Water Margin - Student Quality Library (2 Volumes)

Author: Luo Guanzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Water Margin, also known as Water Margin of Loyal and Righteous Heroes, is a long novel set against the backdrop of a peasant uprising. It depicts the rise, development, and eventual pacification of the rebellion led by Song Jiang in Liangshan in the late Northern Song Dynasty, portraying the unique personalities of a group of outlaws who gather from all walks of life and act with justice and chivalry. Its social significance lies in exposing the corruption and darkness of feudal society, as well as the crimes of the ruling class, which are the root cause of the peasant uprising—i.e., "the officials forcing the people to rebel." However, the incompleteness of this uprising is also one of the reasons why the heroes in Water Margin ultimately meet tragic ends. Water Margin is the forerunner of Chinese chivalric novels and continues to exert an immeasurable influence on various forms of artistic works to this day.