Mao and His Dancing Partners

In my previous post, a follow up to my review of The Mao Case by Qiu Xiaolong I discussed Mao's love of books and his poetry. While his literary pursuits caught me off guard I was even more suprised in the book to learn that Mao was an avid dancer. After learning some of the details the reasons for his pleasure in dancing became clear.

In the book Mao establishes a relationship with Shang, a beautiful actress, when she became his dancing partner on trips to Shanghai.

It was contradictory for Mao to be involved in dancing in Communist China for, as set out in the book:

     Even in the official publications, Mao's passion for dancing has
     been acknowledged. After 1949, social dancing was condemned
     and banned as part and parcel of th bourgeois lifestyle, but within
     the high walls of the Forbidden City, Mao still danced to his
     heart's content. According to the interpretation given in The
     People's Daily, Mao worked so hard for China that these
     parties were necessary to provide relaxation for our great
     leader. But that's nonsense. As for what happened after he
    danced with Shang, I don't think I have to go into graphic details.

Being married to Madam Mao was no restraint upon Mao.

From a review of The Private Life of Chairman Mao by his personal physician, Li Zhisui:

     In 1961, a year of severe famine, Mao still attended twice weekly
     ``dance parties'' where he had his pick of female companions.
    At the same time, a huge room was set aside for Mao to entertain
    his harem at the cavernous Great Hall of the People on the edge
    of Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

While Mao's appetite for women is far from startling I was disturbed to read about his desire for teenagers.

Jonathan Mirsky in The Spectator on one of Mao's dancing partners who was 14 years old:

     Mao, Ms Chen told me, danced as if on rails, pushing his partner
     straight ahead across the room and back again. At some point,
     she discovered, Mao would invite a girl into his bedroom, ‘to
     make him his tea’. Then there would be sex. She had plenty
     to say about the Great Helmsman’s virility and stamina.

I will not add more about his teenager dancing partners.

Mao's status in China, as illustrated by his interactions with women, was summed up by Qiu Xiaolong:

     Mao was more than an emperor - he was a communist god.
     Women ran to him not the other way round.

Mao and Books

In my last post I reviewed The Mao Case by Qiu Xiaolong. In the book Chief Inspector Chen Cao is given a sensitive political assignment. Did Mao give to former “dancing partner”, Shang, anything that might prove embarrassing if revealed in contemporary China? It is not far fetched that he might have given to her something he had written.

Everyone is aware of the Little Red Book of Mao’s quotations that was carried by millions of Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.

I was less aware that he was a poet and loved books to the end of his life.

An example from a collection of Mao’s poems is Ode to the Plum Blossom:

            After wind and rain seeing off the spring,

            Flying snow comes as a harbinger of the spring.
            On the ice-covered cliff,
            The plum blossom still shines,
            Pretty, she does not claim the spring for herself,
            Content to be a herald of spring
            When hills are ablaze with wildflowers,
            In their midst she smiles.

I cannot think of a current political leader who could have written Ode to the Plum Blossom.

Trying to gain some insight into what Mao might have given to Shang, Chen gains access to Mao’s private quarters which had been closed to the public for several years.

Qiu Xiaolong describes Mao’s bedroom at the end of his life in Beijing:

What struck him as unusual in the room was the extraordinarily big bed. Larger that a king-size one, apparently custom-made, but apart from its size, it was simple and plain. About a quarter of the bed was practically covered with books. It appeared as if Mao had slept with books.

I found the photo of Mao's bedroom at the top of this post in a Chinese website. I do not know when it was taken but I find it incredibly evocative of Qiu Xiaolong’s description of the room.

While sleeping with books is far from an image surprising to avid readers and book bloggers it was not what I expected to hear of Mao.

What was he reading:

Chen reached out and picked one up, Zizhi Tongjian, sometimes called the “Mirror of History.” It was a history book written by Sima Guang, a renowned Confucian scholar in the Song dynasty, intended to mirror history in such a way that emperors could learn lessons by examining it. Mao was said to have read it seven or eight times. Most of the books on the bed turned out to be similar classics and histories.

There is nary a mention of any of the works of Karl Marx or later communist writers.

It was a solitary existence for Mao in those final years filled with books:

And Chen couldn’t help imagining Mao alone in the room, reading late into the night. According to the official publications, Madam Mao didn’t live with Mao. In his last ten years, Mao lived by himself – except for his personal secretaries, nurses and orderly …… At night, however, surrounded by the ancient books, paranoid of “capitalist roaders” who would try to usurp his power and “restore capitalism,” Mao suffered from insomnia, hardly able to move because of his failing health …

I am not sure what emotions I have in learning that Mao, who brought about the deaths of millions, especially through the Cultural Revolution, cared passionately about books and wrote poetry.

