Speaking of Asia, while my writing pursuits are presently in the Hispanic world, I'm busily reading a classic of Chinese literature called The Water Margin. A very early version (or precursor) of this novel appeared in the mid 13th century and was a compilation of tales that supposedly took place during the Song Dynasty. Although Shi Naian, a Chinese writer who lived in the 14th century is given credit as the "author" of the novel, several different versions have appeared over the centuries, testifying to its many different authors and influences. The basic story is about a group of outlaws in the Liangshan Marsh who are rebelling against government corruption, somewhat like a Chinese version of Robin Hood. The individual stories of many of the outlaws are told in separate chapters, making it seem like the novel was originally a series of short stories (short story writing was popular in the Tang dynasty of the 7th - 10th centuries) that were later woven into a longer tale that had each of the characters becoming an outlaw in the Liangshan Marsh as the overarching theme.
This was apparently also one of Mao Zedong's favorite books. It's fascinating to think that the stories of these outlaw heroes rebelling against a corrupt Imperial government might have been playing out in Mao's imagination as he led the Communist rebels against China's corrupt and incompetent Kuomintang government of the mid 20th century.
Historical interest aside, this is a really fun read! It's a great adventure on par with Lord of the Rings, with fun characters, terrific drama, action packed battle scenes, and even a meeting with the mystic Goddess of Heaven! All of this in the exotic setting of Song Dynasty China. What more could you ask for? It's a long book, my version is about 800 pages, but definitely worth the time!
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
The Water Margin - A Chinese Classic
Speaking of Asia, while my writing pursuits are presently in the Hispanic world, I'm busily reading a classic of Chinese literature called The Water Margin. A very early version (or precursor) of this novel appeared in the mid 13th century and was a compilation of tales that supposedly took place during the Song Dynasty. Although Shi Naian, a Chinese writer who lived in the 14th century is given credit as the "author" of the novel, several different versions have appeared over the centuries, testifying to its many different authors and influences. The basic story is about a group of outlaws in the Liangshan Marsh who are rebelling against government corruption, somewhat like a Chinese version of Robin Hood. The individual stories of many of the outlaws are told in separate chapters, making it seem like the novel was originally a series of short stories (short story writing was popular in the Tang dynasty of the 7th - 10th centuries) that were later woven into a longer tale that had each of the characters becoming an outlaw in the Liangshan Marsh as the overarching theme.
This was apparently also one of Mao Zedong's favorite books. It's fascinating to think that the stories of these outlaw heroes rebelling against a corrupt Imperial government might have been playing out in Mao's imagination as he led the Communist rebels against China's corrupt and incompetent Kuomintang government of the mid 20th century.
Historical interest aside, this is a really fun read! It's a great adventure on par with Lord of the Rings, with fun characters, terrific drama, action packed battle scenes, and even a meeting with the mystic Goddess of Heaven! All of this in the exotic setting of Song Dynasty China. What more could you ask for? It's a long book, my version is about 800 pages, but definitely worth the time!
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Adrian is a good writer.
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