From the Bookshelf of Around the World…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Note to self: You have read this book. Twice. Do not forget again.
Mainly because of all the books I own, I'm kinda pissed I read this one twice. I never reread. Mainly as I have so many books to read. There are some I will reread, probably in a few years time as like a 20th anniversary since first read hurrah or something. But this one wouldn't make the list.
Look. It was fine. It was a story of a poor girl fallen from high background who managed to wiggle her way into the Forbidden City as a ch ...more
Mainly because of all the books I own, I'm kinda pissed I read this one twice. I never reread. Mainly as I have so many books to read. There are some I will reread, probably in a few years time as like a 20th anniversary since first read hurrah or something. But this one wouldn't make the list.
Look. It was fine. It was a story of a poor girl fallen from high background who managed to wiggle her way into the Forbidden City as a ch ...more
The author, Amchee Min, was born in Shanghai and came of age in China during the Cultural Revolution, and still visits there regularly. Being able to read Chinese, Min was able to extensively research her period using primary sources. I therefore trusted her depiction of late Ching dynasty China is fairly accurate. This novel is told as the first person account of China's infamous "Dowager Empress," Tzu Hsi aka Red Orchid, who came to the Forbidden City as one of the Emperor's brides when she wa
...more
Very readable, meticulous in some aspects of detail, glances over nearly everything else. The character depicted, however, is so at odds with the conventional historical image that it is reads like political hagiography.
Good historical fiction, lots of drama but not overly melodramatic. The characters are strong, especially Orchid as the narrator. I love the description of Forbidden City circa 1800s, it feels so vivid. Recommended for historical fiction lovers - as well as Asian literature enthusiasts.
This work of historical fiction is an entertaining and informative trip into 1850s China and its last Empress. I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to reading Min's next book.
...more
Apr 22, 2010
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
Mar 31, 2012
Vinoth
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2012
Dee
marked it as to-read
Jun 01, 2012
Diane
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bipoc-author,
historical-fiction,
chinese,
21st-century,
asia,
2013-reads,
around-the-world-2013
Aug 18, 2012
Aleks Veselovsky
marked it as to-read
Aug 31, 2012
sash.
marked it as to-read
Feb 28, 2013
Pragya
marked it as to-read
Nov 06, 2013
Helena
marked it as to-read
Nov 22, 2015
Francesca
marked it as to-read
Oct 26, 2016
Faryal Mukhtar
marked it as to-read
Sep 14, 2017
Allison
marked it as to-read
Dec 30, 2017
Karawan
marked it as to-read
Jul 17, 2020
Carolin
marked it as to-read
Aug 13, 2020
Kristin
marked it as to-read
