Review the entire collection of Jin Yong's martial arts novels Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (1-5)

Author: Jin Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-08-01
Features: Among Jin Yong's novels, the ones I prefer are The Deer and the Cauldron and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, which are considered the twin pillars of his works. I once jokingly told a friend that if The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes, and The Smiling, Proud Wanderer are masterpieces, then The Deer and the Cauldron and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils should be called "ultimate masterpieces," meaning masterpieces among masterpieces. If I had to rank Jin Yong's novels, I have no doubt that The Deer and the Cauldron is first, and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is second. Although The Deer and the Cauldron surpasses other works in cultural and artistic value, it is more of an "anti-kung fu novel" than a kung fu novel. Even Jin Yong himself believed it was closer to a historical novel. Therefore, if we talk about "true" kung fu novels, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils should undoubtedly be at the top. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and it may be influenced by subjective bias. No matter how you look at it, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is not only highly worth reading but also needs to be read multiple times, even reread and studied in detail. If you read it casually just to get a general idea, that's fine, but how much you truly "understand" is another matter. True artistic masterpieces are not necessarily enjoyable for both the refined and the common, nor are they always profound in meaning. However, the way they are appreciated differs, as do the experiences gained from them, and naturally, the depth of understanding also varies. Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils tells the story of the Dali Kingdom in Yunnan during the Northern Song Dynasty. In other words, the author's original intention was simply to write a complex story of kinship and enmity between Duan Zhengchun, Duan Yu, and Duan Zhengming, Duan Yanzheng. However, in reality, the novel far exceeded the author's initial concept. The story of Xiao Feng, the story of Xu Zhu, the story of the Mu family (Mulan), etc., are clearly not "the story of the Dali Kingdom in Yunnan." Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils not only features the Dali Kingdom but also at least includes characters and stories from the Northern Song Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty, the Western Xia Dynasty, and the Tibetan Empire. Adding the alreadyed (extinct) Great Yan Dynasty and the yet-to-be-established Jin Dynasty of the Jurchens, the book can be considered a chronicle of six or even seven states. Interestingly, despite the final outcome being like this, the author did not revise the introductory note in the "Explanation of Names" at the beginning, which creates some contradiction and has become a point of criticism. Whether this criticism is justified can be analyzed further.