| Book Review | The American Historical Review, 106.3

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| Book Review | The American Historical Review, 106.3 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Asia

Perry Link. The Uses of Literature: Life in the Socialist Chinese Literary System. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 2000. Pp. vi, 387. Cloth $65.00, paper $21.95.

Perry Link's new book is a history of literary life in socialist China, from 1950 to 1990, emphasizing the momentous post-Mao liberalization of 1979–1985. Between a stimulating introduction and a thoughtful conclusion lie well-executed chapters on the mechanics of state control of literature, writers, markets, popular readers, and sophisticated ("socially engaged") readers. All are clearly argued and illustrated with a rich array of often piquant literary examples. 1

This study is a worthy companion to Link's Evening Chats in Beijing: Probing China's Predicament (1992). That widely read book drew on conversations with Beijing literary figures to explore the ideals and grievances of Chinese intellectuals in a period of crisis. This new book, in contrast, delineates the workings of the system in which literature was produced. Link is sympathetic and respectful, yet never sentimental toward the writers whose world he analyzes. 2

One of Link's great contributions is to show how literary politics were often more complex than they may have appeared on the surface. China's literary system was never so monolithic as either the Communist Party or its enemies have wanted to believe. However severe and erratic, the system was never static, and its dynamic aspect provided space for maneuver (and sometimes opportunism) in literary careers. Some of Link's best discussions introduce the art of "literary meteorology," by which writers, editors, and cultural officials assessed nuances within their authoritarian political climate, planning their work accordingly. . . .

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