Book Review: Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

Fictional Biography of the Last Empress of China

Sep 2, 2008

Anchee Min's attention to detail drowns the characters and plot of an otherwise intensely gripping piece of literature.

Described by the New York Times as "A wild, passionate, fearless American writer", Anchee Min's fictionalized account of the Empress Dowager Tsu His, the last Empress of China for 46 years of the Ch'ing Dynasty in the 19th century, is beautiful fiction set to a historic backdrop.

The plot pulls the reader into 19th century China and captivates them through the stunning detail and the author's unique writing style. For those with an interest in Chinese history, the subject is fascinating. For those who just love a good read, this page-turning novel delivers such high quality description, a visit to the Forbidden City almost seems worthwhile.

The History

Ultimately, this book is a work of fiction that is merely based on historic events. Having knowledge of or researching Chinese history makes it easy to spot inaccuracies, spoiling the novel for what it is and what it is meant to taken as. Anchee Min did her research but wrote a book from the point of view of a historical figure. This writing style has mainly gained criticism as the shadow of real-life events and facts will always hang over it and, often, its potential as a fictional novel is overlooked.

The Fiction

However interesting it is described as, the plot could never be considered fast-paced. It instead moves slowly through the life of Orchid as she is transformed from a young girl living in poverty to one of the Emperor's wives. There is nothing 'adventurous' or 'exciting' about the story; it is a rigid portrayal of facts with sometimes equally rigid characters.

This is the biggest disappointment as Orchid's character is not developed in a great deal of depth and is lost in the overwhelming detail. An interest in the Chinese culture is essential to enjoy this book. Those who are interested in the subject will be drawn in by the detail and feel as though they are being transported to China 150 years ago

Summary

The book ends at a somewhat disappointing stage with no details for the future of Orchid. The squeal, entitled The Last Empress, no doubt continues where Empress Orchid left off but that doesn't stop the reader from feeling as though they have only read half of a story. Anchee Min is most certainly a passionate writer but with a little more focus on characters, dialogue and plot, Empress Orchid could have been so much better. Worth a read for fans of oriental literature (such as Memoirs of a Geisha and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) but historians may want to give this one a miss.

The copyright of the article Book Review: Empress Orchid by Anchee Min in Asian Literature is owned by Amber Lindley. Permission to republish Book Review: Empress Orchid by Anchee Min in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.