Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Dai Sijie, and published in 2000 in French and in English in 2001. Its original French title is Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise. Image File history File links Balzac_and_the_little_chinese_seamstress. ... Dai Sijie (b. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ... It has been suggested that Semi-autobiographical novel be merged into this article or section. ... Random House Logo Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann based in New York City. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that Semi-autobiographical novel be merged into this article or section. ... Dai Sijie (b. ...
During the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1971 (see Down to the Countryside Movement), the sons of two allegedly reactionary doctors are sent to a remote village on the fictional mountain Phoenix of the Sky to be 're-educated' by hard work and peasant living. There, the two characters meet the daughter of the local tailor (the Little Seamstress) and discover a collection of various translated Western novels hidden by another city boy sent to the country for re-education, Four-Eyes. As they flirt with the seamstress and secretly devour these banned works, they find transit from their grim surroundings to worlds they never imagined. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
Characters
Luo - Luo is the only character in the novel with a recognizeable name. Luo is the son of a famous dentist who bragged of having worked on Chairman Mao's teeth, and is accused of being a reactionary for having committed the sin of suggesting that the Chairman was not perfect. Luo is audacious, a talented liar and storyteller. and stuff
The narrator - His name is Ma, but in the book it is in Chinese, so he is just known as the narrator. The son of two doctors who have been labelled enemies of the people, the narrator mentions his name is written in Chinese characters that in English translate as "Horse Sword Bell." The narrator plays the violin, and is once referred to in the novel as "the fiddler." As the novel progresses the narrator's storytelling skills rival and then arguably surpass those of his friend Luo. and stuff
The little Chinese Seamstress - The daughter of a famous local tailor, the seamstress is a rare beauty. Though she has had no formal education she was taught to read by her father and amongst the ignorant peasants she has an air of sophistication, though Luo comments early in the novel that she is "not civilized, at least not enough for me!"
The Headman - The headman is the leader of the village the narrator and Luo are sent to for re-education. He has rotten teeth, which Luo fixes in exchange for the Narrator's freedom.
Four-eyes - The son of a writer and poetess, Four-eyes must wear thick glasses to compensate for his nearsightedness (hence his nickname.) He possesses a treasure trove of forbidden "reactionary" Western novels which the Narrator and Luo covet and eventually steal.
The Miller - A filthy old man who lives alone and is a repository of local "folk" songs, the Miller narrates one chapter of the novel and provides songs to the boys (who relate them to Four-eyes.)
The Tailor - Father of the little Chinese Seamstress, he likes it when the Narrator reads him some stories.
With public acclaim and the assurance of publication, Balzac's subsequent novels began to shape themselves into a broad canvas depicting the turbulent unfolding of destinies amidst the visible finery and squalor of Paris, and the dramas hidden under the surface of respectability in the quieter world of provincial family life.
Balzac's work habits were legendary — he wrote for up to 15 hours a day, fuelled by innumerable cups of fl coffee, and without relinquishing the social life which was the source of his observation and research.
Bust of Balzac by Auguste Rodin, in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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