Empress Orchid

By: Anchee Min

Narrated by: Alexandra O'Karma

Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The critically acclaimed author, Anchee Min, paints a fresh portrait of the last Chinese empress in this brilliantly fictionalized tale set during the waning days of the empire.

Seventeen-year-old Orchid belongs to an aristocratic family that has fallen on hard times. Unexpectedly, she is chosen as one of the emperor's lesser concubines. Within the Forbidden City are thousands of women hoping to bear the emperor a son and become his empress. Orchid, determined and resourceful, schemes her way into the royal bed and seduces the emperor. But as the opium trade erodes the might of the Ch'ing dynasty, Orchid find herself at the center of a crumbling nation.

A colorful depiction of one of history's least understood women, The Empress Orchid is another enthralling masterpiece for Anchee Min.

©2004 Anchee Min

Critic reviews

"Powerful and brilliantly conceived....[An] insightful, magnetic, and quietly revolutionary resurrection of a remarkable woman." (Booklist)

Fabulous Story Ruined by a Terrible Narrater

The Empress Orchid is a fascinating look into the inter workings of China's Imperial Court. However, the narrator was absolutely the worse I've ever heard. I almost never complain about the narration, but this narrator is terrible. Not a single sentence was completed without loud slobbery swallowing. I read the other reviews which criticized the narrator, but I was interested in the story so I knew what I was getting. Why or why do producers of audiobooks allow such terrible narrations.

Background on the stories reveals that the writer and others are trying to rehabilitate the last Empress Dowager. Apparently, in the 1900's stories about Empress Dowager Cixi's cruelty and manipulations were highly exaggerated to make a good story. Somewhere in the middle is probably the truth.

Great story if you can tolerate the narrator.

Wonderful Story

I loved this book. The color and tenor was rich. I can't wait for the next book to come to audible. I have always enjoyed stories from this period in Chinese, Japanese and European history and this was beautifully done.

While I love, love, love the story, this is honestly the worst narrated book I have ever heard. She sounds like she has a bad case of cotton mouth. You can here the smacking noises she makes all through the book. And As I would just get caught up in the story, the narrator would swallow and gulp. Please find someone else to do the reading!

Narrator pauses too often

I read this book a while ago and really liked it. I had some credits to use on Audible and thought I'd download it and listen while I traveled. I should of listened to the sample first. The narrator seems to pause more often than is necessary and at what seems to be in the middle of sentences.

Great book

The depth of the the history, culture, and humanity expessesed in the telling of this astonishing life story cannot help but to enrich you long after you have listened to the last of this book

thirsty reader

I love stories that are well told, and an audio format is the type which requires excellent articulate reading. Unfortunately, I could not appreciate the narration due to the reader's constant thick sound of swallowing. This may be a story as great as any epic saga, but it's proportions are greatly reduced by it's narrator's clearly audible cotton mouth. Nobody wants to hear saliva coming through their speakers unless the story is about that.

Good creative spin of a history

I’m no historian so not sure how close is the story to what really happened in this tumultuous time in China. But the story is believable enough to make this book a masterpiece in recreating the life in the forbidden city.

Great Insight

I couldn't put this book down. I loved learning about the Manchu religious philosphies and way of life. I always wondered why the Chinese didn't act as quickly as Westerners during times of war and now I know about their beliefs and customs that influenced their decisions. Very good read and I am looking forward to the next 2 volumes. HURRY UP ANCHEE MINN!!

good historical fiction

I took a minute to capture me, writing style is minimal. descriptions are amazingly detailed

Good chinese history

I love the book, Anchee Min did a good job to bring you inside the life of the book since the first page, the history, the culture, the family structure not only of the emperor but Orchid family too.

Wonderful story

This is a great story set in a difficult time in Chinese history. It was very descriptive of the culture and of the practices of the time. People have said that the narrator is slow, but that I believe that it just underscores the fact that everything moves much more slowly in China. Everything is done at a different pace and the traditions and customs are most important, whether or not they are practical.