Dragon and Phoenix Precious Hairpin Fate (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Liang Yusheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-03-01
Features: Liang Yusheng's wuxia novels connect the heroic tales following The Story of the Heroic Parents and the old wuxia of the Republican era, pioneering a new school of wuxia literature. They also paved the way for Jin Yong and Gu Long's wuxia world. He once described his position in the wuxia genre: "The pioneer of wuxia is Liang Yusheng; the one who brought it to greater heights is Jin Yong." In the 1960s and 1970s, he and Jin Yong together carried the banner of the new school of wuxia, earning the title "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 heroism in justice, dignity, and love for the people, while discarding the old school's tendency toward revenge and bloodlust. 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, as well as their incorporation of classical poetry and folk sayings. His language is elegant and brims with scholarly charm, often interweaving poetry, folk songs, and proverbs into his stories. His writing techniques primarily draw from tradition, frequently employing the chapter-based structure of classical novels. The chapter titles are profound in meaning and skillfully balanced in parallelism, with plot developments exuding a rhythmic and harmonious flow. His narrative also carries a distinct storyteller's tone. The characters in his wuxia novels are deeply moralized, with clear distinctions between heroes and villains. Each of his works is set against a specific historical backdrop, with plots meticulously crafted and steady in depth. Some critics argue that the flaw in Liang Yusheng's novels lies in their "monotony," likely because he consistently maintained a "conventional" scholar's demeanor. Liang Yusheng himself once said, "I may have occasionally indulged in the 'weird,' but it is not the main theme of my work; it is not my style." When discussing wuxia novels, one cannot overlook Liang Yusheng and the unique charm that permeates his work. In the context of the new school of wuxia, Gu Long is the younger generation, Jin Yong came later, while Liang Yusheng stands as the "eldest" in terms of timing. It was precisely because he unintentionally entered the wuxia world that he created the spectacular cultural phenomenon of the 20th century—the wuxia craze. Liang Yusheng possesses profound literary foundations, with beautiful language and vivid descriptions, often enriching his work 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, undoubtedly one of the three great masters of wuxia. This book is part of the "Complete Collection of Liang Yusheng's Novels," divided into two volumes, telling the story of "The Stormy Fate of the Dragon and Phoenix, a Heartbreaking Romance of Passion."