Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Tale of Love, Literature, and Revolution

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is an engaging book that delves into the consequences of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, showcases the importance of storytelling, juxtaposes historical and contemporary times, and tells a love story between a countryside girl and two city boys.

In the 1970s, during the Cultural Revolution in China, two boys who were both sons of doctors labeled as enemies of the state were sent to a mountain for re-education when they were 17 and 18 years old. The narrator, a violinist, and his close friend Luo ended up in a remote village 500 kilometers away from their hometown of Chengdu with slim odds of ever being able to go back - less than three out of every thousand.

At the mountain Phoenix of the Sky, a symbolic name for its astonishing height, they are housed in a raised hut with a pig shelter underneath in the poorest village atop a peak. Their rehabilitation involves laboring in a coal mine and hauling buckets of waste along the mountainside.

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In a neighboring village resides their friend Fore-Eyes, known for his spectacles. Together, they stumble upon his secret stash of Chinese translations of Western literature. Encountering the Little Seamstress, a lovely local girl craving knowledge, they scheme to abscond with the suitcase.

This historical novel recounts a teenager's humorous and sarcastic experiences during his re-education with plenty of black humor throughout. One amusing incident is when the narrator played a Mozart sonata to prove his violin was a musical instrument, not a toy, renaming it "Mozart is Thinking of Chairman Mao" to avoid suspicion.

Another example is Fore-Eyes altering authentic folk songs from peasants into communistic tunes for a journal, highlighting the irony of changing songs from actual communists to fit into a communistic publication.

The characters in the story are portrayed as extremely realistic. There is the vigilant, coarse, and harsh village headman who used to be an opium grower but became a Communist. He believes spreading reactionary stories of western Counts is a crime, regardless of the Counts nationality, as he has faith that their revolution will triumph worldwide. Another character is the poor Old Miller who eats pebbles dipped in salt water with liquor, calling them jade dumplings with miller sauce. My personal favorite character is Fore-Eyes, who is described as superficial and sycophantic. Despite being the son of a poetess and a writer, he is considered three-in-a-thousand. He lives in constant fear of the peasants' opinion and hopes for a chance to go back home. He constantly repeats the headman's words: "I've got to work, that's what I'm here for."

The Chinese Cultural Revolution, started by Chairman Mao in 1968, had a significant effect on Fore-Eyes and the entire country. Schools and universities shut down as many young intellectuals were sent to rural areas for re-education, working with peasants to remove their bourgeois ideas and western influences. This book provides an intimate glimpse into the struggles faced by teenagers forced to grow up in isolated villages devoid of culture or civilization, isolated from external influences.

The small coal mine had already instilled fear in the two boys, with Luo even predicting his own death there. This haunting thought lingered since their arrival. The narrator, influenced by years of revolutionary propaganda, underwent a significant change after discovering a suitcase filled with Western literature. This discovery deeply affected both boys, offering them new perspectives and knowledge that were prohibited in their society where Western art and literature were forbidden. Despite undergoing re-education, they were able to explore material beyond Mao's Little Red Book, the only approved reading at the time.

The story not only depicts the impact of the Cultural Revolution but also emphasizes the significance of storytelling. The narrator highlights Luo's skill in storytelling, noting that it is a talent with limited prospects in the modern world. The story is centered around the act of storytelling, from sharing revolutionary movies and banned Western books to bringing culture and civilization to a particular time and place.

The narrator underwent a profound transformation upon perusing the slim volume by Balzac, discovering that themes such as burgeoning desire, fervent passion, and rash decision-making had eluded him until then. As he put it: The mere act of skimming these subjects with my fingertips seemed to connect my pale hands with the complexities of human existence. The remarkable way in which he connects with characters and scenarios he has never encountered resonates with the book's own ability to immerse readers in a wholly unfamiliar, extraordinary, and captivating world through its superb descriptions.

This engaging tale juxtaposes ancient and modern, superstition and civilization in a village, highlighting the stark contrast between the two cultures. An intriguing moment in the narrative occurs when sorceresses treating Luo's malaria are captivated by the story told by the narrator. He recalls: "I embarked on the strangest performance of my life..." Despite the book's underlying message that Western culture is embraced, there is a hint of a potential downside. If everyone were to adopt Western education, forsaking superstition, religion, tradition, and even culture and history, what would the world become? This story is not just about cultural disparities; it is also a romance at its core.

The Little Seamstress, the most beautiful girl in the region, captivated the narrator and Luo with her simple, kind, and genuine nature. Despite his feelings, Luo claimed she was not sophisticated enough for him. The story revolves around teaching the mountain girl, now Luo's girlfriend, by sharing Western tales of love and passion. It also highlights the theme of friendship, as the narrator secretly loves the Little Seamstress who is unaware of his feelings. Acting as her "secret agent," he protects her from other suitors while Luo is away.

He educates the Little Seamstress and assists her with daily tasks, while maintaining a strict code of no affection or jealousy - a true example of friendship. Surprisingly, the tale concludes with the Little Seamstress departing, leaving behind Balzac's wise words: "A woman's beauty is a treasure beyond price." This compelling book challenges readers to contemplate the dark era of Chinese history and emphasizes that hope and optimism endure even in times of despair, fear, loneliness, or other challenging situations.