book excerptise:   a book unexamined is not worth having

The blacksmith and the carpenter

Sun Li and Sidney Shapiro (tr) and Gladys Yang (tr) and Yu Fanqin (tr)

Li, Sun [1913-]; Sidney Shapiro (tr); Gladys Yang (tr); Yu Fanqin (tr);

The blacksmith and the carpenter [Chinese: Tieh mu chien chuan]

Panda Books / Chinese Literature, Beijing, 1982, 311 pages

topics: |  fiction-short | china


These stories were written under communism, but the title story at least is
quite poignant.  

translators: 

The blacksmith and the carpenter 7


Written in the early years of communism, the story describes life in a small
village, how fortunes change with land re-distribution after the war of
liberation, the organization of youngsters into "youth brigades", and the
blossoming of love in such conditions.  The protagonist, Six, is the preferred son of the
carpenter, and has a soft corner for Nine, the daughter of the travelling
blacksmith.  However, Six is a bit of a ne'er-do-well, and while he is very
charming, his plans somehow end up at naught.  The story unfolds against the
backdrop of the fighting against the Kuomintang, who are portrayed as cruel
on their population.  

translator: Sidney Shapiro


Contents


The blacksmith and the carpenter 7
Lotus Creek 88
Little Sheng 98
Parting advice 109
The marshes 122
Recollections of the hill country 129
Stormy years 138
Husbands 271
Guide 280
Honour 293


amitabha mukerjee (mukerjee [at-symbol] gmail.com) 2010 May 08