Border Town: A Novel

by Congwen Shen

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061959233
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/21/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	194
Sales rank:	805,513
File size:	534 KB

About the Author

Shen Congwen (1902-1988) is one of the most influential writers in China's modern history. His novel Border Town was banned under Mao's regime, only to become an inspiration to a new generation of Chinese writers in the late twentieth century.

Editorial Reviews

Congwen writes movingly of rural China in this newly translated “modern pastoral” coming-of-age tale (first published in English in 1936, and banned in China under Mao's regime) centered on 13-year-old Cuicui. After her mother's death, Cuicui and her grandfather, a ferryman, lead a quiet life transporting passengers across a small stream near the mountain town of Chadong. As Cuicui begins to mature, she catches the eye of the two sons of a wealthy merchant. Her meddlesome but well-intentioned grandfather encourages both of them to woo her. Although the plot rotates around Cuicui's suitors and the old man's attempts to help her make a match, at the heart of the story is the depth of love between Cuicui and her grandfather with the tranquil environment a constant presence and comfort. Congwen paints rapturous images of nature; his writing sings with the joyful sounds of peasant life. Readers not only see rural China, they also hear it—the pounding of drums during the Dragon Boat Festival, the amorous ballads exchanged between young lovers and the songs the ferryman and Cuicui sing together in this vivid window into China's past. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly