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The Water Margin: Outlaws of the Marsh

by Shi Nai'An, Luo Guànzhōng (Editor), Shih Nai-an

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
9471621,991 (4.09)2 / 101
Based upon the historical bandit Song Jiang and his companions, this Chinese equivalent of the English classicRobin Hood and His Merry Men is an epic tale of rebellion against tyranny and has been thrilling and inspiring readers for hundreds of years. This edition of the classic J. H. Jackson translation features a new preface and introduction by Edwin Lowe, which gives the history of the book and puts the story into perspective for modern readers. First translated into English by Pearl S. Buck in 1933 asAll Men Are Brothers, the original edition of the J.H. Jackson translation appeared under the titleThe Water Margin in 1937. In this updated edition, Edwin Lowe addresses many of the shortcomings found in the original J.H. Jackson translation, and replaces the original grit and flavor ofShuihui Zhuan found in Chinese versions, including the sexual seduction, explicit descriptions of brutality and barbarity, and the profane voices of the thieving, scheming, drinking, fighting, pimping lower classes of Song Dynasty China. Similarly, the Chinese deities, Bodhisattvas, gods and demons have reclaimed their true names, as has the lecherous, over-sexed and ill-fated Ximen Qing. All of which was sanitized out when first published in 1937. While Chinese in origin, the themes ofThe Water Margin are universal enough that it has served as a source of inspiration for numerous movies, television shows and video games up to the present day.… (more)
  1. 10
    Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel, Part 1 by Guanzhong Luo (DavidGoldsteen)
    DavidGoldsteen: Another of the great "Four Classics" of Chinese literature. A fun read for anyone who likes historical novels, this book is historical in both senses -- it was written several centuries ago, and refers to a time in the distant past. The characters are sharply drawn, the stories clever, and there's rarely a dull moment.… (more)
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English (15)  Spanish (1)  All languages (16)
Showing 1-5 of 15 (next | show all)
The Water Margin is a novel attributed to Shi Nai’an and is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature. I started this book early in February and been reading a chapter or two a day since. This is an epic story about rebels, resistance, war, friendship and revenge. It concerns the gathering together of 108 people who, for various reasons, defy local authorities and join a bandit force hiding out on a march-surrounded mountain. While it is an absolute door-stopper of a book at over 2,100 pages, it is not a difficult read and is full of adventure, humor and traditions of 14th century China.

The book lends itself well to reading in chapters, each one contained a story and each ended with phrasing to the effect that if you wanted to find out what or why something happened then read the next chapter. I was charmed by the story and it took me back to the 1990s when I played a series of RPGs called Sukoden which was loosely based on this book, and in many ways my game playing helped me understand what was happening in this book. The challenge to this read was keeping all the characters straight, and understanding the various military campaigns. There is a lot o information included that concerns tactics, strategy, and military maneuvers on a large scale.

The characters were fascinating and many had very colourful names such as The Jade Unicorn, Du Xing the Demon Face, “Cut Your Heart Out” Wang, and Oily Mudfish which certainly helped to identify them. One of my personal favourites was the drunken monk, Sagacious Lu. Although the book is mostly about action and features battles, kidnappings, assassinations, torture and single combat, one character does do a fair amount of reflection. This is Song Jiang, who emerges as the leader. Also called The Timely Rain, it is he who handles the organization and strategy and has the most empathy of all the characters.

The Water Margin is truly a grand adventure story and is a work of stunning achievement. I enjoyed my read of this book and feel it was well worth the time invested. ( )
  DeltaQueen50 | May 9, 2020 |
"The Water Margin" is the first of the 'great Chinese novels' that I've read and I generally enjoyed it. The story is an action filled romp with a band of loosely associated outlaws who take the countryside by storm in a variety of ways that generally end with a sword fight, sling of arrows or other violent means of dying.

The book started to drag a bit for me in the middle -- the stories about the outlaws started feeling a bit to similar. It picked up again by the end though and made the long months of reading worth it. ( )
  amerynth | Apr 15, 2020 |
I have long wanted to reread this established classic. The most complete edition I could find in print was the Chinese Classics 4-volume Edition from Foreign Language Press, weighing in at a slim 2,149 pages. Nonetheless, I would call this an un-put-downable page-turner. One of the original Proto-Wuxia novels from Ancient China, which was rich in both history and literary mystique.

Far superior, in my opinion to the other lengthy "Great Works" of Classical Chinese, namely The Story of the Stone (Dream of the Red Chamber), Golden Lotus, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and The Journey to the West, although everyone seems to have their personal favorite. The mixture of historical narratives with myths and legends is a phenomenon seen the world over, but hardly ever do we find a personal and epic masterpiece to rival this one. Sure, you can find any number of recountings of legends and mysteries, ghost stories and battles throughout Asian and European literature, but not until you fast forward to Lord of the Rings, will you find such a magical, and intimate journey of struggles, and tales within tales, and influential themes, seamlessly woven throughout the breathless adventure.

