Midnight

Author: Mao Dun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: This book covers three aspects: comprador bourgeoisie, national bourgeoisie, and revolutionary movement participants as well as workers. Among these, the first two are subjects the author had direct contact with and was familiar with, enabling a more authentic observation of them and their actions. The latter, however, was based solely on "second-hand" materials—accounts from those directly involved or from third-party narrations. This source of material made the descriptions of the comprador bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie more vivid and realistic, while the portrayal of revolutionary movement participants and workers was much weaker. As for the development of rural revolutionary forces, there was a severe lack of even "second-hand" materials, and I was unwilling to fabricate the story from thin air. As a result, I could not write about it. That is why I call this book "hemiplegic."