French Author Spotlight: Balzac (background for Dai Sijie's novel)

"Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" by Dai Sijie Book Review

Another book review

Another positive review: "Literature has a transformative power".

Background to the Cultural Revolution in China. Mao and Chinese Communism.

A personal story from the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The boy who denounced his own mother, she was then executed as a 'counter-revolutionary' or traitor to communism.

Another writer, Jung Chang describes her family experience:

"The Last Emperor" clip from Bertolucci movie.

Why did Mao launch his "Cultural Revolution" and what role did the youth of China play in the purges?

An excellent BBC summary and personal recollection. "We thought he (Mao) was a god". Why were teachers and doctors and college graduates sent to peasant farms?

APA-MLA Annotated Bibliography: Complete Guide to Writing the Annotated ...