Rogue Land (Complete Edition)

Author: Lao Cun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The first edition of The Turbulent Earth was published in 1993, but it was edited down by over 30,000 words. The book was soon criticized as "obscene" and "lacking taste." The edition published by China Literature Press in 1993 was not the complete version; the true complete version came out a decade later from Shuhai Publishing House. The "turbulence" (sao) in The Turbulent Earth does not refer to the sexual kind between men and women, but rather to the li sao (a term from the ancient poem Encountering Sorrow). Regarding contemporary Chinese literature, I have always hoped to see a work that blends ancient and modern, with a grand and distinguished style. However, by the end of the 20th century, finally came such an outstanding work as The Turbulent Earth—Literary critic La Die said, "The Turbulent Earth is actually a masterpiece distorted by market hype and misunderstood by the literary world. It is filled with a sense of suffering, portraying the resilient spirit of the yellow land, and carries a unique, profound, and desolate beauty." Critic Li Jianzhuo noted, "The Turbulent Earth tells the history we once had, the history that stripped dignity from everyone." Bai Ye pointed out, "There are quite a few sexual descriptions in The Turbulent Earth, but overall, these descriptions are mostly needed for the work's atmosphere and character development, and the author pays attention to restraint and moderation." This version is the one I truly recognize as The Turbulent Earth. Ten years of being submerged, both it and I have suffered great humiliation. Now, what I hope is to gain the readers' positive understanding, Lao Cun said. The Turbulent Earth: This work depicts rural life during the Cultural Revolution with a satirical tone and a comedic style. The novel begins with Ji, a crippled cadre, entering the village, who makes grand gestures and talks non-stop about "class struggle," appearing as a political machine detached from the real world. Those who constantly revolve around him, such as Ye, the secretary, and Lü, the militia commander, are all servile to the core. Using a series of The True Story of Ah Q-style plots, the author allows readers to see the ridiculous yet humble souls of these cartoonish characters.