The Mao Case by Qiu Xiaolong

The Mao Case by Qiu Xiaolong – Chief Inspector Chen Cao is having a fairly routine, if somewhat abstract, day at a political studies meeting of the Shanghai Police Bureau’s Party Committee on the topic of building “spiritual civilization” in China. Materialistic socialism has replaced the egalitarian ideals of the Communist revolution. A restaurant has found success calling itself the Mao Restaurant with photos and quotations and dishes asserted to be enjoyed by Mao. 

In the midst of the meeting Chen is startled when he is told his girlfriend, the highly placed and connected Ling, has married. While their relationship had been notably “off –and-on” he has not seen it as over and is “astonished”. 

While brooding over Ling’s marriage he receives a call from Huang Keming in Beijing, the new Minister of Public Security, about a sensitive political investigation. One of Mao’s “dancing” partners was an actress Shang Yunguan, whose career accelerated as a result of that relationship. She committed suicide early in the Cultural Revolution. The government is concerned that Mao provided her with something that could cause problems for the Party were it to become public. Shang’s granddaughter, Jiao, has recent unexplained financial benefits. 

They want  him to resolve the question quietly to avoid Internal Security undertaking “tougher” measures. 

Huang bluntly explains:

“This is an assignment you can’t say no to, Comrade Chief Inspector Chen. Any slander against Mao, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, will affect the legitimacy of our Party. This is a special task and Comrade Zhao recommended you to me.”

Chen is relieved of all other duties.

Jiao spends a significant amount of time at parties hosted by Xie. These parties are unique in that they seek to re-create the atmosphere of Shanghai in the 1930’s prior to the Communist takeover. They are held in Xie’s mansion, a fading but still elegant, private residence.

Chen, aware that there would be major personal consequences if he is unsuccessful, would like to investigate alone but realizes he needs help. Old Hunter, the retired police officer, and other friends and colleagues assist him.

There is a brief contact with Ling leading to Chen’s poignant recollection of a poem:

Sad it’s no longer sad,/ the heart hardened anew,/ not expecting pardon,/ but grateful, and glad / to have been with you,/ the sunlight lost on the garden.

As customary with the series the book takes the reader deep into Chinese history and society with compelling characters. Part of the mid-section of the book was not flowing for me but the conclusion is amazing. With each book I gain some understanding of modern China through a great mystery.

Chief Inspector Chen has become one of my favourite contemporary sleuths.

****

Xiaolong, Qiu – (2009) - Death of a Red Heroine (Second best of 2009 fiction); (2011) - "X" is for Qui Xiaolong; (2011) - A Case for Two Cities; (2012) - "X" is for Qiu Xiaolong Again; (2012) - A Loyal Character Dancer; (2013) - Red Mandarin Dress and Reflections on red Mandarin dresses; Hardcover or paperback. 

Sleuth of Baker Street in Mid-Winter of 2015

Sharon and I are in Toronto for a long weekend. When we booked the getaway we thought we might have warmer temperatures in Toronto than Saskatchewan in January. In a weather surprise it is actually a touch warmer in Saskatchewan this weekend. Beyond visiting family one of the reasons to come east was a chance to visit the Sleuth of Baker Street Mystery Bookstore. I always visit my favourite bookstore when I come to Toronto.

Late Thursday afternoon J.D. Singh was working by himself. Most of the time either J.D. or Marian takes care of the store.

The store continues to be full of mysteries and thrillers. Following my pattern in recent visits I restricted myself to purchasing 5 books. It is hard not to walk out with bags of books.

While there are lots of books there are not as many complete series. I was looking for Don’t Cry, Tai Lake which is the 7^th in the series by Qiu Xiaolong. Several were on the shelf which is more than most stores but not that volume. J.D. said he would look for a copy for me.

My first choice was Tokyo Kill by Barry Lancet which is the second in the series featuring Jim Brodie from San Francisco. I had really enjoyed the first book, Japantown, and am looking forward to Tokyo Kill.

It has been some time since I read the Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville. While I found it harrowing and very violent it was so memorable I have been meaning to get the next in the series, Collusion, for some time and it became my second choice on Thursday.

I took a look around for some Australian crime fiction but J.D. says it remains as difficult as ever for him to get mysteries from Australia.

