Water Margin (Vol. 1 & 2) (Popular Library of Chinese Classical Novel Masterpieces)

Author: Yu Wanchun, Yu Guolin (ed.)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: In the 27th year of the Daoguang reign (1847), Yu Wanchun of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, completed The Water Margin Chronicle. It demonstrates a high level of artistic achievement, with many chapters rivaling the original Water Margin in quality. At the same time, it sees the beloved heroes of Liangshan, who are deeply revered by people, meet tragic ends, with none spared. The ruthlessness of its plot is also striking. Yu Wanchun's continuation of Water Margin follows the 70-chapter version commented on by Jin Shengtan, and his ideas are a direct continuation of those expressed two centuries earlier by Jin Shengtan. He created powerful figures like the sorcerous Chen Xizhen and his daughter Chen Liqing, as well as the brave and virtuous Yun Longbiao and Liu Huiniang. These characters were sent to besiege Liangshan and capture and execute all 108 heroes, leaving none to rise again in this life, embodying the principle of "revering the king and suppressing bandits." Jin Shengtan cut Water Margin in half, but Yu Wanchun swept it clean. Mr. Lu Xun, in Outline of the History of Chinese Fiction, said: "In the creation of plots and writing style, the book sometimes nearly rivals the original Water Margin. It also incorporates scenes and elements that were previously unexplored by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong. Among the similar novels that revolve around old tales, it stands out as one of the best. This novel is a historical specimen; it allows us to gain a profound understanding of the ideology and culture of China's feudal era."