Li Hsiao-t’i, Opera, Society, and Politics in Modern China. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, Harvard University Press, 2019. x, 376 pp. 20 Photos, 6 Maps, 1 Table, Glossary, Bibliography, Index. US$ 49.95 (HB). ISBN 978-0-674-98716-6

Abstract

critique of capitalist modernity, Weigelin-Schwiedrzik reminds us that there are opposing voices against both the deterministic, teleological progress and prospect optimism. More importantly, these discordant voices on the margins show that the discourse of progress is never absolute in China. There are cracks, gaps, or even safe havens, where sensitive souls are able to find ways to express their views. Being so, Weigelin-Schwiedrzik argues that a seldom discussed text of Lu Xun, “Modern History,” reveals to us the possibility of resistance in a dark moment of humanity. As a reader, I did not follow the sequence of chapters when reading the edited volume. But as I read the volume in a way that I felt comfortable, I found it speaking as much about the past as about the present. To me, Weigelin-Schwiedrzik’s concluding remark is inspirational. “The consensus of living in a world of makebelieve,” she writes, “is as strong an impediment to creating something new as the reality of repetitiousness” (p. 312). In one sentence, she calls attention to the danger of our times, especially the danger of creating a world of make-believe with big data, social media, and global financialization. At the same time, her warning is also a source of hope. In a time of global crises (such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the new division of transnational networks), we must look forward to a different and better future that will not repeat our past mistakes.