I finished Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie.
I didn't really "get" this book. Well written and interesting, yes. But not very plotty. Things happen, yes, but the narrator isn't the protagonist, really. The title character is, and she's mostly offscreen. Not a real satisfier.
I thought the narrator was the protagonist in a story that contained more than one protagonist. The following from an online definition of protagonist:
The protagonist is, it should be pointed out, not always the hero of the story. Many authors have chosen to unfold a story from the point of view of a character who, while not central to the action of the story, is in a position to comment upon it. However, it is most common for the story to be "about" the protagonist; even if the protagonist's actions are not heroic, they are nonetheless usually vital to the progress of the story.
The narrator's actions were most certainly "vital to the progress of the story," at least at the end.
My question is, was Luo the "antagonist" or the "foll"? Again, from an online definition: the foil or antagonist is the character who most represents or creates obstacles that the protagonist must overcome.
Excellent writing and from a quite unique point of view. I give it ****.