Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
2 journalers for this copy...
"Nothing links person to person like the frequent passage from hand to hand of a good book."
In 1971 two young boys from well-educated families find themselves exiled to a remote village for 'Re-Education' as part of Mao's Cultural Revolution. As offspring of intellectuals- 'enemies of the people' - they may never get away. It is interesting to see this period of time in China from the inside, for the children who were sent from the cities to the countryside. Their new life is far from luxurious, they have hard work to do and only very basic living conditions. Their only luxury is occasional trips to the cinema. They meet a lovely but uneducated seamstress, the daughter of a tailor.
When they come across a suitcase full of translations of classic European literature, they are in danger to have it, but they are thrilled with reading them. They learn and consider things to which they have never been exposed. They share these books with the little seamstress.
A wandering book -- the karma of literature!
In 1971 two young boys from well-educated families find themselves exiled to a remote village for 'Re-Education' as part of Mao's Cultural Revolution. As offspring of intellectuals- 'enemies of the people' - they may never get away. It is interesting to see this period of time in China from the inside, for the children who were sent from the cities to the countryside. Their new life is far from luxurious, they have hard work to do and only very basic living conditions. Their only luxury is occasional trips to the cinema. They meet a lovely but uneducated seamstress, the daughter of a tailor.
When they come across a suitcase full of translations of classic European literature, they are in danger to have it, but they are thrilled with reading them. They learn and consider things to which they have never been exposed. They share these books with the little seamstress.
A wandering book -- the karma of literature!
Journal Entry 2 by 
judygreeneyes
at Miramar College in San Diego, California USA on Thursday, September 19, 2019
judygreeneyes at Miramar College in San Diego, California USA on Thursday, September 19, 2019
Released 4 yrs ago (9/19/2019 UTC) at Miramar College in San Diego, California USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Left on the free book cart just inside the Library entrance.
Bookcrossing is the practice of leaving a book in a public place for someone else to "catch". Why? Cuz books just wanna have fun! Enjoy the serendipity and head over to the bookcrossing.com website to let me know you caught this book!
Bookcrossing is family-friendly and a great hobby đ
Bookcrossing is the practice of leaving a book in a public place for someone else to "catch". Why? Cuz books just wanna have fun! Enjoy the serendipity and head over to the bookcrossing.com website to let me know you caught this book!
Bookcrossing is family-friendly and a great hobby đ
Bought at a library sale. Sat down to read (after just finishing The Tiger's Wife - highly recommend) on a sunny 4th of July weekend. Read one page and realized I read before.....of well, it was a good book!
