Serve the People!
Serve the People! by Yan Lianke, published by Vintage Publishing on October 28, 2021, is a 240-page work presented in English. This book unfolds a brilliantly comic satire set in 1967, during the height of the Mao cult, focusing on a forbidden love affair between Liu Lian, the wife of a military commander, and a young soldier named Wu Dawang. The narrative explores the complexities of their relationship against the backdrop of political and sexual taboos prevalent in Mao’s regime.
Readers will find an engaging blend of romance and satire as Liu Lian establishes a unique rule for her lover, compelling Wu Dawang to attend to her needs whenever the household’s wooden ‘Serve the People!’ sign is removed. This setup not only drives the plot but also serves as a vehicle for commentary on cultural heritage and the absurdities of military and political life during this tumultuous period. The book invites exploration of themes related to love, power dynamics, and societal constraints, all delivered through Yan Lianke’s distinctive storytelling style.
Official synopsis Publisher
A brilliantly comic satire about a love affair from the visionary, world-class storyteller.
Set in 1967, at the peak of the Mao cult, this is the tale of a forbidden love affair between Liu Lian – the bored wife of a military commander – and a young soldier, Wu Dawang.
When Liu Lian establishes a rule that Wu Dawang must attend to her needs whenever the household’s wooden ‘Serve the People!’ sign is removed from its usual place, he vows to obey. What follows is both an enthralling love story and a deliciously comic satire on the political and sexual taboos of Mao’s regime.
‘Drips with the kind of satire that can only come from deep within the machinery of Chinese communism’ Financial Times
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