinces, while France and Russia turned a blind eye. Eventually, foreign influence, aggression and a poor economy led to a native Chinese revolt in the Boxer Rebellion, but the powers against China were just too great. Empress Tzu, Hsi, also known as Orchid, is viewed by the Chinese as a tyrannical ruler – they believe she was responsible for the downfall of China. The foreign press portrayed her in a negative light as well, and it is refreshing to read Anchee Min’s perspective of a mother trying to secure the nation by safeguarding the throne for her son. With an eight country coalition against China, it is hardly surprising that she lost her battle.
I enjoyed this novel, and I learned much about the Chinese History that led up to the new Chinese Republic under Chiang Kai-shek. There was a lot of information packed into a small book, and at times is was difficult to get all the people of influence straight. That’s really my only complaint.
The follow-up to her acclaimed Empress Orchid, Anchee Min continues to tell the story of real-life Empress Tzu Hsi, who governs China on behalf of her son in the midst of huge changes in the world order. China, which had always been resistant to change, was powerless as Japan took over parts of her provinces, while France and Russia turned a blind eye. Eventually, foreign influence, aggression and a poor economy led to a native Chinese revolt in the Boxer Rebellion, but the powers against China were just too great. Empress Tzu, Hsi, also known as Orchid, is viewed by the Chinese as a tyrannical ruler – they believe she was responsible for the downfall of China. The foreign press portrayed her in a negative light as well, and it is refreshing to read Anchee Min’s perspective of a mother trying to secure the nation by safeguarding the throne for her son. With an eight country coalition against China, it is hardly surprising that she lost her battle.
I enjoyed this novel, and I learned much about the Chinese History that led up to the new Chinese Republic under Chiang Kai-shek. There was a lot of information packed into a small book, and at times is was difficult to get all the people of influence straight. That’s really my only complaint.
November 18, 2014
Arduous reading but fascinating portrayal of Empress Tzu Hsi, Orchid, the concubine who bore the Emperor's son and heir to the throne. She was the power behind the Ch'ing dynasty for forty years as she outlived her son and her adopted son, both of whom were weak and ineffective rulers. I got interested in this woman as her portrait is on display at VMFA's amazing exhibit of "The Forbidden City," and I wanted to learn more about her. This revisionist historical novel doesn't exactly flow, and the dialogue is wooden and taken from historical records. I got weary of excuses she made for her excesses, but I gave it three stars because I did learn about the dynasty in a relatively painless way.
June 2, 2010
I was intrigued by this book, due to the fascinating Chinese culture I know nothing of. Now I know less. The book is simple sequence of facts with an distortion in favor of emotional state of the main character. Which is quite doubtful and unconvincing. And boring. And pointless. And boring. And boring.
January 12, 2020
The Last Empress by Anchee Min
Published by Mariner Books
Goodread's Rating: 3.81/5
My Rating: 5/5
"In his flowing silk robe and peacock tail hat, the Chinese general threw himself at my feet. His forehead remained down to express his gratitude. As he waited for me to utter "Rise," I myself rose and bowed in his direction. I ignored etiquette; it seemed the proper thing to do. "Let me take a good look at you, Tseng Kuo-fan," I said with tears in my eyes."
My tongue has failed me. My limited vocabulary has restricted me. Let me retrieve the words along with my broken melancholic shards of heart, on the ground of Forbidden City.
"You are about to go on a hunting trip, and I will join you. I will prepare the bows and you will do the shooting. I'd like you to bring me a wild duck, a rabbit and a deer. Maybe not a deer but a wild pig. I will build a fire and roast it. We will have sweet yam wine and we will talk..... But we will not talk about the Boxers or legations, of course. Only our good times together. We will talk about our friends Prince Kung and Li Hung-chang. I will tell you how much I missed you when you went to Sinkiang. You owe me a good seven years. You already know this, but I am going to tell you anyway: I am a happy woman when I am with you."
