Lenin's Kisses Explained

Lenin's Kisses is a novel by the Chinese writer Yan Lianke, published in 2004.

Plot

A village collects funds for buying the corpse of Vladimir Lenin and to build a monument around it.^[1] The profits of the project consumes the village and the solidarity of its citizens.^[2] The chief of the district is able to make grand constructions, until his superiors find out what is happening^[3]

Themes

"That the dead body of socialism's most important role model is being commercialized, can serve as an illustration of the hypercapitalism of contemporary China", according to Klassekampen.^[4]

Translated publications

• English: Lenin's Kisses (2013, by Carlos Rojas)
• French: Bons baisers de Lénine (2009, by Sylvie Gentil)
• Norwegian: Lenins kyss (2011 - from French, by Tom Lotherington)
• Swedish: Lenins kyssar (2015, by Anna Gustafsson Chen)^[5]

Notes and References

1. [Klassekampen]
2. News: Skei, Hans H.. Hans H. Skei. Glitrende politisk satire. Aftenposten. 2011-10-02. 11 kultur. Pengene strømmer inn - og tar etterhvert makten over alt og alle, slik at både landsbyen og medansvar og solidaritet blir borte..
3. News: Skei. Hans H.. Glitrende politisk satire. Aftenposten. 2011-10-02. 11 kultur. Distriktslederen kan bygge stort og prangende, til ære for seg selv og Lenin, men så tar selvfølgelig historien en ny vending når maktmennesker høyere opp i systemet får greie på hva som skjer..
4. [Klassekampen]
5. Book: Libris. Libris. 2015 . National Library of Sweden. 978-91-7353-773-5 . 18 November 2015.