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The Last Empress: A Novel
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780547053707
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0547053703
Label: Mariner Books
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: April 07, 2008
Publisher: Mariner Books
Studio: Mariner Books
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Editorial Review:
Power is a here-today, gone-tomorrow concept in Chinese history, especially for women. In her previous novel, Empress Orchid, Anchee Min covered the first part of the life of Tzu Hsi, or Empress Orchid. Now, in The Last Empress, the empress is a widow, mother of the only male heir of the now-deceased emperor, and in a formidable position. Still, she must contend with palace intrigue on all fronts; even her eunuchs are bribed. She must put up with the smiling faces of men and women who mean her great harm, and, worst of all, her son takes up with prostitutes and dies of veneral disease. She adopts her nephew to be emperor, treats him like a son, and despairs of his weakness. Constant deceit is not the only difficulty which must be faced: incursions of foreigners and domestic rebellion are also part of this violent period at the end of the 19th century. There is the love-hate relationship with the Japanese, the Boxer Rebellion, and widespread mistrust of Western foreigners. Yet Empress Orchid believes that they must appease these factions in order to preserve the dynasty and the throne. All these problems converge to bring the Ch'ing Dynasty to its eventual demise.
A disclaimer: do not read The Last Empress as straight historical fact. Anchee Min makes no bones about the fact that her writing is meant to "rehabilitate" crucial female figures in Chinese history. Whichever account of Tzu Hsi is correct, the historical tradition that she was an overbearing harridan, selfish, greedy, and bloodthirsty or Min's portrayal of her as a loving mother, trying to protect her country and longing to step down but prevented from doing so by her wishy-washy son, The Last Empress is an endlessly interesting look at palace life, that hermetically sealed world that once existed in China. --Valerie Ryan
The last decades of the nineteenth century were a violent period in China's history, marked by humiliating foreign incursions and domestic rebellions and ending in the demise of the Ch'ing Dynasty. The only constant during this tumultuous time was the power wielded by one woman, the resilient, ever-resourceful Tsu Hsi -- or Empress Orchid, as readers came to know her in Anchee Min's critically acclaimed, best-selling novel covering her rise to power.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. In this concluding volume Min gives us a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly and sacrificed all to protect those she loved and an empire that was doomed to die.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - ok
Good book.
I always wondered why China maintained itself so isolated for so many centuries. I started to understand the real reasons by reading this book.
This queen was exceptionally intelligent; she knew how to manipulate man and keep the control over millions ...excellent !
On the other hand, the read very complicated and convoluted !
Rating:  - The Last Empress
Fiction based on History, brings the main Character, The Last Empress to life...Was a very good selection for our book club...had a nice Chinese dinner to eat, including chop sticks,tea and lots of good discussion on the book.
Rating: - historical fiction?
I have read many historical fictions about CiXi (in Chinese) and this work (along with the prequel Empress Orchid) is the only ones that has portrayed the woman in a sympathetic light. It is commonly known that CiXi is a wicked dowager empress who has indirectly caused her sons' deaths and accelerated the downfall of the empire.
I was confused and very skeptical about the possible historical inaccuracies in the books initially but as I decided to read the books as fiction, they became ... Read More
Rating: - Tedious Court Intrigue
In this sequel to Empress Orchid, Anchee Min continues her revisionist portrait of the Lady Yehonala, aka, Tzu Hsi, Ci Xi, the Dowager Empress, and the Dragon Lady. Min portrays the Empress as a reluctant ruler who worked the levers of power indirectly through her emperor sons Tung Chih and Guang Hsu (who was actually the son of her deranged sister) as well as various Manchu princes and generals.
In Min's version, the empress navigates between competing conservative and reform forces as ... Read More
Rating:  - Outstanding Historical Fiction
A fitting sequel to Min Anchee's Empress Orchid. This book was able to present a less biased view of the Empress Dowager Cixi during the last years of the Qing Dynasty. It is sad that people would feel that the book was flawed. But I think it is because people have come to know Cixi as despotic dictator with an unsatisfiable thirst for power and riches. However if one were to read the scholarly work of Sterling Seagrave entitled Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of Chinaa, one would ... Read More
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