#MalaysiaMembaca
Published by Mariner Books
Goodread's Rating: 3.81/5
My Rating: 5/5
"In his flowing silk robe and peacock tail hat, the Chinese general threw himself at my feet. His forehead remained down to express his gratitude. As he waited for me to utter "Rise," I myself rose and bowed in his direction. I ignored etiquette; it seemed the proper thing to do. "Let me take a good look at you, Tseng Kuo-fan," I said with tears in my eyes."
My tongue has failed me. My limited vocabulary has restricted me. Let me retrieve the words along with my broken melancholic shards of heart, on the ground of Forbidden City.
"You are about to go on a hunting trip, and I will join you. I will prepare the bows and you will do the shooting. I'd like you to bring me a wild duck, a rabbit and a deer. Maybe not a deer but a wild pig. I will build a fire and roast it. We will have sweet yam wine and we will talk..... But we will not talk about the Boxers or legations, of course. Only our good times together. We will talk about our friends Prince Kung and Li Hung-chang. I will tell you how much I missed you when you went to Sinkiang. You owe me a good seven years. You already know this, but I am going to tell you anyway: I am a happy woman when I am with you."
#MalaysiaMembaca
July 23, 2017
I’m sort of obsessed with Cixi, but I seriously regret wasting money on this book. It’s so devoid of substance it hurts. There are no fictional characters in it, yet NO ONE behaves like a real person of their place and time. The empress does nothing but sniff the flowers, cry, and invite men for consultations aka for tea. Yes! The Empress Dowager of China has secret tea parties with dudes who are not even the part of her family! And she invites them to sit down! Nobody could sit down in her presence, save for the emperor – sometimes. And that emperor, her adopted son, who was poisoned by her – she arranged for that merely a few hours before her own death – in this book he’s a non-entity (not even a necessary figurehead without whom Cixi’s role would be different) and she’s an affectionate mother.
I wouldn’t have cared about the above, if the book had been at least entertaining. It’s not; it’s dry and flat and aimless. Cixi’s life is raw material for thousands of books, but this one reads like an extremely poor historical fantasy, so unauthentic it is. The motivations, way of thinking, and behavior of the characters are modern and Westernized, and sadly it’s obvious that the author doesn’t feel at home in Qing China.
May 31, 2016
Anchee Min is one of my favourite authors, and Empress Orchid is one of my favorite books, but this sequel seems to delve a little more into Empress Cixi's evil reputation, making the main character more and more unlikeable. She's still an engaging protagonist, but it did cut into my enjoyment of the book compared to the first.
With Cixi's power temporarily solidified, The Last Empress has a distinctly different feel than the original story in Empress Orchid (which was more about learning the ropes of court).
Changing the romanization from Tzu Hsi to Cixi also threw me for a loop.
With Cixi's power temporarily solidified, The Last Empress has a distinctly different feel than the original story in Empress Orchid (which was more about learning the ropes of court).
Changing the romanization from Tzu Hsi to Cixi also threw me for a loop.
May 31, 2021
This follows on from Empress Orchid, which I quite enjoyed. Not so for The Last Empress.
This felt like the reader was just being fired dates and facts and the flow of the storyline was completely lost within. 😕
This felt like the reader was just being fired dates and facts and the flow of the storyline was completely lost within. 😕
November 6, 2016
The Last Empress, sequel to Empress Orchid, is the last book in the duology dedicated to Tzu Hsi, who was, as the title suggests, the last empress of China.
I really enjoyed the first book, and this second one didn't disappoint either. Tzu Hsi, or Orchid, is a truly memorable character, and the story is still gripping, even if there were some parts I found a little heavy or too slow. Another thing I didn't exactly like was the fact that, especially at the beginning, the author jumps a lot in the storytelling: for example, in one page Orchid's son has just become emperor, and in the next page he has been reigning for three years. It didn't bother me too much, but it felt a little like the author was trying too hard to condense a very long time period in a single book. But, for the most part, I really enjoyed the story.
