Korby's Book Club "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" by Dai Sijie

A quick review of "Balzac and the Little Chinese Princess", written by Dai Sijie. Balzac and the Little Seamstress is an easy book to read. It’s not an elegant, balanced story. It’s loose, maybe even careless. But the material redeems. Not a predictable story, you like these boys - the friends - and their competition for the affections of the tailor’s daughter. The subtext: the Western worldview, wherein the primacy of the individual prevails is, despite its complicating nature, best. The eurocentrism escapes the usual criticism because it is the product of someone who has lived in both worlds. Along the way, you learn a little about the typical experience of a someone enduring a forced “reeducation” which was one of the harsher aspects of the Chinese Revolution.

Book reviews come out every week. Let me know what book you'd like me to discuss.

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