Complex sentence: This novel was very popular in the Soviet Union and was the top best seller and compulsory reading there, and was seen as ideologically useful; for similar reasons, the novel has been popular in the People's Republic of China as well.
Split into simpler sentences: This novel was very popular in the Soviet Union and was the top best seller and compulsory reading there, and it was seen as ideologically useful. For similar reasons, the novel has been popular in the People's Republic of China as well.