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The Cowshed 1998
The Cowshed is a 1998 memoir written by Ji Xianlin, first published in China and later translated into English in 2016. The book tells the story of Ji's experiences during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, recounting his persecution and time spent in a labor camp. In 1960s, Ji was involved in political conflict at Beijing University and was subsequently sent to what was informally known as a "cowshed." This term refers to an unofficial prison where Ji spent many months.
Ji wrote The Cowshed to help fill gaps in historical records about the Cultural Revolution. It was released during a relatively relaxed period of government censorship, and the book gained wide readership within China. Despite this, Ji stated that his memoir does not intend to criticize or denounce the Chinese Communist Party—he remained publicly loyal to the party until his death in 2009.
The English version of The Cowshed was published in January 2016, receiving favorable reviews.
Crew
- Translator
- Chenxin Jiang
Details
- Publisher
- New York Review Books
- ISBN
- 9781590179260
- Pages
- 188
