Mod post: theme suggestions

[damned_colonial]

Please suggest themes you'd like to see covered here! Cut and paste the following into a comment:

ETA: please put your theme in the subject of your comment!

Theme:
Are you prepared to run it? Yes/No
Suggested books, if you have them already:


What does it mean to run the theme?

1. At least one month in advance, you'll let everyone know about the theme and your suggested reading for it. You need to suggest at least 3 works of fiction.
2. On the first of the month, you will post a welcome/introduction/kickoff for the theme.
3. Throughout the month, you'll take an active part in discussion of the theme.

You do not have to be an expert on the theme to run it. You just need to have an interest in it.

Comments

[sarlania]

Late to the party- sorry! Is it still too late to suggest themes?

Theme: Revolutionary/Communist China
Prepared to Run it: I suppose so
Books:

Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah
Wives and Concubines/Raise the Red Lantern Su Tong

Many of Pearl S Buck's novels including The Good Earth

[damned_colonial]

Not too late! But too late for it to be the theme for July.

This is a great theme but I'm worried about the first 4 books all being published within a few years of each other. Wonder if we can find anything from eg. the 50s-70s?

[sarlania]

Hmmm... maybe from non-chinese authors or expatriates living overseas, but definitely not books published in China- given the the communist party basically banned free thought and intellectualism. I'll have a hunt around.

[damned_colonial]

Yeah, I was thinking people outside, obviously. I wonder if there's something like a good juicy Cold War thriller or something? Plenty of contrast there :)

[sarlania]

Actually, now that I think about it, I wonder if "The Little Red Book" and other propaganda material published during that time would be suitable? That should be on the internet somewhere!

[damned_colonial]

But that's not historical fiction, is it?

[sarlania]

Nor is the first three suggestions I put up. *shrugs* Nevermind, forget I ever suggested it, I don't think there's anyone who would actually WANT to read it. I know I don't.

[damned_colonial]

Hmmm. I think the problem is actually that 20th century stuff is hard to find "historical" novels for. So much of what's available are actually contemporary novels. And then, the problem in this case is probably compounded by trying to work with a period that, as you point out, actively suppressed writers.

It's a pity, as revolutionary/communist China is a very interesting period. Let's keep thinking about it.

[sarlania]

I've been thinking... maybe instead of limiting it to just China, make the theme more broad, something like Communism in general, or revolutions in the 20th/19th century? Maybe then we'll get more books to choose from.