I had picked up Trinity Six by Charles Cumming for my third book but as I was looking at books highly recommended by J.D. and Marian on a display shelf at the front of the store I saw The Anarchist Detective by Jason Webster. I asked J.D. for a preference between them. He rightly said they are very different books and said he had really enjoyed Webster but thought I should start with the first in the series, Or the Bull Kills You. It became my third choice.

Looking for a Canadian mystery I saw on the same shelf, Last of the Independents by Sam Wiebe which is noted as Vancouver noir and was the winner of the 2012 Unhanged Arthur Ellis Award for best unpublished new crime fiction that year. The Unhanged Award is an effort to promote the publication of worth unpublished Canadian crime fiction.  Last of the Independents was my fourth choice.

I mentioned to J.D. that Anthony Bidulka is very unhappy with the quality of publication of his latest book, The Women of Skawa Island, which is the second in the Adam Saint series. Just over a week ago he cancelled a delayed book launch signing in Saskatoon when he discovered the book had significant printing errors in the published book which had not been present in the copy he had read. J.D. said it was not a shock. He said the publisher of Last of the Independents had gone through more than one printing because of such mistakes. He said he had numerous flawed copies of the book in the back of the store.

My fifth choice was not actually crime fiction. I was taken in by Tough Crimes – True Stories by Top Canadian Criminal Lawyers edited by C.D. Evans and Lorene Shyba. The book contains twenty stories of major Canadian criminal trials by a lawyer who participated in the trial. Two of the stories are by lawyers I know – one is a law school classmate and the other a good colleague in the Saskatchewan bar. Each lawyer talks about one important case in their careers and about how it affected them. I have already dived into the book and the stories are fascinating.

There were several other customers in the store while I was there. I hope the store can stay open for years to come. I have been visiting it for over 20 years.

****

Sleuth of Baker Street and Update on Sleuth and 2012 Trip to Sleuth and Sleuth of Baker Street in Mid-winter of 2015 in Toronto, Ontario whose website is http://www.sleuthofbakerstreet.ca/

Hebrides Dark and Light

Hebridean Blackhouse

Authors can provide vividly different views of life in the same setting that are equally convincing. In his Hebridean trilogy, the first two books (The Blackhouse and The Lewis Man) that I have reviewed May sets out a dark and grim life upon the Islands. In her biographical fiction series Lillian Beckwith provides a much lighter portrayal of Hebridean life.

May portrays the Calvinist churches of Lewis as cold cheerless places of worship with the Minister thundering sermons of fire and brimstone upon the parishioners gathered on the pews below the pulpit.

Beckwith attends church at an equally cheerless building but as the “missionary” presiding roars about the devil she sees the congregation intensely amused rather than threatened. All are concentrating on the mints they have brought to suck upon during the service.

They approach Scottish fatalism differently.

For May’s Islanders there is a resigned acceptance of grim fate.

Morag illustrates the cheerful approach of her Islanders when, on advising Beckwith about morning breakfast, she states:

“Half past eight,” Morag agreed; “and if the Lord spares me I’ll have your fire lit by eight then”.

She further explains:

“I’m feelin’ quite well tonight,” replied Morag piously; “but who can tell if the Lord may call any one of us before the morn comes; and if He chooses to call me in the night then I canna’ light your fire in the mornin’, can I?”

May’s Island homes are drafty and uncomfortable unless they have double glazing on windows and doors. For the young Fin the attic room of his aunt’s home that is his bedroom is cold and uninviting.

Hebridean Whitehouse

For Miss Beckwith there is a warm and comfortable bed in her bedroom.

May’s characters have had troubled and bleak lives. Regrets are many as they look back upon their lives.

Beckwith’s Islanders make the best of their lives upon the land. They enjoy life.

Probably the greatest difference is humour.

Laughter is rare in the lives of May’s residents. They are often a stereotype of Scottish dour.

Morag and her neighbours are constantly jibing each other and are a happy people. A funeral procession is marked by Islanders telling stories and jokes.

I appreciate the books were written about 50 years apart but do not see the respective perspectives flowing from the differing time periods. May is just as dark when he looks back 50 – 60 years.

I am sure life is neither as dark as in May’s books nor as light as in Beckwith’s books. I do find it striking how each makes their Hebrides credible.

