Read Water Margin (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Fu Guangming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Why do all ancient Chinese novels have an issue of authorship? Who is the author of Water Margin? What is the state of its various versions? Mr. Liu Shide explains concisely and clearly. He particularly highlights the distinction between folk tales passed down orally and literary creation, demonstrating the vast difference in artistic prowess between a great writer, a master of language and literature, and an ordinary recorder of a story. Therefore, it must be affirmed that the author of Water Margin, Shi Nai'an, was a great and creative writer. In the history of world literature, when it comes to long novels, all great works of stature are the result of individual creation; "accumulative" works cannot become great, stature works.
The book contains ten lectures, each with its own focus and, covering topics such as the authorship and versions of Water Margin, the mystery of its creation, the character and merits of Song Jiang, an analysis of characters who were "forced onto the," female characters in Water Margin, character portrayal in Water Margin as seen through Lin Chong, the relationship between "" and "," Water Margin and water margin plays, the ideological tendencies of Water Margin, and a re-evaluation of Water Margin based on the fate of the "Life-and-Death Decree."
The story of Water Margin itself evolved from the real-life deeds of Song Jiang during the Song Dynasty. However, opinions on how to evaluate Song Jiang's life have been divided, with the main focus being on his acceptance of the imperial pardon. Was he a revolutionary with a rebellious and spirit, a leader of farmers who "widely practiced loyalty and righteousness, exterminating treachery and evil"? Or was he an opportunist who used the banner of benevolence to betray the and surrender to the court? Mr. Zhang Jun's lecture serves as a record for future reference.
Regardless of the perspective, Water Margin is a book about men, with woefully few female characters. The most memorable ones fall into three categories: the three heroines of the—Nuò'ersián Hù Sānniáng, Mǔyèjiā Sun èrniáng, and Gù Dàsǎo; the four "harlots"—Pān Jīnlián, Pān Qiàoyún, Yán Póxī, and Lú Jùnyì's wife Jiā Shì; and the loyal and righteous Lin Niángzi. It is clear from these portrayals that the author's feudal patriarchal perspective shaped the images and worldview of women.
As for the literary charm of Water Margin, it needs no elaboration. In the preface to the third chapter of the Rongyu Tang edition of Water Margin, it is said, "The words of Water Margin are unparalleled in the ages, distinguished by their similarity yet difference. For example, characters like Lü Zhishen, Liú Kuí, Wǔ Sōng, Ruǎn Xiǎoqī, Shí Xiù, Hūyán Zhuó, and Liú Táng are all impetuous, each with their own distinct styles, scenes, and identities, without any overlap or confusion. Reading it, one can easily distinguish them without seeing their names—just from the facts, one knows who is who."
The characters in Water Margin are incredibly rich, with 108 of them being unique in their forms and spirits. Taking the second installment of the Guanhuatang edition of Water Margin, where Jin Shengtan provides commentary, as an example: "Wǔ Sōng is a peerless being, possessing the breadth of Lǔ Dá, the venom of Lín Chōng, the integrity of Yáng Zhì, the kindness of Chái Jìn, the quickness of Ruǎn Qī, the sincerity of Liú Kuí, the cleverness of Wú Yòng, the elegance of Huā Róng, the grandeur of Lú Jùnyì, and the vigilance of Shí Xiù."
Mr. Wang Xuetai is an expert in "marginal culture," and his research has been widely recognized by academia. Recently, he has proposed reinterpreting Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms to "detoxify" them. He believes Water Margin is an encyclopedia of the, and through its stories, artists present the life of the to readers and listeners, allowing later generations to discover the existence of a new meaning of the in the Song Dynasty. The stories of "" also show readers the struggles, ideals, successes, and failures of the people of the in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, studying Water Margin should focus on the—without the emergence of wanderers, there would be no stories of the.
On the surface of these wanderers, there are too many harmful elements of traditional culture and spiritual thought, which is why Lu Xun said, "China still widely reads Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin, but it is because society still has a spirit of the Three Kingdoms and the." An ancient saying goes, "Without reading Water Margin, one does not know the wonders of the world!" Reading this book will absolutely allow readers to enjoy a shortcut to intrigue, as if they were witnessing the events firsthand.