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Empress Orchidby Anchee Min
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:It is the final days of the Chinese empire. Trade in opium with Europe is slowly corroding the power of the Ch'ing Dynasty. Orchid, a beautiful seventeen-year-old from an aristocratic but impoverished family, is pushed into the maelstrom when she finds herself unexpectedly chosen to become a low-ranking concubine of the emperor. The world inside the Forbidden City is erotically charged and highly ritualized, but beneath its immaculate face lie whispers of murders and ghosts. The thousands of concubines will go to any lengths to bear the emperor a son and become his empress. Determined not to be a victim of jealousy and foul play, Orchid trains herself in the art of pleasuring a man, bribes her way into the royal bed, and seduces the monarch. Little does she know that China will collapse around her, and she will be its last empress. Empress Orchid is the story of a fascinating, strong-willed woman who for generations has been vilified as a grand seductress and murderer. Anchee Min draws a vivid portrait of a flawed yet utterly compelling woman and, through her life, of the world of the Chinese court and the sexual and political lives of the royal concubines. Richly detailed and completely gripping, this is a novel of high drama and lyricism from the acclaimed author of Becoming Madame Mao and Red Azalea. Review:"Min evokes a doomed realm so opulent, complex, and bizarre that it seems as fantastic as an alternative world in science fiction, but Orchid is 100 percent human, and her earthy story is true and significant....[A] bewitching novel." Booklist Review:"As she has shown before, Min has a talent for entering into the character of notorious Chinese women and presenting their lives in a sympathetic but judicious light....[An] imaginative work." Library Journal Review:"Evocative, but underpowered in simple narrative." Kirkus Reviews Review:"Powerful and brilliantly conceived." Booklist (Starred Review) Synopsis:Empress Orchid" is the story of a fascinating, strong-willed woman who for generations has been vilified as a grand seductress and murderer. Min draws a vivid portrait of a flawed yet utterly compelling woman and, through her life, of the world of the Chinese court and the sexual and political lives of the royal concubines. About the AuthorAnchee Min, who was born in Shanghai in 1957, has a personal connection to the story of Madame Mao. At seventeen, she was sent to a labor collective, where after a number of years a talent scout recruited her for Madame Mao's Shanghai Film Studio. There she was trained to play the protagonists in Madame Mao's propaganda films and personally met Jiang Ching and others in her circle, who later provided Min with stories and insights. Min came to the United States in 1984 with the help of the actress Joan Chen. Her memoir, Red Azalea, was named a New York Times Notable Book of 1994 and was an international bestseller, with rights sold in twenty countries. Her first novel, Katharine, was published in 1997. She resides in New York. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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