I greatly liked Orchid in the first novel, and I fell in love with her all over again as soon as I started this sequel. She is an admirably strong character, she is wise, smart and always willing to sacrifice her happiness for her country. Her sense of duty is extreme, but it is understandable. Even though she tries so hard to do what's best, she doesn't always succeed and on the contrary she is often misunderstood or slandered. Orchid faces some great hardships in the first book as well, but in this second novel her story is absolutely tragic. She suffers so many injustices and heartbreaks, I felt so much for her. The scene which affected me the most was
Concluding, this was a truly well written, fascinating and emotional duology about a memorable woman, and it made me want to learn more about her and China history (which I know absolutely nothing about). Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed the first book, and this second one didn't disappoint either. Tzu Hsi, or Orchid, is a truly memorable character, and the story is still gripping, even if there were some parts I found a little heavy or too slow. Another thing I didn't exactly like was the fact that, especially at the beginning, the author jumps a lot in the storytelling: for example, in one page Orchid's son has just become emperor, and in the next page he has been reigning for three years. It didn't bother me too much, but it felt a little like the author was trying too hard to condense a very long time period in a single book. But, for the most part, I really enjoyed the story.
I greatly liked Orchid in the first novel, and I fell in love with her all over again as soon as I started this sequel. She is an admirably strong character, she is wise, smart and always willing to sacrifice her happiness for her country. Her sense of duty is extreme, but it is understandable. Even though she tries so hard to do what's best, she doesn't always succeed and on the contrary she is often misunderstood or slandered. Orchid faces some great hardships in the first book as well, but in this second novel her story is absolutely tragic. She suffers so many injustices and heartbreaks, I felt so much for her. The scene which affected me the most was
Concluding, this was a truly well written, fascinating and emotional duology about a memorable woman, and it made me want to learn more about her and China history (which I know absolutely nothing about). Highly recommended.
May 28, 2012
Our book club read the first of these two books ("Empress Orchid" by Anchee Min) and I just had to know the rest of the story, so I sought out "The Last Empress." I'm glad I did, especially after I did some research upon finishing this book. Anchee Min did an amazing job of taking the facts of history (the positive and inaccurate) regarding this time in Chinese history, and intertwined it into a story that made it more human and real than any history book or lecture.
Every mother wishes the best for her child, especially when her child is destined to lead his country - hopefully to greatness. Orchid's husband had not been raised to fully comprehend the real world, as opposed to the reality of the world he had been asked to rule. Orchid promises herself that their son will not suffer the same fate...but she does not have full control of how he is raised. She learns as she continues to help prepare several emperors rise from childhood to the position of ruler of China that their training ill-prepares them to lead. She sees that to be a truly good leader, education must be a balance of the glories of history, the harshness of reality coupled with the tools of reasoning.
How difficult it must have been to have the understanding of all three of these areas, but not to have the ability and support of those around her to accomplish the necessary goals. Women have rarely been supported in positions of governing; China's history mandated a paternal society where women had a clearly defined area...making themselves beautiful and making babies, preferably male babies.
I highly recommend this book for those who want to see how history is truly made...behind the scenes with lots of intrigue and perseverance!
Every mother wishes the best for her child, especially when her child is destined to lead his country - hopefully to greatness. Orchid's husband had not been raised to fully comprehend the real world, as opposed to the reality of the world he had been asked to rule. Orchid promises herself that their son will not suffer the same fate...but she does not have full control of how he is raised. She learns as she continues to help prepare several emperors rise from childhood to the position of ruler of China that their training ill-prepares them to lead. She sees that to be a truly good leader, education must be a balance of the glories of history, the harshness of reality coupled with the tools of reasoning.
How difficult it must have been to have the understanding of all three of these areas, but not to have the ability and support of those around her to accomplish the necessary goals. Women have rarely been supported in positions of governing; China's history mandated a paternal society where women had a clearly defined area...making themselves beautiful and making babies, preferably male babies.
