Let One Hundred Flowers Bloom

Marked by penetrating imagery and strongly visual descriptive passages, this searing tale centers on a Chinese artist cruelly victimized during the Cultural Revolution of 1966. Telling his life story to a writer he meets on a train, Hua Xiayu explains that he graduated at the top of his class from the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts in the early `60s, only to be given an undesirable position in a remote porcelain factory. The optimistic fellow makes the best of his plight, finding beauty and solace in the pottery-making process and even his less than friendly fellow workers. The apolitical Hua is incredulous to learn that his colleagues believe him to be a counter-revolutionary, a suspicion that eventually leads to a full-blown accusation. Beaten mercilessly by the Red Army and then sentenced to hard labor at a quarry, Hua remains hopeful despite the bleak conditions and takes inspiration from the beautiful creations of local folk artists. The tormented protagonist's attachment to an unwaveringly faithful dog adds a poignant subplot. Though many teenage readers may find it ponderous, this sobering yet ultimately uplifting novel will appeal to young adult and adult devotees of modern Chinese history. Ages 11-up. (Mar.)