The Hills is Lonely by Lillian Beckwith

The Hills is Lonely by Lillian Beckwith (1959) – After reading two dark contemporary mysteries by Peter May (The Blackhouse and The Lewis Man) set in the Outer Hebrides I thought of re-reading a book from another series set in the Hebrides 50 years earlier in the 1950’s. I expect it has been three decades since I read it the first time. I was charmed all over again.

Lillian Beckwith is the pen name of Lillian Comber who moved from England to the Hebrides for two decades. In a series of 7 books of biographical fiction, The Hills is Lonely being the first, she recounts her experiences with the crofters of Bruach, a fictional Hebridean isle. Her experiences are much lighter than the grim lives of May’s characters. My next post shall highlight the differences.

In The Hills is Lonely the author’s doctor has recommended that she spend time in the country where she could “rest without being too lazy, and laze without being too restive”. With enough income to live a quiet life for a time she places an ad in a periodical seeking offers of a place to stay.

She is enchanted by a letter from the Hebrides:

 

Bruach

Dear Madam,
                        Its just now I saw your advert when I got the book for the knitting pattern I wanted from my cousin Catriona. I am sorry I did not write sooner if you are fixed up if you are not in any way fixed up I have a good house stone and tiles and my brother Ruari who will wash down with lime twice every year. Ruari is married and lives just by. She is not damp I live by myself and you could have the room that is not a kitchen and bedroom reasonable. I was in the kitchen of the lairds house till lately when he was changed God rest his soul the poor old gentleman that he was. You would be very welcomed. I have a cow also for milk and eggs and the minister at the manse will be referee if you wish such.

Yours affectionately,

Morag McDugan

PS. She is not thatched.

To a letter asking for more information on “quietness and distance from the sea” Morag provides a reply that inspires the title:

Surely its that quiet here even the sheeps on the hills is lonely and as to the sea its that near I use it myself every day for the refusals.

Who could resist such an invitation?

Miss Beckwith, a schoolteacher and a woman of mature years, is soon on her way north to the Hebrides.

Entranced and appalled, often at the same time, she is soon at home on Morag’s croft.

Miss Peckwitt, as she is dubbed by the Islanders who have the Gaelic, is welcomed despite being English though she finds herself most appreciated for the amusement she provides them as she adapts to their ways.

As an example of island life, paying a condolence visit to a departed neighbour becomes a rollicking night. Miss Peckwitt remains in the kitchen having a cup of tea while Morag goes upstairs to view the body of Ian, taken before his time at 79.

One of Ian’s sisters bemoans they had to settle for the local doctor who could not save Ian from pleurisy. She had wanted the vet who had previously cured their cow of pleurisy. She says:

“I’m tellin’ you that doctor couldna’ cure a corn on your toe without cutting off your foot and if he cut off your foot and buried it, like as not it would grown into a poisonous weed.”

After Morag comes down from the visitation Miss Peckwitt is startled when two local men wrestle the body downstairs to the parlour:

“Lachy, you damn fool! Lower your end a bit; that was his big toe nearly halfway down my throat.”

On their way home, Morag stops to remonstrate with the men digging the grave. Fortified by a bottle of whiskey they are amusing themselves by throwing pebbles at the teeth in a skull they have found while digging.

The next day at the funeral Miss Peckwitt asks Lachy why he did not take his hat off during the outdoor service. He replies:

   “Why now would we do that? Our heads were not hot!”

Persisting she mentions the undertaker took off his hat. In response:

“Aye,” answered another, “trying to shame us folk into followin’ suit so that we’d catch our death of cold and make plenty of work for him I doubt. Ach, but we’re too wise here for that sort of caper.”

And so the adventures continue whether in church or going to the cattle sale or participating in a ceilidh. A neighbour is always ready for a strupach (a cup of tea and a bite to eat).

I defy readers not to chuckle out loud. There is an abundance of humour and good cheer in the lives of the island people.

Death of a Lake by Arthur Upfield

Death of a Lake by Arthur Upfield (1954) – Lake Otway is dying. Three years after it had filled with flood waters a relentless drought is sucking it dry. On the edge of the lake is an out-station for Porchester Station.

Ray Gillen, born in Tasmania, has drifted across the mainland at various jobs and spent some time in the Australian Army serving in Korea. He arrives at the Lake on a motorbike and is immediately hired to work with the stock. One hot November night he goes for a swim and never returns. He is presumed drowned though no body can be found.

Fifteen months later Inspector Napoleon “Bony” Bonaparte is assigned to look into the death.

