The Reading of Russian Literature in China: A Moral Example and Manual of Practice (Palgrave Studies in Cultural and Intellectual History)

This book traces the profound influence that Russian literature, which was tied inseparably to the political victory of the Russian revolution, had on China during a period that saw the collapse of imperial rule and the rise of the Communist Party. Palgrave Macmillan Cover 1 Contents 8 Introduction 10 One: The Russian Classics as a Moral Example 22 1 Literature as a Conveyer of Morality 22 2 The Russian Classic as a Teacher of Life 32 Two: Writers and Readers 44 1 The Pursuit of Engaged Literature: A Parallel History 44 2 Ways and Purposes of Reading 52 3 Beyond the Moral Message 62 Three: The Agents of Soviet Literature 76 1 Travellers to New Russia 77 2 Émigrés 89 3 Emissaries of the Soviet State 95 Four: Soviet Socialist Realism as a Manual of Practice 104 1 Literature as a Mirror of Life 104 2 The Masters of Socialist Realism on the Battlefields of China 112 3 Word and Deed 125 4 Battles Won and a Battle Lost 132 Afterword 140 Notes 152 Select Bibliography 210 Glossary of Chinese Terms 226 Index 230 9780230623491 "This is a fascinating exploration of inter-cultural history and there is nothing like it in the English-language scholarship. In this regard, The Reading of Russian Literature in China is both timely and long overdue. Gamsa's ability to interweave discussions of Chinese, Russian, and Soviet exchanges in the midst of revolution and war is masterful. It is a work of extensive research and rich detail--a significant project. The book will be welcome to scholars and graduate students of Chinese studies, inter-cultural history of Russia and China, comparative literature generally, and Communist literature specifically."--Douglas Howland, David D. Buck Professor of Chinese History, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Mark Gamsa. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.