El traje nuevo del presidente Mao

by Simon Leys

"La "Revolución Cultural", que de revolucionaria sólo tuvo el nombre y de cultural el pretexto táctico inicial, fue una lucha por el poder que se entabló en la cúspide entre un puñado de individuos, tras la cortina de humo de un ficticio movimiento de masas. [...] Para el pueblo, el maoísmo puro significa la sustitución de las legítimas exigencias materiales, intelectuales y sensibles de la naturaleza humana por una mística política austera y fanática, la imposición de un estado permanente de movilización casi militar, la destrucción implacable de todos los valores tradicionales, una desoladora existencia monótona, el establecimiento de un desierto cultural, una universal beatería, y una aridez y un aburrimiento interrumpidos solamente por explosiones periódicas de violencia y de activismo histérico".

Ediciones El Salmón se enorgullece de volver a presentar al público en castellano esta obra, con una nueva traducción y con material inédito. Publicado en Francia en 1971, El traje nuevo del presidente Mao contiene una crónica de los primeros años de la "Revolución Cultural" maoísta, que desde 1966 sumió a China en un estado de guerra civil y de frenesí criminal.

Pierre Ryckmans, sinólogo y estudioso de la literatura y del arte clásico chinos, adoptó el nombre de pluma de Simon Leys para garantizar su seguridad en China y protegerse de los ataques de la intelligentsia francesa que, plegada a los delirios ideológicos del maoísmo, tachó a Leys de reaccionario a sueldo de la CIA por el crimen de mostrar que el Gran Timonel estaba efectivamente desnudo.

Genres: China, History, Nonfiction, Politics

379 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Simon Leys is the pen-name of Pierre Ryckmans, who was born in Belgium and settled in Australia in 1970. He taught Chinese literature at the Australian National University and was Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Sydney from 1987 to 1993. He died in Sydney in 2014.

Writing in three languages - French, Chinese and English - he played an important political role in revealing the true nature of the Cultural Revolution. His many prizes include the Prix Renaudot, Prix mondial Cino Del Duca and the Christina Stead Prize.

Reviews

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a time when french intelectuals venerated Mao. They made the trip to Beijing where chinese government presented a reality of Potemkine village to them. Barthes, Sollers, Kristeva, Wahl…
Mao, the greatest tyrant of the XX°, million of deaths (60 ? more?)
And then there was a lucid observer. great expert of China, he denounced the blindness of the intellectuals. A violent hatred campaign broke out against him. Simon Leys said the truth.
I read again this book after the publication of "septième fonction du langage", thriller on Barthes'death.
I always seek to understand why intelligent people preferred dictators to democracy, Sartre to Camus.

[Vasil Kolev · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a great explanation of what the "Cultural revolution" was - a simple power struggle, Mao's attempt to get back control - and explains very well the workings and inner struggles of the Chinese totalitarian regime. It might get tedious at times, but is a very good insight for the period described.

(I actually found him mentioned in Amelie Nothomb's books and tend to agree with her that he's a very good writer and historian)

[Rita]

First and most influential book, 1971.
First visit to China, 1955, friendship for the Chinese and hope for their revolution. But later he saw the downsides, and wrote about them.

"Chinese Shadows" is another of his books.

"Blurb:
Simon Leys is the pen-name of Pierre Ryckmans, who was born in Belgium and settled in Australia in 1970. He taught Chinese literature at the Australian National University and was Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Sydney from 1987 to 1993. He died in Sydney in 2014.

Writing in three languages - French, Chinese and English - he played an important political role in revealing the true nature of the Cultural Revolution."

Many Chinese intellectuals had great respect for Simon Leys [French-speaking Belgian scholar whose real name was Pierre Ryckmans] : "He spoke out on our behalf when others were silent."

From Geremie R Barmé's 2018 NYR review of a biography of his teacher :
"Simon Leys: Navigator between Worlds", by Philippe Paquet
[I am keeping this review in my book of Lu Xun stories]

[Adolfo · Rating 4 out of 5]

En una interpretación y descripción de hechos históricos, resultamos con un gran manual de política dura. El poder conlleva a los sacrificios que el texto relata. En todo esto, extrañe a "Fouche"....

[Yves Panis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livre essentiel pour comprendre la réalité de la Révolution Culturelle. Ce livre a fait beaucoup de mal aux "maoïstes de salon" plus enclin à faire la révolution à Saint-Germain-des-Prés qu'à Pékin....