Love Story of Mandarin Ducks

Author: Gao Yang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Gao Yang was a renowned deceased Taiwanese writer, whose real name was Xu Yanping. He was from Zhejiang and belonged to the wealthy Qiantang clan. In 1948, he moved to Taiwan with the army and served as the editor-in-chief of the Taiwan-based Zhonghua Daily and a special columnist for the Central Daily. In 1962, Gao Yang was invited to serialize Li Wa in the of the United Daily, which became a sensation and marked the beginning of his career as a historical fiction writer. Later works such as The Complete Biography of Empress Dowager Cixi and Hu Xueyan further solidified his status as the foremost historical fiction writer of his time. Gao Yang authored over 90 books, totaling approximately 105 volumes, making him a prolific writer. His historical novels spanned emperors, generals, scholars, and beauties, appealing to a wide readership. Additionally, his novels possessed a certain practicality, akin to motivational literature, offering readers direct spiritual or material benefits.
Gao Yang was born into the wealthy Qiantang clan, where "clans" were typically composed of educated families with established class norms in their behavior and conduct. These norms were reflected in his historical novels, not only in his fluent writing and deep classical literary foundation but also in his unexaggerated and unadorned style. Every detail, from the stitching of a needle to the words and actions of his characters, was meticulously grounded in historical accuracy, aligning with the atmosphere of the era. Moreover, his narrative techniques, though rooted in traditional Chinese storytelling conventions, had reached a high level of refinement. Gao Yang excelled in writing about the Qing Dynasty, and nearly every Qing-era novel he wrote was outstanding. Readers could enjoy them as entertaining historical accounts. Not only did his novels accurately depict historical events, figures, developments, and frameworks, but the details were often well-documented. Gao Yang was thoroughly familiar with Qing-era notes, unofficial histories, miscellaneous writings, and poetry, which he skillfully incorporated into his novels or presented to readers in full.
What is particularly remarkable is that Gao Yang possessed not only historical talent and knowledge but also historical insight, offering his own unique perspectives and judgments on important figures and events in modern history, such as Empress Dowager Cixi, Li Hongzhang, Hu Xueyan, the "Hundred Days' Reform," or the "Boxer Rebellion." Whether his historical views are acceptable is for readers to judge. Fiction is not history, and it must have compelling, engaging plots. Gao Yang was a master storyteller, and this was another of his great strengths. The late Qing Dynasty was a period of great complexity and unpredictability—"a tangled mess." Yet Gao Yang navigated it with ease, weaving together multiple storylines that were both separate and interrelated. Through his dynamic narrative style, the historical landscape of the late Qing naturally unfolded. Readers, driven by their eagerness to follow the story, unknowingly became familiar with the historical facts.
Six captivating classical short stories—The Man in the Satchel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow Messenger, The Song of the Female Jasmine and the Return to the Nest, The Bailiff, and The Convict Woman—reveal the details of The Love Match.