The Complete Works of Jin Yong: Pocket Edition -- The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (Volumes 1-4)

Author: Jin Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber is the third book in the "" trilogy. The male protagonists of these three novels have completely different personalities. Guo Jing is honest and straightforward, Yang Guo is deeply passionate and unrestrained, while Zhang Wuji's personality is more complex and also relatively weak. He lacks a strong heroic spirit, though he has many virtues, he also has many flaws, perhaps making him more similar to ordinary people. Yang Guo is absolutely proactive. Guo Jing maintains firm control over major issues, while minor matters require Huang Rong to push him forward. Zhang Wuji's entire life is always influenced by others, dominated by the environment, unable to break free from constraints. In love, Yang Guo is utterly devoted to Xiao Longnü, disregarding social norms; Guo Jing wavers between Huang Rong and Princess Huazhen, purely out of moral values, never hesitating in love. Zhang Wuji, however, remains entangled, for the four girls—Zhou Zhifuo, Zhao Min, Yin Li, and Xiao Zhao—seem to love Zhao Min the most, and he later says the same about Zhou Zhifuo, but deep down, he doesn’t know which girl he loves more. The author doesn’t know either. Since his personality has been written this way, all developments must follow his character, and the author cannot interfere. Someone like Zhang Wuji, no matter how skilled in martial arts, can never be a great political leader. Of course, he never aspired to be one, and even if forced to, he would inevitably fail. China’s three thousand years of political history have long made this conclusion clear. A successful political leader in China must meet three conditions: "endurance," which includes self-restraint, tolerance, and cruelty toward political rivals; "decisiveness"; and a strong desire for power. Zhang Wuji lacks half of these conditions. Zhou Zhifuo and Zhao Min, however, both possess political talent, so though they are beautiful, they are not lovable. In my heart, I love Xiao Zhao the most. But it’s a pity she can’t be with Zhang Wuji, and I often feel melancholic about it. Therefore, the love stories in this book are not particularly beautiful, though they may be more realistic. Zhang Wuji is not a good leader, but he can be a good friend to us. In fact, the emotional focus of this book is not on romantic love between men and women, but on the brotherhood between men, the camaraderie of the Seven Heroes of Wudang, the paternal love between Zhang Sanfeng and Zhang Cuishan, and the deep affection between Xie Xun and Zhang Wuji. However, the grief Zhang Sanfeng feels when he sees Zhang Cuishan commit suicide and the sorrow Xie Xun experiences upon hearing of Zhang Wuji’s death are written too superficially in the book; real life is not like that.