Border Town

by Shen Congwen

Book Overview

New in the Harper Perennial Modern Chinese Classics series, Border Town is a classic Chinese novel--banned by Mao's regime--that captures the ideals of rural China through the moving story of a young woman and her grandfather. Originally published in 1934 by author Shen Congwen, this beautifully written novel tells the story of Cuicui, a young country girl who is coming of age in rural China in the tumultuous time before the communist revolution.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061436917
• ISBN13: 9780061436918
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

short sweet love story

I enjoyed this small book. Takes you to a time in China, when it was all about respect for ones position in life. The grandaughter's love for her Grandfather is amazing and the love story is interesting. Very quick read.

Superb! Shen Congwen is the Chinese Equivalent to Faulkner

Congwen is one of China's literary giants. When I say "giants," I mean it. Congwen is often dubbed the "greatest lyric novelist" of modern China. This new translation by Jeffrey C. Kinkley is a masterpiece. This book was originally written in the time before the Communists took over China. Congwen suffered a breakdown during the communist revolution and never published another work of fiction. This story is a glimpse into the beauty of a countryside so rich in history. The storytelling is wonderful. This is a coming of age story set in rural China. The main character is a young girl named Cuicui. It's hard to discuss the plot (which includes a tragic turn for a family member-- I don't even want to say which one) without giving away much of the story. I hate "spoiler reviews". I don't want to make it impossible to enjoy the book, so I'll just say that this is a classic of fine Chinese literature. That really should be enough. Don't miss this modern translation. Recommended, without any reservations.