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Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

by Sijie Dai

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is an enchanting tale that captures the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening. An immediate international bestseller, it tells the story of two hapless city boys exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China’s infamous Cultural Revolution. There the two friends meet the daughter of the local tailor and discover a hidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translation. As they flirt with the seamstress and secretly devour these banned works, the two friends find transit from their grim surroundings to worlds they never imagined.

Review:

“A funny, touching, sly and altogether delightful novel . . . about the power of art to enlarge our imaginations.” —The Washington Post Book World

“Poetic and affecting. . . . The descriptions of life in this strangest of times and places are so riveting that the reader longs for more.” —The New York Times Book Review

Review:

“Poignant, humorous, and romantic.” —The New York Times

Review:

“Seduces readers into its world. . . . [A] very wise little story of love and illusion.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

Review:

“Gives the rest of the world a glimpse into that dark place where the human spirit continues, against all odds, to shine its light.” —The Boston Globe

Review:

“[A] thrilling and . . . truly great work. . . . [A] richly complex fable.” —San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

Review:

“A wonderful novel . . . formed by detailed layering and exquisite craftsmanship, like a beautifully tailored garment.” —The Chicago Tribune

Review:

“An unexpected miracle–a delicate, and often hilarious, tale.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

About the Author

Born in China in 1954, Dai Sijie is a filmmaker who was himself “re-educated” between 1971 and 1974.

He left China in 1984 for France, where he has lived and worked ever since. This, his first novel, was an overnight sensation when it appeared in France in 2000, becoming an immediate best-seller and winning five prizes. Rights to the novel have been sold in nineteen countries, and it is soon to be made into a film.

From the Hardcover edition.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Zmrzlina, October 22, 2007 (view all comments by Zmrzlina)
A story that transports the reader through time and awakens the magic that is reading. Two young men sent off for "re-education" during the Chinese Cultural Revolution find their education in strange places. Elegant and finely stitched narrative.
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(7 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
Hibba, March 13, 2007 (view all comments by Hibba)
A simple story about two boys who are sent off to a village high in the mountains to be re-educated during China's cultural revolution. They are gifted with the ability for story-telling that affects the villagers and those reading.
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(6 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
View all 2 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780385722209
Translator:
Sijie, Dai
Author:
Rilke, Ina
Author:
Dai, Sijie
Author:
Sijie, Dai
Publisher:
Anchor Books
Location:
New York
Subject:
General
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
History
Subject:
China
Subject:
Man-woman relationships
Subject:
Political fiction
Subject:
Prohibited books
Copyright:
Edition Description:
1st Anchor Books ed.
Series Volume:
61
Publication Date:
October 2002
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
192
Dimensions:
8.00x5.30x.49 in. .44 lbs.

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