Chinese Martial Arts Novels (Wuxia)
Early martial art novels were written during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing
(1644-1911) dynasties. The best known such novel of that era is
Water Margin. Most popular martial art novels, however, were written in
the Republican era (1911+). One of the popular writers in the 1930s was Wang
Dulu, one of whose novels became the basis for the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon" movie. The most popular writer, by far, is Jin Yong [金庸] , who is known
in the West as Louis Cha. Most of Cha's novels were originally serialized and
printed in his own Hong Kong newspaper and in Chinese newspapers throughout the
world.
Until fairly recently, the pleasure of reading a wuxia novel was limited to
those who could read Chinese because no English translations existed. The
closest one could come to these fantastic stories was through films, mostly
made in Hong Kong. The first major translation, "The Deer and the Cauldron",
was published in 1997. Official translations of other Louis Cha novels are in
progress. Many fans have posted unofficial and often partial translations on
the Internet.
You can read an excellent essay on wuxia heroes at
http://www.heroic-cinema.com.
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Title |
Mini Review |
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水滸傳
Water Margin
aka Outlaws
of the Marsh
Written by Shi Nai-an (ca 1290-ca 1365) and Luo Guanzhong, (ca 1330-ca 1499)
Translated by Sidney Shapiro
Acacia Press, 2001
4 volume set, 2149 pages
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Rating: 
One of the four classic novels of Chinese literature,
this one is called a Robin Hood story because it tells the exploits of a group of outlaws who steals
from corrupt officials to give to the poor. However, I find more like the "Justice League" of DC Comics. Except that there are 108 superheroes. But not to worry. They do not all appear at once. In fact the book is about how the bandits get together and join the group one at a time or in
small groups to escape some injustice perpetrated by corrupt officials. |
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鹿鼎記
The Deer and the Cauldron
Written by Louis Cha
Translated by John Minford
Oxford University Press, 1997
3 volumes (sold separately)
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Rating:
This was Louis Cha's last and, some argue, his best martial novel.
Unlike most of his other novels, though, this one is not about gallant warriors
selflessly righting wrongs. Instead, it follows a 13-year old foul-mouth,
incorrigible anti-hero growing up in the early years of the Qing dynasty.
Disguised as a eunuch, he lives in the Imperial Palace and gains the trust of
the young emperor while secretly being a leader of one of the triad societies
set up to restore the Ming dynasty.
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書劍恩仇錄
The Book and the Sword
Written by Louis Cha
Translated by John Minford and Graham Earnshaw
Oxford University Press, 2005
500 pages
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Rating:
Louis Cha's first full-length novel is built around the
rumor that the Qing dynasty's
greatest emperor, Qianglong, was actually
a Han Chinese rather than Manchu due to
a baby swap. See Full Review.
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飛狐外传
Fox Volant of Snowy Mountain
Written by Louis Cha
Translated by Yung Chin and Olivia Mok
Coronet Book, 1996
382 pages
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One of Cha's earlier efforts. Amazon.com reader
opinions on the translation have been mixed. |
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越女劍
Sword of the Yüeh Maiden
Written by Louis Cha
Translator unknown
Read it at
qiqi.com |
Rating:
Cha's only short story is set in the 5th century BCE, around the time
of Sun Tzu (The Art of War).
The king of Yüeh wanted to exact revenge on the king of Wu. The idea seemed
preposterous since his army was no match for the better equipped and trained
enemy. However, a mysterious peasant girl changes everything. Despite the
amateur translation, Cha's brilliance and knack for surprising the reader comes
through.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
A Portrait of the Ang Lee Film
Edited by Huiling Wang
Newmarket Press, 2001
144 pages
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Rating:
The movie screenplay was loosely based on the fourth novel of the
"Crane-Iron Pentalogy", written by Wang Dulu. There is no English translation
of this work so this book about the Ang Lee film, which includes the complete
screenplay and many color photographs, is the closest you can come it. There is
a synopsis of each volume of the Pentalogy at this external
website
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The Eleventh Son: A Novel Of Martial Arts And Tangled Love
Written by Gu Long (1937-1985)
Translated by Rebecca S. Tai
Homa and Sekey, 2004
366 pages
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Rating:
First English translation of a novel by Gu Long, who is considered to be one
of the top martial arts writer.
The plots starts with the
pursuit of a legendary sword but evolves
into a rather complicated love story.
The book was the source of the plot
for Swordsman and
Enchantment, a 1978 hit movie as well as several TV series. See Full Review. |
See also
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