Illustration of this product reading Water Margin

Author: Fu Guangming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The story of Water Margin itself evolved from the deeds of the real historical figure Song Jiang during the Song Dynasty. However, opinions on how to evaluate Song Jiang's life have been divided, with the main focus on his acceptance of the imperial recruitment. Was he a revolutionary with a spirit of courage and defiance, a "brave and fierce hero," who widely practiced loyalty and eradicated evil, or an opportunist who used the banner of benevolence, selling out Liangshan and betraying to the imperial court? Mr. Zhang Jun's lecture serves as a record for future reference. From any perspective, Water Margin is a book about men, with an extremely limited number of female characters. The most memorable ones fall into three categories: the three heroines of Liangshan—Nuoying Qing Hu Sanniang, the "Mama Snake" Sun Erniang, and Gu Dapo; the four "harlots"—Pan Jinlian, Pan Qiaoyun, Yan Po Xi, and the wife of Lu Junyi, Jia Ji; and the virtuous Lin Nüzi. It is evident from these characters that the author's feudal patriarchal perspective shaped their images and views on women.
Why is the author of ancient Chinese novels always a matter of discussion? Who was the author of Water Margin? What is the state of its various versions? Mr. Liu Shide's explanation is concise, clear, and straightforward. He particularly emphasized the distinction between folk tales passed down orally and literary creations, highlighting the vast difference in artistic prowess between a great writer, a master of language and literature, and an ordinary recorder of stories. Therefore, it must be affirmed that Shi Nai'an, the author of Water Margin, was a great and creative writer. In the history of world literature, when it comes to long novels, all great works of first-class caliber are individual creations; "accumulative" works cannot become great first-class works.
The ten lectures in this book each focus on different aspects, featuring unique characteristics and covering topics such as the author and versions of Water Margin, the mystery of its creation, the personality and merits and demerits of Song Jiang, an analysis of characters who were "forced onto Liangshan," female characters in Water Margin, character portrayal as seen through Lin Chong, the meaning of "Shuihu" and "jianghu," Water Margin and Shuihu opera, the ideological tendencies of Water Margin, and a re-evaluation of Water Margin based on the fate of the "Birthday Tribute."
The story of Water Margin itself evolved from the deeds of the real historical figure Song Jiang during the Song Dynasty. However, opinions on how to evaluate Song Jiang's life have been divided, with the main focus on his acceptance of the imperial recruitment. Was he a revolutionary with a spirit of courage and defiance, a "brave and fierce hero," who widely practiced loyalty and eradicated evil, or an opportunist who used the banner of benevolence, selling out Liangshan and betraying to the imperial court? Mr. Zhang Jun's lecture serves as a record for future reference. From any perspective, Water Margin is a book about men, with an extremely limited number of female characters. The most memorable ones fall into three categories: the three heroines of Liangshan—Nuoying Qing Hu Sanniang, the "Mama Snake" Sun Erniang, and Gu Dapo; the four "harlots"—Pan Jinlian, Pan Qiaoyun, Yan Po Xi, and the wife of Lu Junyi, Jia Ji; and the virtuous Lin Nüzi. It is evident from these characters that the author's feudal patriarchal perspective shaped their images and views on women.
As for the literary charm of Water Margin, it needs no elaboration. In the preface to the third chapter of the Ming Dynasty Rong Yu Tang edition of Water Margin, it is said, "The words of Water Margin are miraculous and unparalleled in the ages, all in the same yet different. For example, Lu Zhishen, Li Kui, Wu Song, Ruan Xiaojie, Shi Xiu, Hu Yanzhuo, Liu Tang, and the others are all impetuous, each with their own distinct styles, scenes, families, and identities, without the slightest difference or confusion. Reading it, one can easily distinguish them without seeing their names—just from the facts, one knows who is who."
The characters in Water Margin are incredibly rich, with 108 of them being unique in personality and spirit. Taking the second chapter of the Guan Hua Tang edition of Water Margin as an example, Jin Shengtan comments, "Wu Song is a peerless being, possessing the breadth of Lu Da, the toxicity of Lin Chong, the integrity of Yang Zhi, the kindness of Chai Jin, the swiftness of Ruan Qi, the sincerity of Li Kui, the cleverness of Wu Yong, the elegance of Hua Rong, the grandeur of Lu Junyi, and the vigilance of Shi Xiu."
Mr. Wang XueTai is an expert in "marginal culture," and his research has been widely recognized by academia. Recently, he has proposed to "detoxify" Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He believes that Water Margin is an encyclopedia of the "jianghu" (the underworld or martial world), and "jianghu" artists use the stories of Water Margin to show the life of the "jianghu" to readers and listeners, allowing later generations to know that the "jianghu" already had a new meaning in the Song Dynasty. The stories of "Shuihu" also show readers the struggles, ideals, successes, and failures of the people in the "jianghu" during the Song Dynasty. Therefore, when studying Water Margin, the focus should be on the "jianghu," as without the emergence of "jianghu" wanderers, there would be no stories of "Shuihu." Moreover, the "jianghu" wanderers embody too many harmful elements of traditional culture and thought, which is why Lu Xun said, "China still has Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin circulating, but this is because society still has the spirit of the Three Kingdoms and Shuihu."
An ancient saying goes, "Without reading Water Margin, one does not know the wonders of the world!" Reading this book will absolutely allow readers to enjoy a thrilling and shortcut-like hunt for curiosities as if they were witnessing the events firsthand.