Vejce na Maovi: Příběh obyčejného muže, který zneuctil ikonu a odhalil pravou tvář diktatury

by Denise Chong, Jan Kozák (translator)

Když jednoho květnového dne roku 1981 autobusový mechanik Lu Decheng, jeho přítel, výtvarný redaktor Yu Dongyue, a učitel Yu Zhijian zosnují komplot proti čínskému režimu, netuší, že se právě vepsali zlatým písmem do moderních čínských dějin. Jejich barvou napuštěná vejce, která dolétnou na portrét Mao Ce-tunga na pekingském náměstí Tiananmen, roztočí kolotoč událostí, při nichž bude jeho protagonistům ještě mnohokrát tuhnout krev v žilách. Vejce totiž nezasáhla jen Maovu podobiznu, ale samou podstatu lidského zla, ztělesněného čínským politickým systémem zrozeným z touhy po moci. Zatímco si za svůj donkichotský čin odpykávají mnohaletý trest ve vězení, čínská diktatura dál chrlí oheň a síru a chrání svůj neposkvrněný štít. Denise Chongová, čínsko-kanadská autorka a držitelka řady literárních cen, předkládá čtenářům románové zpracování skutečného „příběhu obyčejných mužů, kteří odhalili pravou tvář režimu“. A nutno říci, že její beletrie je děsivě poutavá.

Čínsko-kanadská ekonomka a spisovatelka Denise Chongová se narodila ve Vancouveru v roce 1953. Ohlas mezi čtenáři získala svými rodinnými memoáry The Concubine’s Children (Děti konkubíny, 1994; 93 týdnů se kniha držela v žebříčku bestselerů zveřejňovaném kanadským listem Globe and Mail) a příběhem o vietnamské dívce zohavené napalmem The Girl in the Picture (Dívka na fotografii; 1999).
Pracuje jako politická poradkyně, je držitelkou významných postů v nevládních organizacích bojujících za práva menšin, angažuje se i v reklamě a jako editorka. Na svém kontě má dva čestné doktoráty. Žije se svou rodinou v Ottawě.

Genres: China, Nonfiction, History, Asia, Biography Memoir, Biography

286 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Denise Chong is an award-winning author whose work portrays the lives of ordinary people caught in the eye of history. Best known for her family memoir, The Concubine’s Children; The Girl in the Picture about the napalm girl of the Vietnam War; and Egg on Mao, a story of love and defiance in China of 1989, she lives in Ottawa.

Reviews

[David Akin]

Fantastic work. Been on my bookshelf for too long (bought it in 2010!). So glad I read it. The author, Denise Chong, is the spouse of a friend and I phoned him up tonight so I could tell him to tell Denise what a fanastic read it is. Though it is the story of the "Tiananmen" generation, the villain here is the Chinese dictatorship then and now, a dictatorship that is arguably stronger and more dangerous.

[Lori]

Oceňuji historický exkurz do období protestů na Náměstí nebeského klidu a co tomu předcházelo. V knize se střídají dvě roviny - jedna o "pachatelích" a jejich následném odsouzení, vězení a životě a druhá popisující postupně jejich dětství až shánění vajec v Pekingu. Ta druhá to dost zabíjela, přišlo mi to až úmorné.

[Frances Macknight]

What do we know of the Political prisoners who stood up for a request for democracy. Not intending disrespect for the present leaders, violence or
Harm for anyone, we know they were crushed. But even with years in prison under Inhumane conditions, there were many who continued their commitment to bring to the world their plight. This is a true story, with real names which should be read and known. China needs to be held accountable for its human rights clampdown.

[Karen]

This was an excellent book about Lu Decheng, a man who defaced a Mao portrait during Tienanmen Square protests in 1989 by throwing ink-filled eggs with two friends.

The story alternates between his childhood and early adulthood, his time in prison, and a detailed account of the events leading up to his defiant act at Tienanmen Square. The writing is compelling and the book moves at a good pace. In the end you understand why he did what he did. More importantly you come to understand more about Chinese politics and the lives of average people in China over the last few decades.

[John]

Denise Chong, tells the story of a man who humiliated a repressive regime in front of the entire world, and whose daring gesture informs our view of human rights to this day.

Despite his family’s impeccable Communist roots, Lu Decheng, a small town bus mechanic grew up intuiting all that was wrong with Mao’s China. As a young man he believes truth and decency mattered, only to learn that preserving the Chairman’s legacy mattered more.

Lu’s story reads like Shakespearean drama, peppered with defiance, love and betrayal. His steadfast refusal to acquiesce comes to a head, but not an end, with his infamous defacing of Mao’s portrait during the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square.

Having traveled through China with Overseas Adventure Travel on a guided trip and having seen a wide variety of fascinating things and places, this book provided many insights not included in our tour. During our trip, we stood in Tiananmen Square and looked up at Mao’s portrait along with thousands of Chinese citizens from all over China, some dressed in native dress. I had no idea that the portrait played such a significant part in the famous uprising. I wish I had read this book before the trip. I would recommend it to friends and family.

[Kelley S]

I did not LOVE this book, but I learned a bit of history I hadn’t heard about before. Lu Decheng, Yu Dongyue, and Yu Zhijian of the Hunan Student Movement Support Group, Liuyang Branch, traveled together to Beijing 2 weeks before the Tianamnen Square massacre in 1989 to support the students and democracy movement and threw eggs filled with paint onto Mao’s portrait. Their actions were misunderstood and the results are Denise Chong’s Egg on Mao, which is largely a personal story of Lu Decheng. Her writing style of going back and forth in time when not needed and using the English translation of place names annoyed me throughout the book; however, it is an interesting story in history of both love and human rights issues.

[Jacquelyn]

Another amazing book by Denise Chong. She details the life of one of the young men who threw paint filled egg shells at the portrait of Mao Zedong in Tiamen Square. Denise's book is written as if she was there, her research has paid off. I was drawn into this amazingly written book from the first line. Egg on Mao provides an insightful look at Communist China after the death of Mao. A must read for anyone internested in the Chinese government and the treatment of political prisoners.

[Meghan]

Thank you IB Asian history for letting me recognize all the historical events and for helping me with pronounciation. Checked out this book because the title intrigued me a couple years ago. A great insight into events rarely talked about.

[Joy]

A very insightful book on political prisoners. The pace of the story is good that you won't notice you are already at its end.

[Jeff]

Interesting account of a pivotal moment in Chinese history.

[David]

Ne že by to nebylo zajímavé téma. Rozhodně bylo o čem psát. Jen se jaksi divím, že jsem to přelouskal celé...