I highly recommend this book for those who want to see how history is truly made...behind the scenes with lots of intrigue and perseverance!
November 10, 2010
I thought perhaps this sequel to Empress Orchid might prove as vividly stunning but I was dismayed.
This sequel focuses largely on Empress Ci Xi's later life as a ruling regent for two different Emperors but seems to continually regurgitate historical facts and processes towards the second half of the book.
While the first half was not as disappointing, giving an account of how Empress Ci Xi tries hard to reconcile with her son, the second half merely uses the last few wars of the Qing Dynasty to make an end to the book.
While indeed Empress Ci Xi's life might have been as boring as a few political, military and economic decisions made from her inner palace, since this was a book not based strictly on historical facts, I was hoping that Anchee Min could have expanded on her imagination and give a more entrancing account of Empress Ci Xi's rise in power and how she was misunderstood by everybody.
If one were to read this book, while the first half of the book might still be readable, the second half would be a complete boring let-down and you would not miss much skipping to the last chapter where Empress Ci Xi is on her deathbed.
This sequel focuses largely on Empress Ci Xi's later life as a ruling regent for two different Emperors but seems to continually regurgitate historical facts and processes towards the second half of the book.
While the first half was not as disappointing, giving an account of how Empress Ci Xi tries hard to reconcile with her son, the second half merely uses the last few wars of the Qing Dynasty to make an end to the book.
While indeed Empress Ci Xi's life might have been as boring as a few political, military and economic decisions made from her inner palace, since this was a book not based strictly on historical facts, I was hoping that Anchee Min could have expanded on her imagination and give a more entrancing account of Empress Ci Xi's rise in power and how she was misunderstood by everybody.
If one were to read this book, while the first half of the book might still be readable, the second half would be a complete boring let-down and you would not miss much skipping to the last chapter where Empress Ci Xi is on her deathbed.
March 9, 2016
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...
August 6, 2008
" ... a powerful revisionist portrait [fictionalized account of a real historical person] of Tsu Hsi, Lady Yehonala, or Empress Orchid, who ruled China for more than 40 years in the late 1800's / early 1900's."
"The Dragon Lady" was portrayed in the Western press as a manipulative, blood-thirsty, ruthless woman who held on to power at all costs.
"The woman Anchee Min portrays gives us a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly and sacrificed all she had to protect those she loved and an empire -- the Ch'ing Dynasty -- that was doomed to die."
Regardless of which version of Empress Orchid is true, this is an engrossing, fascinating look into Chinese history and culture, and world history as well. I learned so much!
Anchee Min's "Empress Orchid" covers the ruler's early life up until the events in this book. I'll be reading that book very soon.
"The Dragon Lady" was portrayed in the Western press as a manipulative, blood-thirsty, ruthless woman who held on to power at all costs.
"The woman Anchee Min portrays gives us a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly and sacrificed all she had to protect those she loved and an empire -- the Ch'ing Dynasty -- that was doomed to die."
Regardless of which version of Empress Orchid is true, this is an engrossing, fascinating look into Chinese history and culture, and world history as well. I learned so much!
Anchee Min's "Empress Orchid" covers the ruler's early life up until the events in this book. I'll be reading that book very soon.
April 18, 2017
I was oscillating between 3 and 4 stars. the book is easy to read, though some descriptions seem like neverending. interesting to learn more about the lives in the forbidden city, concubines, eunucs. it is the first book I read of this kind. The plot is quite simple and easy to follow. interesting to see the development of the main character. the inner factor is there, I would have wished - more insightfullness of the characters and less unendless descriptions of the pillars of the castles. The whole psychology is quite easy and superficial. nevertheless enjoyable read.
September 15, 2014
I loved Empress Orchid, but here Min sticks way too closely to historical events, and I never got a clear picture of the empress: She wants her son to rule, yet her son seems terrified of her; she doesn't seem to have enough outrage at what the foreigners are doing to her country; she reads the Times (of London) and cares what the journalists write.
