Let One Hundred Flowers Bloom - Hardcover

Marked by penetrating imagery and strongly visual descriptive passages, this searing tale centers on a Chinese artist cruelly victimized during the Cultural Revolution of 1966. Telling his life story to a writer he meets on a train, Hua Xiayu explains that he graduated at the top of his class from the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts in the early '60s, only to be given an undesirable position in a remote porcelain factory. The optimistic fellow makes the best of his plight, finding beauty and solace in the pottery-making process and even his less than friendly fellow workers. The apolitical Hua is incredulous to learn that his colleagues believe him to be a counter-revolutionary, a suspicion that eventually leads to a full-blown accusation. Beaten mercilessly by the Red Army and then sentenced to hard labor at a quarry, Hua remains hopeful despite the bleak conditions and takes inspiration from the beautiful creations of local folk artists. The tormented protagonist's attachment to an unwaveringly faithful dog adds a poignant subplot. Though many teenage readers may find it ponderous, this sobering yet ultimately uplifting novel will appeal to young adult and adult devotees of modern Chinese history. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Grade 7 Up?In his compartment on a night train in contemporary China, a writer is joined by a man carrying a mysterious cardboard box. The stranger, Hua Xiayu, was once a gifted artist. He proceeds to relate the story of his life during the Cultural Revolution, a tale replete with betrayals, injustices, vilifications, and general wretchedness. What makes this novel radically different from other Cultural Revolution memoirs, fictional or nonfictional, is that the blind loyalty of a dog figures prominently in it. The animal's devotion provides a moving foil to the inhumanity of most of the other characters. Further, it helps keep alive Hua's sense of wonder at life and art. There are several truly moving scenes?the man's reunion with his dog is a real tearjerker. Despite heartbreaking vicissitudes, Hua remains optimistic about life. The excellent, supple translation fully conveys the various moods and events of the text, be they lyrical or suspenseful. The book will generate excellent group discussions, as well as make fascinating independent reading.?John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.