Here is one of those rare novels, so captivatingly original, so absurdly funny, surprising and moving, that it crosses all boundaries. In 1971 Mao's campaign against the intellectuals is at its height. Our narrator and his best friend, Luo, distinctly unintellectual but guilty of being the sons of doctors, have been sent to a remote mountain village to be 'reeducated'. The kind of education that takes place among the peasants of Phoenix Mountain involves carting buckets of excrement up and down precipitous, foggy paths, but ...
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Here is one of those rare novels, so captivatingly original, so absurdly funny, surprising and moving, that it crosses all boundaries. In 1971 Mao's campaign against the intellectuals is at its height. Our narrator and his best friend, Luo, distinctly unintellectual but guilty of being the sons of doctors, have been sent to a remote mountain village to be 'reeducated'. The kind of education that takes place among the peasants of Phoenix Mountain involves carting buckets of excrement up and down precipitous, foggy paths, but the two seventeen-year-olds have a violin and their sense of humour to keep them going. Further distraction is provided by the attractive daughter of the local tailor, possessor of a particularly fine pair of feet. Their true re-education starts, however, when they discover a comrade's hidden stash of classics of great nineteenth-century Western literature - Balzac, Dickens, Dumas, Tolstoy and others, in Chinese translation. They need all their ingenuity to get their hands on the forbidden books, but when they do their lives are turned upside down. And not only their lives: after listening to their dangerously seductive retellings of Balzac, the Little Seamstress will never be the same again. Without betraying the truth of what happened, Dai Sijie transforms the bleak events of China's Cultural Revolution into an enchanting and unexpected story about the resilience of the human spirit and the magical power of great storytelling.
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Add this copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $2.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Vintage.
Add this copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $2.98, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Carrollton, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Vintage.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $11.21, very good condition, Sold by Aardvark Books Ltd rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bucknell, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Vintage.Shipping outside the U.K.? see Shipping Alert details
Add this copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $13.71, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Vintage.Shipping outside the U.K.? see Shipping Alert details
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner.
Add this copy of Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $15.19, very good condition, Sold by worldofbooks rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Goring-By-Sea, WEST SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2003 by Vintage.Shipping outside the U.K.? see Shipping Alert details
Add this copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $33.98, good condition, Sold by Tustin rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Vintage Uk.
Add this copy of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to cart. $62.28, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Vintage Uk.