But in the end it just didn't have the emotional drama of the first book, which it could have done.
But in the end it just didn't have the emotional drama of the first book, which it could have done.
November 30, 2018
I loved Anchee Min’s previous novel Empress Orchid and The Last Empress continued the wonderful story. It swept me along by the story of Empress Ci Xi and the exquisite details of life in the Forbidden City. This is a refreshing perspective on a complicated and often misrepresented woman.
September 12, 2016
Nastavak ne tako dobar kao prvi dio, što je stvarno šteta, jer me prva knjiga oduševila.
Previše nebitnih razgovora, transkripata i slično razvlače radnju i čine ju vrlo mlakom. Teško se snalaziti i između svih tih prinčeva, ujaka, ministara i svih ostalih likova.
Previše nebitnih razgovora, transkripata i slično razvlače radnju i čine ju vrlo mlakom. Teško se snalaziti i između svih tih prinčeva, ujaka, ministara i svih ostalih likova.
July 15, 2008
Carries on from Empress Orchid (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...), starting soon after her husband dies, leaving her and the (principal) empress to govern in lieu of her young son.
May 12, 2020
More like 3.5 stars.
I've really enjoyed taking a major Chinese history lesson, particularly learning about China's Empress Tzu Hsi, with the Empress Orchid duology. I did enjoy this book, but not as much as the first book, Empress Orchid.
I was saddened to learn what happened to several characters at the end, and even became a little teary-eyed about one particular person and his outcome.
The structure of this novel, was much like the first book, and while I enjoyed learning about all of the politics, military strategy, etc., in The Last Empress, I found I enjoyed it a bit less. It was quite dense, and some of it was a bit hard to understand. I will give credit to the author for doing an excellent job trying to explain every situation and idea, but some of it was still a bit hard to understand. I think some of it is because of my lack of history knowledge of China in the 1800's and early 1900's.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Empress Orchid duology. It makes me look forward to reading more of Anchee Min's works, of which I have a few more on my bookshelves. I know the book Becoming Madam Mao, also written by Anchee Min, is considered to be loosely apart of the Empress Orchid duology. However, I probably won't read it just yet.
I learned so much about the Emperor's wives' selection, the selection of concubines, and the inner workings of the Forbidden City. It was all very fascinating. It was also equally fascinating to learn about Empress Tzu Hsi, and how she came into power. Even though I feel as though Anchee Min did such a thorough job within these two books with Empress Tzu Hsi's life, I feel as though I could read another one because the author made her story so fascinating to me.
As a whole I'd give the duology a solid 4 stars. Very well researched, written, and they make me want to keep reading Anchee Min's works. I highly recommend the Empress Orchid duology for anyone who is interested in Asian historical-fiction, Asian history, the lives of emperors, particularly empresses, and in particular, Empress Orchid Tzu Hsi.
I've really enjoyed taking a major Chinese history lesson, particularly learning about China's Empress Tzu Hsi, with the Empress Orchid duology. I did enjoy this book, but not as much as the first book, Empress Orchid.
I was saddened to learn what happened to several characters at the end, and even became a little teary-eyed about one particular person and his outcome.
The structure of this novel, was much like the first book, and while I enjoyed learning about all of the politics, military strategy, etc., in The Last Empress, I found I enjoyed it a bit less. It was quite dense, and some of it was a bit hard to understand. I will give credit to the author for doing an excellent job trying to explain every situation and idea, but some of it was still a bit hard to understand. I think some of it is because of my lack of history knowledge of China in the 1800's and early 1900's.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Empress Orchid duology. It makes me look forward to reading more of Anchee Min's works, of which I have a few more on my bookshelves. I know the book Becoming Madam Mao, also written by Anchee Min, is considered to be loosely apart of the Empress Orchid duology. However, I probably won't read it just yet.
