Leaf reviewed Death of Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Review of 'Death of Red Heroine' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
This is a meticulously constructed novel.
Taking place in Shanghai, China in politically tumultuous 1990, the novel focuses on Chief Inspector Chen Cao's investigation of a murder case involving a Model Worker. But more than that, it investigates the push and pull between new regime and old regime, between Mao's model of a perfect communist dictatorship ruled by his closest political supporters and their families, and Deng's new China that mixes capitalism and socialism and just the vaguest hint of meritocracy. Much of the plot is caught between these clashing ideals, their far from perfect execution by the Chinese government, and the varying hopes of the citizens—either that the country will return to a Maoist state in the case of the aging and retired Cadres, or that the country might continue to progress to a point of greater personal freedoms for all on the part of nearly everyone else.
The …
This is a meticulously constructed novel.
Taking place in Shanghai, China in politically tumultuous 1990, the novel focuses on Chief Inspector Chen Cao's investigation of a murder case involving a Model Worker. But more than that, it investigates the push and pull between new regime and old regime, between Mao's model of a perfect communist dictatorship ruled by his closest political supporters and their families, and Deng's new China that mixes capitalism and socialism and just the vaguest hint of meritocracy. Much of the plot is caught between these clashing ideals, their far from perfect execution by the Chinese government, and the varying hopes of the citizens—either that the country will return to a Maoist state in the case of the aging and retired Cadres, or that the country might continue to progress to a point of greater personal freedoms for all on the part of nearly everyone else.
The book is complicated, and intricate. The character of Chen Cao, as a young party member artificially moved up in his assigned career path but also a poet fascinated with both traditional and modern, Chinese and foreign influences, is the perfect character to place in the center of this maelstrom. And I have to say, without spoilers, that the ending was satisfying in a really good the-protagonists-are-somewhat-foiled-but-all-the-loose-ends-tie-up-just-slackly-enough-that-there's-another-novel-waiting-to-happen way.
I also can't stress enough how important Qiu Xiaolong's own experiences are, given that Chen Cao seems pseudo-biographical, to really fleshing out the setting. The mix of proverbs, Confuscian quotes, and lines of poetry as they fit into the dialogue... The sorts of vendors one finds on the street at night, and the history of various streets and landmarks.
I've docked a star because of the slow beginning (keep with it!) and also the frequently problematic portrayal of women. But the book does get better on most counts about halfway through, and I will definitely be picking up the sequels.
