I had to read the English translation since I cannot read or speak Mandarin unfortunately. Its a really good and engaging book imo, gets better with every page and supposedly loveecraft level shit goes down by the end.

In the beginning tho there are a few scenes describing the Cultural Revolution and struggle sessions.

Is it true that Einstein's theories of Relativity were frowned upon by red guard university students because they were seen as capitalist propaganda?

And is it true that some university lecturers were beaten to death during the struggle sessions? I mean cool if they deserved it (feudal landlords etc.) but the Relativity part seems a bit like the author making shit up.

Its funny how despite this the author is not even overtly rabidly critical of Marxism or Communism itself, unlike western authors who spend 10 pages to explain why "muh gommunism bad" every time such events get brought up. Liu seems to be critical of just the events which transpired during the cultural revolution.

You shouldn't pirate the book from z-library because its very unethical and a breach of IP, so you will be sent to hell when you die.

  • Mardoniush [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    While that specific thing may not have happened, yeah, things got pretty bad during the CR. Have an acquaintance who's relatives were exiled to Mongolia at one point (they were a pro-Mao group that got caught by the factional backlash by the party.)

    The initial trigger for the CR by Mao, limiting party control and turning things over to popular organisations was sound IMO. He should have known that the conservative elements of the party would react by co-opting other groups and declaring Mao's counter-revolutionary, and then he'd have to counter and things would spiral.

    But that's easy with hindsight.

    • cilantrofellow [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      It’s easy to see with hindsight, but that’s good! It is critical to acknowledge and learn from mistakes to prevent repeating them.

      Too often we blindly defend our predecessors for doing wrong, but in many ways we should be constructive - condemn the outcome but ultimately thank them for taking a risk that allowed us to learn and grow in strategy. Beyond that, when we do this we do not look like mouthpieces to the fencesitters and remove ammunition from the enemy.

      Of all the revolutions I’ve been learning about, Cuba has perhaps applied this best.

    • SuperNovaCouchGuy [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      they were a pro-Mao group that got caught by the factional backlash by the party.

      I can't imagine the sheer chaos of having to live through something like that...

      But that’s easy with hindsight.

      Yep, and China stays winning against the anglosphere in the end

      • Mardoniush [she/her]
        ·
        3 years ago

        A good source...kind of doesn't exist. I'm very, very hesitant to recommend Yang Jisheng's The World Turned Upside Down since he imbibed some western brainworms after Tiennaman Square and he paints Mao as a villain of the piece, but I'm unaware of a better-sourced book in English by a Chinese author.

        He was at least a journalist through the period and was a member of the party, so it's all..factual...there's just a lot of opinion there that just so happens to support the standard anti-communist western left narrative.

      • please_dont [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Good suggestions around that subject are the “100 day war” by William H. Hinton, Mobo Gao’s The Battle for China’s Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution, , Cultural Revolution and Industrial Organization in China by Charles Bettelheim, Mao: A Reinterpretation (Lee Feigon)