Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Non-Portugal Bookray)

by Sijie Dai | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0385722206 Global Overview for this book
Registered by starlit45 of Brooklyn, New York USA on 9/30/2003
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
5 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by starlit45 from Brooklyn, New York USA on Tuesday, September 30, 2003
This book is lyrical and wonderful ... the story of two boys "reeducated" during the Cultural Revolution and sent to a mountaintop village to live with peasants. They live on banned literature and illict love ...

THIS BOOK IS FOR THE NON-PORTUGAL BOOKRAY!!!

Journal Entry 2 by starlit45 at -- By Hand Or Post, Ray/Ring, RABCK in Brooklyn, New York USA on Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Released on Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at post office in Brooklyn, NY, postal release USA.

Released as a bookray to International BCers. The order of mailing is as follows (although I encourage those outside the US to PM each other if it would help them to be in a different order):

JesseBC - USA
arugh48187 - USA
maddymonkey - USA
therubycanary - USA -- finished as of 3/30/04
magicwritinggal - USA
caligula03 - USA
lady-sybil - Canada
Tuz - Brazil
Mytilusgirl - UK

Happy Reading!!

Journal Entry 3 by JesseBC from Duluth, Minnesota USA on Saturday, October 11, 2003
Received today! Thank you! I will read, journal, and pass it along to the next person in line!

Journal Entry 4 by JesseBC from Duluth, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, December 10, 2003
First of all, apologies for forgetting I had this one and holding up the bookray for so long! Fortunately, this was a wonderful little book to gobble up in two days so I could get it moving again once it was brought to my attention that I still had it!

Anyway....short as this book is, it's packed with an understanding of the power of literature to change lives. While I felt some distance from the characters, it fueled my interest in learning more about the despotism of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This books shows me how much more powerful fiction can be than a straight history text in helping us understand how huge political movements impact human lives. Which is exactly the point of this little gem -- totalitarian governments always limit (directly or indirectly) the printed material to which people have access because, as it did for the Little Seamstress and the boys, the written word can breed thought and rebellion. Books are dangerous, revolutionary, resistant -- and this book can give the reader an appreciation of that.

Anyway, off this goes to the rest of the bookray who I hope will enjoy as much (if not for as long!) as I did! Thank you both for sharing this and for your patience.

Journal Entry 5 by JesseBC at Postal Release in -- Mailed, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Released on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 at postal release in Apple Valley, Minnesota Controlled Releases.

Journal Entry 6 by arugh48187 from Highland Park, Illinois USA on Monday, December 22, 2003
Received in my mailbox today. I have a few bookrays in front of it, but will get to it soon.

Journal Entry 7 by arugh48187 from Highland Park, Illinois USA on Wednesday, February 4, 2004
I enjoyed this book. It is a nice little story that is well told. I cannot imagine being deprived of literature and can see that if you had very little it could drastically affect your life. This book was a tale of self discovery and the indomitable nature of the human spirit and its ability to glean nuggets of self expression from pretty much anything. I can see why this book was so well received.

Release planned for Thursday, February 05, 2004 at Post Office at 153rd and Garrett in Apple Valley, Minnesota Controlled Releases.

And it is off to the next participant...

Journal Entry 9 by maddymonkey from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Monday, February 16, 2004
Like a jerk, I skipped a screening of the film adaption at CIFF in 2002 because I was sleepy, so I'm glad of this bookray. I've got one book in my queue ahead of this one, but it's so slim I may bump it up.

Journal Entry 10 by maddymonkey from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Thursday, March 18, 2004
Such a simple story, but so robust. Really well done. Thanks for sharing!

Posted to therubycanary today.

Journal Entry 11 by therubycanary from Sebago, Maine USA on Monday, March 29, 2004
I'm really excited abou this one. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 12 by therubycanary from Sebago, Maine USA on Tuesday, March 30, 2004
This is a fantastic book! I couldn't put it down and read it record time for me. It is strangely optimistic given the plot is of two boys taken under the communist regeim to be "re-educated" - which to me appeared to be slave labor on some remote mountain. It was a very uplifting story and I felt it portrayed the feel of two late-teenage boys longing for their intellectual life, but making it given the circumstances.

It seemed ironic that they were sent to rural villages to be re-educated regarding communial living, but one of the first points made is that there is a sort of free market economy in the villages where if someone has a talent that everyone really enjoys (the tailor, or the boys storytelling skills) this is rewarded with more money and more time off.

I found the last line mildly disturbing, and wouldn't mind a sequel to see where the tale goes...

Mailed April 2nd. Update 10/12/04 appears to have been lost in the mail.

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