I learned so much about the Emperor's wives' selection, the selection of concubines, and the inner workings of the Forbidden City. It was all very fascinating. It was also equally fascinating to learn about Empress Tzu Hsi, and how she came into power. Even though I feel as though Anchee Min did such a thorough job within these two books with Empress Tzu Hsi's life, I feel as though I could read another one because the author made her story so fascinating to me.
As a whole I'd give the duology a solid 4 stars. Very well researched, written, and they make me want to keep reading Anchee Min's works. I highly recommend the Empress Orchid duology for anyone who is interested in Asian historical-fiction, Asian history, the lives of emperors, particularly empresses, and in particular, Empress Orchid Tzu Hsi.
July 27, 2024
3.5 stars. Provides a good description of what happened, but character development somewhat lacking
October 16, 2015
The Last Empress is the sequel to Empress Orchid. While the last book ended with Orchid’s son becoming the Emperor, the sequel starts with Orchid mourning the death of her mother. The book describes her regency till the end of her days.
Compared to the first book, this book is bland. The author hurries through major events quickly and keeps moving from one topic to the other with a breathless frequency and the reader is left with a feeling of confusion and dissatisfaction. A lot of interesting events that would have enabled the reader to connect with the characters were simply covered in a couple of paragraphs. The death of Antehai and that of Tung Chih are examples of how the author failed to evoke emotions.
Though the writing style is similar to that of Empress Orchid, this book somehow doesn’t work. The first book saw the growth of a young girl from a penniless orphan to the most powerful Empress regent in China and thus provided a character arc as well as some investment in the characters. In the second book, all that is lost. You don’t really care about any of them and the rush with which the author hurries through the events doesn’t even give you the time to soak in anything. Dry and boring, it reads more like a diary of a politician or a propaganda textbook than a novel. The retrospective aspect of the narrative just makes things worse and robs the story of any interest as it just deteriorates into an endless medley of whining and excuses by the Empress.
The narrative was also inconsistent. Sometimes, the narrator (Orchid) would praise Tutor Weng with such passages “While most ministers vied with each other to be ever more elaborately gracious in their expression of admiration toward us, Tutor Weng never flattered. He was brutally honest.”, while in the very next page, she would imply that he was insincere – “I now wished that Tutor Weng would quit his pointless displays of sincerity and get on with preparing Guang-hsu for the business of rule.”
The historical details are far from accurate in this book, as opposed to the first one. The Hundred Days Reform could have been really an exciting section but I have never read anything more boring. One of the most exciting events of the century, the Boxer Rebellion, dwindled into an extremely boring narration of who led what battle. The Empress is depicted as balanced but she was actually a strong leader of the conservative faction. This, in itself, is not a problem, but showing a woman with some integrity and strong belief would have helped generate some interest in the story. There is no mention of the 1898 coup d’état either and instead it was presented as a murder attempt of Tzu Hsi by the Emperor. She did not even give the order for the takeover and simply went into a daze and allowed the men to take all the decisions. All the interesting historical stuff was simply edited out and just boring whining about one negotiation after the other was listed out.
A final problem I had was that the author seemed very pro-European and described the Westerners as ‘civilised’, while implying that the Chinese were not. It is rather surprising because the author herself is of Chinese origin, so I am not sure why she chose to depict the events in this manner. Japan was often praised for becoming Westernised and civilised when in fact, it was Japan and the West which screwed China royally. Unless, of course, civilised means something quite different to some people. She even goes on to extol how awesome British education was by claiming that a prince invented the flush toilet for his mother, the Queen, while the royal Chinese sons are useless. Sounds awesome, but that queen was the one known as the Virgin Queen and John Harrington (the inventor) was not her son so it was just an excuse invented to prop up her pro-West bias. Then she also describes the loss of land as ‘rape’. I think that is when I lost interest completely. Rape is forcible penetration of a HUMAN BEING without their consent. Losing land to foreigners is NOT rape.
