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A review by mpetruce
The Mao Case by Qiu Xiaolong
3.0
Chen gets a politically important case connected to Mao to solve. This one is kind of vague at the beginning, with a classic MacGuffin and everything. Yu and Old Hunter make appearances, though regrettably there is no Overseas Chinese Lu. But the supporting characters don't seem to have all that much to do.
As usual, Chen works to solve the case with his usual combination of doggedness in the face of duty, guangxi and thinking about poetry.
Chen finds himself stuck in small rooms from time to time. Not quite sure why. Anyway, looking forward to moving on to the next entry in the series.
Revision: OK, I added one more star on further thought. My Chinese history knowledge is not very encyclopedic, but the amount of criticism of Mao in this story is pretty constant and extensive. I wish I knew more to put it in context. In that sense, you could almost say this is kind of Qiu's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in it's criticism, just without the overwriting and heavy-handed symbolism.
As usual, Chen works to solve the case with his usual combination of doggedness in the face of duty, guangxi and thinking about poetry.
Chen finds himself stuck in small rooms from time to time. Not quite sure why. Anyway, looking forward to moving on to the next entry in the series.
Revision: OK, I added one more star on further thought. My Chinese history knowledge is not very encyclopedic, but the amount of criticism of Mao in this story is pretty constant and extensive. I wish I knew more to put it in context. In that sense, you could almost say this is kind of Qiu's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in it's criticism, just without the overwriting and heavy-handed symbolism.