Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel | Dai Sijie

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel | Dai Sijie | pleasantly surprised

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Balzac and the Lit...

	Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel Dai Sijie Anchor, 2002 - 192 pages average customer review:based on 220 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Different Take on the Cultural Revolution

Much has been written about how Chairman Mao's tumultuous Cultural Revolution terrorized much of the world's most populous country with rabid and xenophobic nationalism and forced relocation of city dwellers into the nation's furthest rural corners.

This story brings this period to life with the tale of two youngsters sent to a remote village where they discover a hidden trove of prohibited Western literature and fall in love with the heart-throb daughter of the town's tailor.

The book achieves in a quick telling what it takes volumes of non-fiction to convey. Like the relocation programs of the revolution that at times created a combination of excruciating forced labor and giddy teenage adventure. The prohibition on all things non-Chinese (as well as much of China's ancient history) that made those turned 19th century European fiction (which most of us think as dull obligatory highschool reading) into fascinating and exotic adventures. And the universal human experience of falling in love for the first time.

Several characters are masterfully developed into icons of the Cultural Revolution, like the mediocre well-connected son of intellectuals that climbs his way through the ranks by repeating revolutionary slogans at every turn, or the humiliated middle class parents forced to "confess" to crimes for having done their jobs.

The writing is sparkling and vividly recreates the drama of a century of literature with the backdrop of the semi-fuedal Chinese countryside of the era. Short and sweet and worth the read.

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pleasantly surprised

I didn't think this was a story I would be interested in, but the literature was great, and the story itself, was surprisingly good. The settiing was during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The narrator was a boy who had been relocated. It was a great read, a simple story of love, love lost, and growing up. You won't want to miss this one.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

I liked this book because it teaches a lot about Chinese history, and I have learned a lot from it, like about Mao's strict and harsh laws. This book kept me interested and kept me reading. But there's one bad thing about the book: the main character doesn't have a name. The book doesn't say his name. But still, I learned a lot of Chinese history from it and I will recommend this book to other people.

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Charming and well written

Set during the cultural revolution this is a simple tale that creates characters we come to know and love. It is a short read that would appeal to equally to adults as well as adolescents.

As a reader you get a fine feeling for the China in that period as we watch its incredible economic rise. Timely and a fine read for travel on an airplane.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

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