Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

However, the boys never give up their exuberant, rebellious spirits. The main character, Ma, and his friend Luo are forced to labor in fields and mines, working for the proletariat in order to be released from their reeducation. This semi-autobiography tells a story of two teenage boys finding hardship, forbidden western literature, and love in an isolated countryside. The author, Dai Sijie, was “reeducated” during the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the 1970s. If you enjoy works of literature that take you to another place and time, then this is the one for you. The strange title piqued my curiosity, and my intuition told me that this book was worth reading. I discovered this tiny book buried under others on the shelf. Rights to the novel have been sold in nineteen countries, and it is soon to be made into a film.Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie This, his first novel, was an overnight sensation when it appeared in France in 2000, becoming an immediate best-seller and winning five prizes. He left China in 1984 for France, where he has lived and worked ever since. very wise little story of love and illusion.' - The Philadelphia Inquirerīorn in China in 1954, Dai Sijie is a filmmaker who was himself 're-educated' between 19. 'Poignant, humorous, and romantic.' - The New York Times formed by detailed layering and exquisite craftsmanship, like a beautifully tailored garment.' - The Chicago Tribune '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 richly complex fable.' - San Francisco Chronicle Book Review 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

about the power of art to enlarge our imaginations.' - The Washington Post Book World 'A funny, touching, sly and altogether delightful novel. 'An unexpected miracle–a delicate, and often hilarious, tale.' -Los Angeles Times Book Review 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. There the two friends meet the daughter of the local tailor and discover a hidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translation. 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. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is an enchanting tale that captures the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening.