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From Monsters and Critics.com Books News Yan Lianke has written a novel with the above title. Translated by Julia Lovell, the NYT has posted an excerpt on its website for curious readers. The NYT describes the book as, “A bluntly drawn, mildly erotic fable, it teases Mao Zedong by poking fun at a true believer who obeys the Chairman’s precepts too literally. To a Western sensibility, the broad strokes of Yan Lianke’s humor would seem to pose little risk of inciting rebellion, whether of the flesh or of the body politic.” According to Publishers Weekly, “Yan's satire brilliantly exposes the emptiness of Maoist ideals and the fraudulent ends for which they were used, but also relates a sorrowful tale of compromised relationships and modest hopes left unfulfilled. It was banned in China in 2005 for slander and for overflowing depictions of sex.” Descriptions of sex? Count me in. Just kidding. Read the NYT article here and breeze over the excerpt to see if it is your flavor. Otherwise, Grove Press, Black Cat is the publisher.
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