I have been a devoted lurker since Wynne invited me to join this cozy little group, and since she asked me to pick Sept's book, I ransacked my "to read" shelf and came up with this short novel. I picked it up at Costco (I simply can't get out of that store without at least one book in my basket--am I the only one?) and thought it would be good for this group because it's about...reading. More specifically, it's about the Chinese Cultural Revolution and two boys who discover a forbidden stash of Western classics. On a personal note, I'm interested in learning all I can about Chinese culture because my husband and I are considering a Chinese adoption program.
By the way, if this is too short for you more ravenous bookish types--and I've noticed that you tend to hit the heavy ones--I have another Chinese one for you once you finish this one: _Iron and Silk_ by Mark Salzman. I teach Freshman English at BYU and I use this one in class as a great example of personal essay writing (as opposed to their samples, which tend toward "Dude, that was like way awesome.")
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Amy, thanks for choosing this book! I have actually already read it, but I really enjoyed it! I also picked mine up from Costco and found it almost irresistable due to the interesting cover, the title and the subject matter. Anyway, I'll save my actual comments until later. Happy reading!
The ending wasn't what I was expecting, though honestly, I wasn't expecting much of anything. But the way it went all...um, clever? gee, Luo, here's-what-you-get-for-not-appreciating-what-you-had sort of an ending? Like Nathniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" where the dumb guy gets rid of his wife's only imperfection, the birthmark, and then she's so perfect she can't stay with him and has to go to heaven to be an angel or some stupid thing like that...so I suppose Luo gets what he deserves for trying to give the Little Seamstress "culture." She loses her innocence--in more ways than one--and figures out what she IS worth to the world.
I wasn't expecting it, but it's not that I didn't like it. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I think.
The story though--apart from the ending--really was such a nice read.
I think my favorite part was the tailor giving the local clothing a nautical flavor after hearing "The Count of Monte Cristo."
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