Overall, the depiction of the Empress as a whiny and tearful scapegoat without any real power simply does not work. She had too much power and had her fingers in every pie. She had plenty of loyal friends and knew how to rule. The idea that she was always taken unawares by the plotting men just makes me laugh. No one survives in a snake pit like the Qing court just like that! If the Empress never took any decisions and simply allowed the men around her to make these decisions, why did she even hold any power? The book provides no convincing answer. This is just another book about a poor weak powerful woman!
Compared to the first book, this book is bland. The author hurries through major events quickly and keeps moving from one topic to the other with a breathless frequency and the reader is left with a feeling of confusion and dissatisfaction. A lot of interesting events that would have enabled the reader to connect with the characters were simply covered in a couple of paragraphs. The death of Antehai and that of Tung Chih are examples of how the author failed to evoke emotions.
Though the writing style is similar to that of Empress Orchid, this book somehow doesn’t work. The first book saw the growth of a young girl from a penniless orphan to the most powerful Empress regent in China and thus provided a character arc as well as some investment in the characters. In the second book, all that is lost. You don’t really care about any of them and the rush with which the author hurries through the events doesn’t even give you the time to soak in anything. Dry and boring, it reads more like a diary of a politician or a propaganda textbook than a novel. The retrospective aspect of the narrative just makes things worse and robs the story of any interest as it just deteriorates into an endless medley of whining and excuses by the Empress.
The narrative was also inconsistent. Sometimes, the narrator (Orchid) would praise Tutor Weng with such passages “While most ministers vied with each other to be ever more elaborately gracious in their expression of admiration toward us, Tutor Weng never flattered. He was brutally honest.”, while in the very next page, she would imply that he was insincere – “I now wished that Tutor Weng would quit his pointless displays of sincerity and get on with preparing Guang-hsu for the business of rule.”
The historical details are far from accurate in this book, as opposed to the first one. The Hundred Days Reform could have been really an exciting section but I have never read anything more boring. One of the most exciting events of the century, the Boxer Rebellion, dwindled into an extremely boring narration of who led what battle. The Empress is depicted as balanced but she was actually a strong leader of the conservative faction. This, in itself, is not a problem, but showing a woman with some integrity and strong belief would have helped generate some interest in the story. There is no mention of the 1898 coup d’état either and instead it was presented as a murder attempt of Tzu Hsi by the Emperor. She did not even give the order for the takeover and simply went into a daze and allowed the men to take all the decisions. All the interesting historical stuff was simply edited out and just boring whining about one negotiation after the other was listed out.
A final problem I had was that the author seemed very pro-European and described the Westerners as ‘civilised’, while implying that the Chinese were not. It is rather surprising because the author herself is of Chinese origin, so I am not sure why she chose to depict the events in this manner. Japan was often praised for becoming Westernised and civilised when in fact, it was Japan and the West which screwed China royally. Unless, of course, civilised means something quite different to some people. She even goes on to extol how awesome British education was by claiming that a prince invented the flush toilet for his mother, the Queen, while the royal Chinese sons are useless. Sounds awesome, but that queen was the one known as the Virgin Queen and John Harrington (the inventor) was not her son so it was just an excuse invented to prop up her pro-West bias. Then she also describes the loss of land as ‘rape’. I think that is when I lost interest completely. Rape is forcible penetration of a HUMAN BEING without their consent. Losing land to foreigners is NOT rape.
Overall, the depiction of the Empress as a whiny and tearful scapegoat without any real power simply does not work. She had too much power and had her fingers in every pie. She had plenty of loyal friends and knew how to rule. The idea that she was always taken unawares by the plotting men just makes me laugh. No one survives in a snake pit like the Qing court just like that! If the Empress never took any decisions and simply allowed the men around her to make these decisions, why did she even hold any power? The book provides no convincing answer. This is just another book about a poor weak powerful woman!
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