Border Town: A Novel [Paperback]

Congwen Shen (Author), Jeffrey C. Kinkley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

First published in 1934, Border Town brings to life the story of Cuicui, a young country girl coming of age during a time of national turmoil. Like any teenager, Cuicui dreams of romance and finding true love. She's spellbound by the local custom of nighttime serenades, and she is deftly pursued by two eligible brothers. But Cuicui is also haunted by the imminent death of her grandfather, a poor and honorable ferryman who is her only family. As she grows up, Cuicui discovers that life is full of the unexpected and that she alone will make the choices that determine her destiny.

A moving testament to the human spirit, Border Town is a beautifully written novel, considered Shen Congwen's masterpiece for its brilliant portrayal of Chinese rural life before the Communist revolution.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.)
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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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061436917
• ISBN-13: 978-0061436918
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Chinese

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb! Shen Congwen is the Chinese Equivalent to Faulkner, September 6, 2009

By 

Tax Accountant "Tax Accountant" (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Border Town: A Novel (Paperback)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, perfect novel, September 23, 2010

By 

Larry Feign "writer, cartoonist and disappoin... (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Border Town: A Novel (Paperback)

This lush, bittersweet short novel centers around the lives of a ferryman and his orphaned granddaughter Cuicui living by a river bank outside a remote town on the Szechuan-Hunan provincial border (hence the title). The novel takes place at the time it was written, after the fall of the dynasty but before the chaos of the Japanese invasion and World War 2, when ancient traditions and morality were still intact, especially in distant outposts such as the town of Chadong.

Cuicui, aged 13 to 15 through the course of the story, dreams of romance while dreading the negative consequence of marriage: leaving her beloved, aging grandfather. Meanwhile she is courted by two brothers from the nearby town, one through a match-maker, the other by means of the Szechuanese tradition of love song serenades. In her innocence, Cuicui both deliberately and unintentionally ignores the brothers' advances.

The author depicts a beautiful and idyllic landscape as an almost cinematic backdrop for the reserved, taciturn relations between his characters. He employs short bursts of emotional dialogue, then pulls away to focus on the minutiae of rural life--the steel striker used to light a pipe, the feel of silk crepe turban cloth, jars of tung oil and bamboo tubes filled with wine--in the way that a bashful girl turns her head aside out of modesty.

Chen packs concentrated bursts of emotion into scenes throughout the novel, telling a heart-grabbing story of life by the river. It's a gorgeous book, considered a masterpiece of modern Chinese writing, for which the author was to have been awarded the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature had he not died just before the official announcement.

The translation is beautifully written. Strongly recommended.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars short sweet love story, May 25, 2010

By 

D. Avina (Oceanside, Ca.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Border Town: A Novel (Paperback)

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.