While many a man has drowned while swimming late at night it is a rare man who drowns with £12,000 pounds in his suitcase. Gillen had shared a winning lottery ticket of £25,000. After cashing in his share he had decided to tour Australia.

 

At the out-station are 7 men (5 white and 2 black) and two women, Mrs. Fowler and Joan, her daughter. Both of the women are very attractive. They are quite willing to accept gifts and attention from the men but wary of commitment.

Bony goes to the out-station in an undercover role as a horse breaker. He will live with the men and work at breaking a small herd of horses.

Bony is sure the 5 white men and 2 white women have knowledge about Gillen. Since his disappearance no money has been reported and no one has left the out-station.

With his usual patience Bony works his way into the community. When he shows he knows his way around the horses his disguise is accepted.

It is scorching hot. Each day the temperature is over 100 F. The lake is disappearing and the strain on the residents of the out-station is rising.

No one is talking but everyone is anxious to search for Gillen’s body when the lake has dried up.

When the water level goes below 2 feet in depth the birds and animals around and on the lake are anxious. They can sense its death.

There are powerful disturbing images in the descriptions of what happens to the rabbits, hundreds of thousands if not millions of them near the lake, and the kangaroos and other animals when their water supply is at an end. Nature is not benign.

Bony discreetly prods those living at the out-station and friction flares.

While Canadians know cold Australians know hot. When the temperature goes about 110F life is unbearable for everyone and the water level drops even faster.

There is an inexorability to the dying of the lake that carries into the mystery. How and why Gillen died will be resolved when the lake is equally dead. It creates a natural tension to the mystery that is striking.

The book is a fine example of Bony’s understanding of human psychology with less bushcraft than most other Bony stories.

****

Upfield, Arthur - (2011) - Cake in the Hat Box; (2011) - The Widows of Broome (2011) - "U" is for Arthur Upfield; (2011) - The Bushman Who Came Back; (2012) - The Will of the Tribe; (2012) - The Battling Prophet; (2012) - "U" is for Arthur W. Upfield; (2013) - The Bone is Pointed; (2013) - Q & A with Stan Jones on Nathan Active and Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte - Part I and Part II; (2013) - "U" is for Death of a Swagman (1945)
 

Bookmark Inspiration for the Outer Hebrides



When I bought The Lewis Man at a Chapters store in Calgary I received a book mark. Sometimes bookmarks barely register with me but this bookmark was unique. On one side it had a small map in the upper left hand corner of the Outer Hebrides superimposed on a lovely photo of a house (Johnny’s house) on the edge of the sea with the machair going down to the ocean. On the other side was a larger map with circles marking points on the islands with the following explanation:

Visit the locations in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides that inspired Peter May’s award-winning Lewis Trilogy.

Below the map was noted the website – www.petermaytrail.com. I thought it a simple and brilliant bit of marketing for book and the Hebrides.

Because of the bookmark I was inspired to look up the website. It is sponsored by the Outer Hebrides Tourism Industry Association. It is great to see a series of books is inspiring visits to the Outer Hebrides.

You can make a journey through the islands looking up the actual sites used by May in creating the trilogy. An example is the photo below of the fictional town of Crobost. As explained at the website May used two towns for his town:

As the basis of the story, the villages of Adabroc and Skigersta were amalgamated to form the village "Crobost" in the books. This meant the houses which are strung out along the crest of the hill above the beach at Port of Ness and the little harbour at Skigersta all formed part of the village of Crobost. Crobost was where Fin grew up and near Port of Ness, where the first murder takes place.

On my cover of The Lewis Man is a picture of an old boat. At the top of this post is a photo of the real harbour with some small boats with one showing traces of purple paint:

Skigersta harbour is where Peter May imagined to be "Crobost" harbour….. The harbour is where his father renovated an old boat, painted it purple and called it after his wife, Fin's mother.  Fin remembers his youth as purple. This was following his father's find of a drum of purple paint, whilst beachcombing. The result was that every door, shelf, cupboard, skirting board and his boat were painted purple!

After his parents died Fin grew up with his Aunt. There is a photo below of the house:

This derelict house was the house that Peter May imagined to be Fin's Aunts house. Set overlooking the bay at Skigersta harbour, the window in between the dormers was Fin's room. Fin went to stay with his aunt, as a youngster, following the death of his parents. It was a cold and miserable place, made colder by an aunt who treated him well enough, but never loved him.

I get cold looking at the house which was never a home for Fin.

I think more publishers and tourist authorities could gain some visitors with comparable bookmarks and travel trails for books set in other distinct locations.