Imperial Woman: The Story of the Last Empress of China Kindle Edition

This is the first book I have read by Pearl Buck. My wife recommended it and she nailed it. It is a very interesting story. I have never read anything like this before. I have no idea as to the accuracy of the story but I felt I was in nineteenth century China in a very different world from what I know. I highly recommend this book for people like me who do not know much about China. The Last Empress was a very interesting woman. Clever and ruthless. Guess you had to be.I liked the book so much that I will now read "The Good Earth" next. I love it when you are taken to a totally different place from where you are or what you know and it feels so real.

Pearl S Buck not only told an interesting story, but she gave us great insights into the Chinese people. The Chinese's 4,000 year old nation has had many traditions, customs and layers of civilization.This story is how a lowly impoverished little girl made her way into being the sole ruler and Empress of a magnificent country during troubled times, several wars, famines, and on the brink of technology and modernization. Imperial Woman (Orchid) resisted change, but when she realized she had no choice, bravely and graciously led her nation into the modern world.The only problem I have with Ms Buck's books is her very long paragraphs. Perhaps the style of writing at the time of her novels dictated this, so very different than today's writings. Nonetheless, it is difficult to concentrate at times with such long paragraphs.Pearl S Buck's novels should be considered classics and are excellent works for understanding the Chinese culture.

Pearl S. Buck had an extraordinary life, growing up as the daughter of missionaries in China and living there for about 40 years. She wrote many books. This is the first that I've read as an adult and I loved it. I found her depiction of Imperial life in China to mesh with other books that I've read on the same subject. She follows the story of the last Empress from the time that she was a young girl, being chosen as a concubine of the Emperor, then her rise to Consort, then Mother of the Emperor, and being the Empress Dowager. The theme that came through most clearly to me was the deep ceremonies and rituals and customs that hindered China for so long. They were so steeped in tradition that they could not even communicate with other nations. The total lack of communication and ignorance of others eventually led to the downfall of that way of life as other nations wanted to open China to trade. One other theme that I found interesting, given her background as a child of missionaries, the book is extremely critical of missionaries coming to force their religion on a country that already had their own religions. The changes in beliefs of the people is one of the things that contributes to China's problems. China has a long history that is so different from other nations that it's hard to digest it. My only criticism of this book is that it was extremely long; I found myself getting bored at times. But after reviewing the list of books written by Ms. Buck, I'm sure I will read others as she writes beautifully and there is so much to learn.

I would like to give this a 4.5. I enjoyed the book, although perhaps not as good as some of Buck’s previous works. I take off the .5 because I had trouble keeping up with the characters. Maybe my fault, or not enough time spent on development of those characters. This a very detailed telling of the life of The Last Empress, filled with the nuances of ancient Chinese culture, the inner workings of the palace, and romance. Having recently returned from a trip to China including a tour of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace (obviously another rebuilding), I was especially interested in the detailed descriptions of each. I believe I have read every book Pearl S Buck has written, many more than once. She continues to be my favorite author.

These days most historical fiction leans way towards the fiction end of the spectrum, and seem to like fairly explicit sex scenes. Based upon I know this is much closer to the historical end. She wrote this at a time when the empress was treated pretty harshly including some salacious claims which has since been debunked. Buck ignores all of that to give an excellent insight into the complexities of the empress and China at that time.

When reviewing a hisorical novel, we should take into account not only whether or not a book is historically accurate but also whether or not it describes the customs of the country at the time of the action. We should also consider the choice of lexicon and the style used. When the author speaks about procedures we are not familiar with, an explanation should be provided.On all these points, Ms. Buck has done what was the standard in her day and age. She had lived in China almost all her life, and been home-schooled by her mother and by a Chinese tutor who doubtless explained to her the customs of the host country. She was in China at the time of the revolution and probably heard all the rumors that circulated. She had also attended the university in the United States, and had a great command of language and style.Ms. Buck presents us with an idealized vision of what might have been, if Tsu Hsi was as determined to cling to power as Pearl S. Buck would have liked her to be and if she had shared the ambition of a Macchivalli by making first her own son, then her nephew, Emperor but replacing them personally when she saw they were not as strong as she was.Remember, this is not a historical document. It is a story of what could have been, seen by a person who was in China at the time the events took place, and who has an incredible vocubabulary and a wonderful command of the English tongue.

I've had a hard job finding this book as it's quite old. considering it's age the book is in reasonably good condition and perfectly legible (though the cover is rather worn !!)I have read several Pearl Buck novels and wanted to read her version. I'm already half-way through the book - it's a bit laboured in parts, slow moving, but does give you an insight as to what life /conditions were like in the Imperial household in China and the problems they faced with the foreign 'invaders' They were completely immersed in age old customs and traditions and needed to modernise and move with the times. Tzu Hsi , or the Empress, is an interesting character and how she rose to such a powerful position is testament to her determination and resourcefulness - I've yet to see how everything evolves and how her rule as Empress unfolds. Didn't realise that she only died in 190 - .ruled at the same time that Victoria was on the English throne!

Read this many years ago, and it stands up well. The descriptions of customs, costumes and places are vivid and instructive. A really good read for adults and teens.

Excellent book and I enjoyed it very much. It was, I felt, a little too detailed in some parts but that's only my opinion.

Quite heavy-going to start with and lots of detail to process, but a thoroughly enjoyable read

i could barely put this book down,