Water Margin (Illustrated Treasure Edition)

Author: (Ming) Shi Nai'an, Luo Guanzhong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: In the late Northern Song Dynasty, corruption in the court led to oppression of the people, forcing them to rebel. From high-ranking officials to ordinary citizens, even petty thieves, as their illusions about the government shattered and survival became difficult, they were eventually driven to Liangshan. However, when the heroic deeds of the peasant uprising boosted the morale of the heroes, Song Jiang's acceptance of the imperial pardon changed everything. Thus, these heroes vanished into the dust, and the once-raging peasant uprising returned to quietude. As the earliest mature vernacular long novel in the history of Chinese fiction, Water Margin pioneered a new direction in the creation of chapter-based novels. As an outstanding heroic romance, it also established the of heroic romance, enriched the garden of ancient Chinese fiction, and had a profound and far-reaching impact on later novels and other literary creations. Water Margin was deeply popular with readers after its publication, leading to numerous sequels and imitations. For example, Chen Chen of the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty wrote A Sequel to Water Margin, Qing Dynasty author Qinglian Room Master wrote A Post-Water Margin, and Yu Wanchun also wrote Water Margin and the Suppression of bandits. Even in modern times, works like The Remnants of Water Margin (16 chapters) by Cheng Shanzhi, published in 1933 by the Zhenjiang New Jiangsu Daily Press, and A New Water Margin by Zhang Henshui, published in 1943 by Chongqing Jianzhong Publishing House, continued to appear. As for imitations and adaptations, they were even more numerous and varied in name. In Ming and Qing Dynasty opera, "Water Margin" plays were also an important component. Whether in zaju, xiweng, chuanqi, kunqu, luandan, or Peking Opera, they were frequently performed, with particular emphasis on scenes featuring heroes like Song Jiang, Wu Song, Lin Chong, Lu Zhishen, Li Kui, and Yan Qing. Moreover, famous plays based on sequels, such as Peking Opera's The Fisherman's Family, are still performed today. Since its publication, Water Margin has been printed and published in various versions, becoming extremely numerous and increasingly popular among the masses. As a reading text, the 100-chapter abridged version of Water Margin is a better choice. Therefore, we have adopted the Ming Dynasty Rongyu Tang edition and referenced other Ming and Qing Dynasty editions, carefully proofreading and editing them to provide readers with an appropriate version.