Rating: 
Summary: Opened my eyes...
Review: This book opened my eyes to other cultures and different times. I enjoyed every sentence, every word in this book.
Beautifully written and translated this book transforms you and takes you to a place far away from your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Novel Novel.
Review: I really wanted to like this book. To my surprise it took me three attempts to finish, I was that bored. I tried to give it yet another chance by listening to the audio version, but the result was sadly the same: I found little in terms of the characters, their shared experiences during China's cultural revolution and the author's message on the transcendent power of literature that was new or refreshing.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Book
Review: This is my favorite China Book.
The story of the three young men who are sent to Sichuan during the Cultural Revolution, and the people they meet when they are posted there, is a revolutionary Peace Corps tale of self discovery.
My work takes me to Sichuan regularly, and this is one of the best insights into what keeps people going.For a more recent up date and a foreign perspective, see Peter Hessler's River Town.
Rating:
Summary: Awakenings
Review: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a book about books, and therefore about art and its ability to transform us. There is nothing sad, nothing political, nothing disappointing in this wonderful work.
Rating: 
Summary: Honest, Thought-Provoking Tale of Another Time and Place
Review: I have to admit I put off reading this book because I thought it would be too "heavy," but I found it to be a page-turner with real emotion and humor. It transports you to a completely different time -- China at the time of the "Cultural Revolution" where "intellectuals" were sent out to live with peasants to be "re-educated" -- and place -- the misty mountaintops near Tibet. But the story is one that touches the humanity in us all...the close friendship that develops between the narrator and his friend, Luo (both teenage boys); a first love (with the "Little Chinese Seamstress,"; jealousy, hardship, solidarity, you name it. It made me realize how special it is to have literature at our disposal...when you read how eager the boys were to get at Western literature, and revered it, when it was officially forbidden. And the ending makes one think, too, though I think most will find it unexpected. A sweet, honest, timeless story, that should touch any reader. - Julia Wilkinson, My Life at AOL
Rating:
Summary: Rich ethno-narrative from the roiling human drama of China
Review: I'm a 'China specialist' and I generally have little interest in the fiction of expats from China living abroad. However, I loved this gem of a book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys storytelling and literature. 'Balzac' is a poignant tale of discovery and rich in ethno-historical details from the roiling human drama we call modern China.
Well-done Mr. Dai!
Rating:
Summary: Magical!
Review: In "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress," the narrator and Luo was sent to the mountain area to be re-educated under Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution in 1971. The young men were separated from their parents who were medical professionals and were considered by Mao as enemies. Life was difficult for the narrator and Luo as they were assigned works that were both physical and at times can be dangerous. Their lives took to a good turn when they met the "Little Chinese Seamstress," the daughter of the village's popular tailor. Soon, they discovered that their friend from the city, Four-Eyes had been harboring translated Western literatures which were highly illegal. The young men craved for the literatures and when Four-Eyes offered a book by Balzac, their lives were transformed. Soon, they wanted to read all of Four-Eyes's books. I definitely highly recommend "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress." It is magical and the author is vivid in his description of the mountain area. In addition, I also enjoy the historical information that the author provided, giving insights into life during the Cultural Revolution. The book is beautifully written and his style of writing is very mesmerizing. At the end, he leaves you wanting for more. This is a simple story told in a simple way, and that is what makes the book wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: A Book For The Soul
Review: I absolutely loved this book. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstrees was very well written and great for the kinds of people who just like to sit down and read a good book. This book is about the Cultural Revolution of the 1960's-1970's. It takes place during "Re-education". Chairman Mao Zedong required that chinese intellects be sent up high into the mountians to be re- educated in the uncivilized villages. The main characters include two boy's (one unamed and the other named Lou) and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Through some certain happenings the two boys obtain a suitcase full of forbidden books, one of which is written by Balzac. They read them and are fascinated by these works of art. They share these stories with others in the village and through this meet the little chinese seamstress. Lou falls in love with the young seamstress and wants to reform her from a peasant girl to an educated city girl. I will not give away the ending because it is quite suprising. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress was an incrediable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple Read with lack luster ending
Review: Dai's writing style and development of characters is good in addressing the conditions of re-education, however he rushes through the ending, leaving one to feel mixed about the entire book. The reader can identify with the Luo, the Little Seamstress, and the narrator, however feel no closure. Granted, literature should make you think, but this made me indifferent to the characters. I was asking myself, "That's it?" And not really wanting to contemplate the characters any further.
Rating:
Summary: Simply brilliant!
Review: This novel is a treasure. Dai Sijie seamlessly (forgive the pun) interweaves some great classics of western literature, such as Pere Goriot and The Count of Monte Cristo, with a beautiful and heart-rending tale. First love, treachery, blackmail, betrayal, friendship, and the struggle to embrace the humanity of the individual are set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution. A must read!
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