About the Ending

The ending:

I looked out of the aircraft window into the darkening sky. I saw myself as a small boy, running barefoot through the commune fields. I saw myself as a Red Guard, and I saw myself once again as Mao’s last dancer endlessly practicing in a dim and dusty dance studio in Beijing. I thought of my journey towards the most precious thing I had, my freedom, and of what had always propelled me forwards—my dia’s pride and dignity, and my niang’s extraordinary courage and unlimited love.

The opinion:

Although the ending was not what I call an excellent one, it was nonetheless one which left quite an impression in my mind. I liked the ending. The main events in the story were reviewed in an interesting way—the author ‘saw’ them in the darkening sky. The ending also reveals the secret to the author’s successful journey towards freedom, which especially delights me, in the sense that he gives tribute to his parents’ support.

Alternative Ending

This is the alternative ending

A Extract from the Book

Rippling to the distant boundaries of the Square, the crowd cheered, clapped and jumped like a crazed animal. The ground vibrated under my feet. The entire world would hear this! Millions of people shouted, “Long, long live Chairman Mao!”

(pg 167)

Mao's Last Dancer--Book Review

Book title: Mao’s Last Dancer

Author: Li Cunxin

Non-fiction, autobiography. 2003. Fusion Press. 368 pages.


Through dance, a poor Chinese peasant child found a new life in America—the frog had escaped the well and could see the expanse of the sky. Mao’s Last Dancer is his story.

If you enjoy reading autobiographies, or perhaps if you like the subject of ‘life under communism’, you will probably enjoy this book.

Li Cunxin grew up in a remote commune village in Qingdao, China. His life was one of daily hardships—there was never enough food for Li and his six brothers. Then, when he was eleven, Li was chosen to train as a ballet dancer at Madam Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy. He had to under go seven years of gruelling training, face shouting teachers, endure painful injuries, put up with teasing, overcome homesickness, and finally, himself. Dancing his way to a scholarship to America, Li began to have doubts about communism after his first taste of freedom and was later defected.

The novel ends with the author leaving China with his wife to start a new life in the West. The book includes a postscript written in Melbourne, acknowledgements, the author’s family tree and pictures of the author.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Mao’s Last Dancer. I didn’t expect an autobiography to be such a compelling read. It was truly an honest recount of how a peasant boy rose to stardom in the West.

Introduction

Hello!

This blog is all about a book that I have read during the holidays--Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin.

Enjoy!