To rescue her family from poverty and avoid marrying her slope-shouldered cousin, seventeen-year-old Orchid competes to be one of the Emperor's wives. When she is chosen as a lower-ranking concubine she enters the erotically charged and ritualised Forbidden City. But beneath its immaculate facade lie whispers of murders and ghosts, and the thousands of concubines will stoop to any lengths to bear the Emperor's son. Orchid trains herself in the art of pleasuring a man, bribes her way into the royal bed, and seduces the monarch, drawing the attention of dangerous foes. Little does she know that China will collapse around her, and that she will be its last Empress.
Empress Orchid
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Review
‘A stirring, exotic novel that is a treat for the senses and the intellect alike’ -- Los Angeles Times
‘A wild, passionate, fearless American writer’ -- New York Times
‘Empress Orchid is strong on both sexual chicanery and violent conspiracy ... fascinating’ -- Guardian
‘Engrossing ... enhanced by Min’s imaginative power ... Like all good novelists, she implies as much as she says’ -- Glasgow Herald
‘A wild, passionate, fearless American writer’ -- New York Times
‘Empress Orchid is strong on both sexual chicanery and violent conspiracy ... fascinating’ -- Guardian
‘Engrossing ... enhanced by Min’s imaginative power ... Like all good novelists, she implies as much as she says’ -- Glasgow Herald
From the Publisher
An enthralling, erotic story of Imperial China from the author of Red Azalea and Becoming Madame Mao
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By J F Atkin
Format:Paperback
I picked this book up at the airport and read the back while waiting for my husband to buy some magazines. I hadnt even finished the back cover and knew i had to have it.
The storyline centres around Orchid, a young Chinese girl in the 1800's who is chosen as one of the Emperor's Concubines and becomes one of the most powerful women in Chinese history. It follows her life from enterting into her marriage and gives you a real insight into the Forbidden City and life as a concubine.
This is an extremely enjoyable read which is written in an easy to follow style. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author has written it, her style is fresh and keeps your attention constantly.
The character of Orchid and that of her head Eunuch are both interesting and very likeable characters. The voice of Orchid is truthful and entertaining with a hint of every emotion possible. There are tearful moments and laugh out loud snippets.
I would recommend this book happily, and would have given it 5 stars but for the fact i felt the ending was a little frustrating. The author finished on what she believes to be a high note and a good ending, but part of her writing style is to tell you parts of the future throughout the book in a casual manner (for example from the beginning Orchid tells us about being the most powerful woman in China by becoming the Empress, you dont have to read past the first chapter to see she will survive through all death threats etc in the book). However at the end i felt that a few of these casually mentioned parts of the story were not finished off and i found that frustrating. I really needed to know more! Its almost like there was going to be a second part, you were left really wanting more.
I am a big fan of Memoirs of a Geisha and Geisha of Gion, and although a totally different subject manner, i found this book equally fascinating.
Happy reading!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Me read
Format:Paperback
I loved it. The story of a girl overcoming hardships, set in the Forbidden City. She goes from nothing to becoming one of the most formidable women in China at the time. It's a work of fiction but is based on a real character, the Empress Dowager. This book only takes us through her early life though, before she becomes the Dowager empress and the story continues with the sequel. It was wonderful to soak up the atmosphere, pomp and ceremony from the pages and I can't wait to read what happens to her next.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I saw this book advertised on Richard and Judy's Bookclub and decided to get it. I'm so glad that i did, for it is a fantastic read. I found the main character Orchid to be a really strong and determined woman, who I grew to love. Her life is so tragic as a young girl, and you wonder how she and her family will survive with no money and no father to provide for them. I was horrified at the thought of her marrying her opium-addict cousin, and desperatley wanted her to fall in love with the emperor, which she did, but unfortuantley, it wasn't that simple in that time. Her fight to win the affections of the emperor and the things that she did in order to gain experience were incrediable, and the relationship between Orchid and the other empress, Nuharoo, had me turning the pages until the end. It also has some humerous parts which made me laugh out loud, like when she wanted to use the chamber pot with her maids around. I also grew to love the character of An-te-hai, and really wanted to slap her son Tun Chih at times! A truely enchanting and enlightening tale, the only reason it didn't get five as that it sometimes dragged a little.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting use of fiction and non-fiction
A very well written book that infuses history with whimsy- love it! Definitely recommend to anyone interested in China's history or strong woman figures!
Published 7 days ago by Shelley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
excellent book, had me hooked from the beginning and i couldnt put it down
Thanks a bunch Amazon for being you
Thanks a bunch Amazon for being you
Published 2 months ago by Nikkipage244
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
I bought this book in a bookstore in Amsterdam. The description on the back cover captured my attention,, and since I like reading about women in other cultures, I thought this... Read more
Published 7 months ago by magdabf
1.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing, shallow and crude
As a huge fan of memoirs of a geisha, I had high hopes for this book .... but I was very disappointed by it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by clockwork orange
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!
I'm aware that this book is probably not 100% factually acurate, but if you view it as fiction, it is absorbing and fascinating. Read more
Published 9 months ago by raven_guest
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely stunning!
I am a huge fan of Anchee Min and was very impressed and pleased with this book. Empress Orchid was an absolutely stunning book to read with a beautiful story line and with the... Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2010 by GoldDragonFly
4.0 out of 5 stars
easier to read than you'd think
I did wonder whether this book would be too long and drawn out as i do like a 'flowing' read, not one you have to give too much thought to, but i need not have worried it's a good... Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2010 by teddy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Empress Orchid
Kept me engrossed to the end, gave an insight into the fascinating powerful world of the Forbidden City, now reading the Last Empress.
Published on 16 Mar 2010 by Janette Cox
5.0 out of 5 stars
Empress Orchid
A very readable book written in the first person. If you like this book I would reccommend The Dragon Lady by Sterling Seagrove to get more detailed information about Tzu Hsi. Read more
Published on 17 Feb 2010 by Mrs. E. A. Tong
1.0 out of 5 stars
a real page turner ....
.... because I couldn't wait to get to the end and be done with it. Simple and one dimensional, this book could have been so much better. Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2010 by Matteusz
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