The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Author: Liang Yusheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Liang Yusheng's martial arts novels connect the heroic tales following The Story of the Heroic Parents and the old martial arts novels of the Republican era, pioneering a new school of martial arts literature. They also paved the way for Jin Yong and Gu Long's literary world. He once described his own position in the martial arts novel genre: "The pioneer of the trend is Liang Yusheng; the one who carried it forward is Jin Yong." In the 1960s and 1970s, he and Jin Yong together carried the banner of the new school of martial arts novels, earning the reputation of "Jin and Liang, rivals of their time." During their era, Liang Yusheng advocated that "the hero is the embodiment of the wisdom and virtue of the lower-class laboring people," grounding heroic actions in justice, dignity, and love for the people. He rejected the one-sided revenge and bloodlust of the old school of martial arts novels, and Jin Yong further elevated this to "The greatest hero is one who serves the nation and its people."
Liang Yusheng's novels are renowned for their rich historical and literary knowledge and classical poetry. His language is elegant and brims with a scholarly aura, often interspersed with classical poetry, folk songs, and colloquial phrases. His writing techniques primarily draw from tradition, frequently employing the chapter-based structure of traditional novels. The chapter titles are profound in meaning and skillfully balanced in parallelism, with plot developments possessing a rhythmic flow. His narrative style also carries a distinct storyteller's tone. The characters in his martial arts novels are deeply moralized, with clear distinctions between heroes and villains. Each of his works is set against a clear historical backdrop, with plots meticulously crafted and steady in complexity. Some critics argue that the flaw in Liang Yusheng's novels lies in their "tedium," likely because he consistently maintained a "conventional" scholar's demeanor. Liang Yusheng himself once said, "I may have had the 'weird' tendency, but in my works, 'weird' is not the mainstream—it's not my style."
When discussing martial arts novels, one cannot overlook Liang Yusheng and the unique charm that permeates his works in simplicity. In the context of the new school of martial arts novels, Gu Long is the younger generation, Jin Yong came later, and Liang Yusheng is the "eldest" in terms of timing. It was precisely because he unintentionally entered the martial arts world that he created the spectacular cultural phenomenon of the martial arts craze of this century. Liang Yusheng possesses profound literary foundations, with beautiful prose and vivid descriptions. His works are richly adorned with poetry, setting him apart from others. While his plot descriptions may be slightly inferior to those of Jin Yong and Gu Long, his works remain highly worthwhile and undeniably one of the three great masters.
This book is part of the "Complete Works of Liang Yusheng" and is the master's debut novel, embodying the phrase "Do not say that the (ping) traces follow the flowing water; the heroic shadow remains forever in the heart." Now, let us see how Zhang Danfeng and Yun Lei navigate the world with heroic spirit and tender emotions.