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A review by whisper88
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A one-gulp must read, esp. for students with little to no knowledge (aka the whole western hemisphere) of China's cultural revolution.
Growing up in rural Minnesota means that what little diversity taught in school has nothing to do with anything of or related to the Asian continent. (I do mean that literally- as far as we knew both World Wars were solely with Germany -.-) And heaven forbid the topic of "Sex" should ever be mentioned- much less abortion...
If you were raised in a similar society I recommend finding some kind of online discussion page to really dive deep into the nuances of this book. It may be small but is packed with literary themes like censorship, education, and casteism. The beauty of this book is that even with little to no knowledge of the setting the reader can relate to the coming of age romance and the blissful escapism books can provide.
Growing up in rural Minnesota means that what little diversity taught in school has nothing to do with anything of or related to the Asian continent. (I do mean that literally- as far as we knew both World Wars were solely with Germany -.-) And heaven forbid the topic of "Sex" should ever be mentioned- much less abortion...
If you were raised in a similar society I recommend finding some kind of online discussion page to really dive deep into the nuances of this book. It may be small but is packed with literary themes like censorship, education, and casteism. The beauty of this book is that even with little to no knowledge of the setting the reader can relate to the coming of age romance and the blissful escapism books can provide.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Sexual content