Revolution and Its Narratives China's Socialist Literary and Cultural Imaginaries, 1949-1966

"Cai Xiang's study of socialist literary and cultural imaginaries, originally published in 2010, is one of the most provocative books on post-1949 Chinese literature and culture appearing in Chinese since the beginning of the new century. Its English version, Revolution and Its Narratives, brilliantly edited and meticulously translated by Rebecca E. Karl and Xueping Zhong, makes a significant and timely contribution to ongoing debates about the cultural-political legacies of revolutionary China." - Pu Wang (The China Quarterly) "Revolution and Its Narratives contains numerous original insights, based on a wealth of readings of both classics of the 1950s and 1960s and many lesser-known works. It covers a wide range of topics and will be essential reading for scholars and graduate students working on Chinese socialist literature." - Nicolai Volland (Modern Chinese Literature and Culture) "Revolution & Its Narratives is beyond any doubt a major achievement and a substantial contribution to the field of Chinese cultural production of the 1950s and 1960s. Cai's superb sensibility to theory, erudition, and ethical commitment to the subaltern classes make his book a compelling work of mind and passion." - Yiju Huang (China Review International)