Literature and Revolution in Modern China. Lu Xun, Leon Trotsky, and Chen Duxiu

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Published Jul 2025

Yuzo Nagahori

Editor / Translator: Gregor Benton
This book reconstructs Lu Xun’s literary theory and political position within its historical context, considering Trotsky’s literary theory and his relationship with the Chinese Trotskyists and the Chinese Communist Party. It also corrects errors and shortcomings in conventional studies of Lu Xun. At the same time, it aims to show how Lu Xun was used by the Chinese Communists and Mao Zedong for political purposes, beginning in the Yan’an years and culminating during the Cultural Revolution. Additionally, it seeks to rescue Lu Xun from the distortion of his legacy by the Chinese Communist literary establishment, Mao Zedong, and Stalinism.

Biographical Note

Nagahori Yuzo, Keio University, is Professor Emeritus of Modern Chinese Studies. He has published monographs, translations and many articles on Lu Xun and the Chinese Trotskyists, including Okuda Kyoka, The Dentist Who Created Lu Xun’s Death Mask (2024).

Gregor Benton, Cardiff University, is Professor Emeritus of Modern Chinese History. He has published many books and articles on Chinese Communism, dissent in China, and the Chinese diaspora.

Readership

This book is especially relevant for academic institutions, university libraries, and researchers specializing in Lu Xun, modern Chinese literature, the Chinese Trotskyist movement, and the history of the Chinese Communist Party.

Table of Contents

Forthcoming