I imagine listening to these tales in their original language on a street corner, in the fourteenth century, as people once might have listened to Homer and Virgil recite their own vast creations, and the long-lost world comes more alive. Within a modest 100 chapters, averaging 20 pages in length, with constant cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, you follow the story of heroes and villains, conquerors and families, and brothers-in-arms and murderers, for lack of a better term. The violence and torture is often cruel and brutal, but I assume, perfectly accurate for the time it depicted (12th century). The purported author Shi Nai'an (with a credit to the master Luo Guanzhong) was telling these tales at a remove of a few centuries, while at the same time clearly passing comment on his own corrupt and traditional society mores.

The richness of invention and superb and often humorous character detail is priceless beyond words, and I was enraptured throughout the entire book, which took me only 2 weeks to read. Granted, the print is not as small as some paperbacks and the pages almost turn themselves during many of the riveting chapters. The fact that I am seriously considering rereading it after a few years, and remember many of the events it describes (except for the impossible-to-remember-for-a-Westerner names) is an indication of its staying power. Not to mention that the approach and conflicts have been reworked into literature, Chinese and otherwise, countless times. We got a Christianized translation from Peal S. Buck, at least one manga/ anime based on it, and arguably, several scenes/ themes from the films of Akira Kurosawa.

Also translated as Water Margin, with some translations available online, I would recommend buying this 4-volume edition before it disappears completely. You cannot seriously read Chinese literature without running into references to this epic. It would be like diving into Italian literature and trying to avoid Dante and Boccaccio.

Put down Game of Thrones and pick up this book which has endured for 7 centuries. ( )
  LSPopovich | Apr 8, 2020 |
This is a surprisingly readable book, full of adventure and bandits and battles. I truly enjoyed reading this book. Some of the things in this book that made me wonder were the heroes who kept getting into trouble with the government and becoming bandits, the death count, and the women who were all sleeping around under their husbands' noses. The guy who wrote this must have had quite the wife. ( )
  carliwi | Sep 23, 2019 |
This is an epic Chinese classic about a group of Outlaws who are disillusioned with the rampant corruption in government. They have all experienced incredible injustice and gather one at a time to live a life as an Outlaw in Liangshan Marsh. Although, they're outlaws, they still have honor and integrity and live a Robin Hood type of life taking from the wealthy and corrupt and distributing to the poor (with some for themselves).

This is an epic -- 800 pages worth of epic, and although it was plot-driven, it was a long slog. I found it hard to keep straight the different characters. Was it Li Gun, the Flying Great Sage King Monkey, or Li Jun, the Muddy Water Dragon. But after awhile, I just enjoyed the book for it's general story. It is famous as one of the first Chinese books written that used vernacular Chinese instead of classical Chinese. And for a book written in the 1300s, it was surprisingly readable. In conversations, rather than challenging someone's lie with a 'surely you jest' comment, the language was very colorful, using phrases like 'you're just farting words'. And definitely an interesting view of the Chinese honor code in ancient times. ( )
  jmoncton | May 22, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 15 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (39 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Shi Nai'Anprimary authorall editionscalculated
Guànzhōng, LuoEditormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Nai-an, Shihmain authorall editionsconfirmed
Corvarrubias, MiguelIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Demaeckere, A.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jackson, J. H.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kuhn, FranzTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shapiro, SidneyTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shi ChangyuIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Yutang, LinIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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This eight-lined poem was written during the reign of Emperor Shen Zong of the Song Dynasty by a scholar named Shao Yaofu, also known a Master Kang Jie.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (130)

An Daoquan

Bai Sheng

Bao Daoyi

Bao Xu

Cai Fu

Cai Jing

Lü Fang

Lü Shinang

Lei Heng

Li Gun

Li Jun (Water Margin)

Li Kui (Water Margin)

Tao Zongwang

Tian Hu

Tong Guan

Tong Meng (Water Margin)

Tong Wei

Wang Dingliu

Based upon the historical bandit Song Jiang and his companions, this Chinese equivalent of the English classicRobin Hood and His Merry Men is an epic tale of rebellion against tyranny and has been thrilling and inspiring readers for hundreds of years. This edition of the classic J. H. Jackson translation features a new preface and introduction by Edwin Lowe, which gives the history of the book and puts the story into perspective for modern readers. First translated into English by Pearl S. Buck in 1933 asAll Men Are Brothers, the original edition of the J.H. Jackson translation appeared under the titleThe Water Margin in 1937. In this updated edition, Edwin Lowe addresses many of the shortcomings found in the original J.H. Jackson translation, and replaces the original grit and flavor ofShuihui Zhuan found in Chinese versions, including the sexual seduction, explicit descriptions of brutality and barbarity, and the profane voices of the thieving, scheming, drinking, fighting, pimping lower classes of Song Dynasty China. Similarly, the Chinese deities, Bodhisattvas, gods and demons have reclaimed their true names, as has the lecherous, over-sexed and ill-fated Ximen Qing. All of which was sanitized out when first published in 1937. While Chinese in origin, the themes ofThe Water Margin are universal enough that it has served as a source of inspiration for numerous movies, television shows and video games up to the present day.

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