Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Dai Sijie

This is one of those books you want everyone to read…a precious and tender novel.

The book is a romantic fable about two young Chinese men who are banished from their city homes to the country during the intellectual purge and re-education ordered by Chairman Mao. The author himself was part of the purge and was sent to rural China for re-education between 1971 and 1974.

Forced into daily hard labor, the two young men gain a temporary respite when the local Communist enforcer discovers the young men's story telling abilities. The enforcer sends them to a distant village to watch movies. They are instructed to come back and retell the movie word for word for the locals. The locals are awed by the young men's abilities to recreate the theatrical scenes.

A major source of joy for the two young men is stealing a chest filled with illegal contraband…and what is this illegal, evil stuff (feared by the government)??? It turns out to be wonderful classic books of literature by Balzac, Dostoevsky and others. The writings bring a spiritual joy that helps the young men transcend the physical labor imposed upon them.

The major subplot is the main character's love for a beautiful young Chinese seamstress and their attempts to educate her (to help break her free of her peasanthood) by reading to her many books of literature. But alas this plan leads to a path neither of our two heroes could foresee.

Another subplot entails dentistry using a sewing machine. This needs to be read for oneself as I cannot do this chapter the justice it deserves.

The book was highly recommended by a customer…and for this gift I give many thanks. So please read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress so that I may reciprocate the gift that was bestowed upon me.

Review by Tony Kainauskas