China: The Novel
The “unparalleled master of the historical saga" (Newsweek) and internationally bestselling author of Paris and New York takes on an exhilarating new world with his trademark epic style in China: The Novel
In China: The Novel, Edward Rutherfurd brings his renowned talents to the Middle Kingdom, when the clash of East and West in the nineteenth century shattered the stability of the two-thousand-year-old empire. This epic tale chronicles the great struggle for power, from the Opium Wars that erupted in 1839 through the Taiping revolt, the British burning of the Summer Palace, the Boxer Rebellion, and the long rule of the Dragon Empress, culminating in the momentous revolution of 1911. We meet a young village wife struggling with rigid traditions, Manchu warriors, powerful eunuchs and concubines of the Forbidden City, rapacious English soldiers and earnest missionaries, savvy Chinese pirates, and sage philosophers. Rutherfurd brings to vivid life the ever-changing fortunes of Chinese, British, and American families as they negotiate the tides of history. A rich human drama as well as a deeply researched portrait that sets the stage for China’s role in the world today, China: The Novel is the enthralling story of a rising global power.
In China: The Novel, Edward Rutherfurd brings his renowned talents to the Middle Kingdom, when the clash of East and West in the nineteenth century shattered the stability of the two-thousand-year-old empire. This epic tale chronicles the great struggle for power, from the Opium Wars that erupted in 1839 through the Taiping revolt, the British burning of the Summer Palace, the Boxer Rebellion, and the long rule of the Dragon Empress, culminating in the momentous revolution of 1911. We meet a young village wife struggling with rigid traditions, Manchu warriors, powerful eunuchs and concubines of the Forbidden City, rapacious English soldiers and earnest missionaries, savvy Chinese pirates, and sage philosophers. Rutherfurd brings to vivid life the ever-changing fortunes of Chinese, British, and American families as they negotiate the tides of history. A rich human drama as well as a deeply researched portrait that sets the stage for China’s role in the world today, China: The Novel is the enthralling story of a rising global power.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
I'm learning so much about life in China in the 19th century and the British trade in opium. Well-written and enthralling story told from multiple perspectives. A Chinese woman Mei-Ling and her cousin Nio, Jiang Shi-Rong, who is secretary to Lord Lin, who reports to the emperor on the opium trade, and Trader, John Trader, a British scholar who gets involved in the opium trade. This is a very detailed account of the Opium War, the role of women in Chinese society, and efforts by European traders to gain a foothold in China. It also explains the various people living in China, the Han, Hakka, Manchu, Chin, Cantonese, and their place in China's history, and the development of Hong Kong. The story continues until the early 20th century with the end of the Chinese empire. Foreigners actions in China were self-serving. They were money grubbers interested in selling opium, gaining land, and converting the people to Christianity. They destroyed treasures of the emperor's summer palace, carved out areas of land for their own empires, and did not respect the Chinese people or their culture.
The lives of these main characters and their descendants follow Chinese history from the Opium Wars to the empire's collapse after the Boxer Rebellion and Sun Yat-Sen's rise to power. All of the stories are reveal aspects of China's history and culture. I didn't realize there were so many tribes within China that held resentments and hated one another. The Han resented the current Manchu dynasty and still continued with the tradition of foot-binding. The Tanka people in the South were despised by Chinese and forced to live on boats.
Part of the story is told through the eyes of Lacquer Nail, a eunuch who works at the Imperial Palace and has direct links to the emperor and his family. Mr. Liu, makes life difficult for him. You have to laugh at the final scene when Lacquer Nail literally has him by the balls!
The lives of these main characters and their descendants follow Chinese history from the Opium Wars to the empire's collapse after the Boxer Rebellion and Sun Yat-Sen's rise to power. All of the stories are reveal aspects of China's history and culture. I didn't realize there were so many tribes within China that held resentments and hated one another. The Han resented the current Manchu dynasty and still continued with the tradition of foot-binding. The Tanka people in the South were despised by Chinese and forced to live on boats.
Part of the story is told through the eyes of Lacquer Nail, a eunuch who works at the Imperial Palace and has direct links to the emperor and his family. Mr. Liu, makes life difficult for him. You have to laugh at the final scene when Lacquer Nail literally has him by the balls!
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.