Water Margin - A Children's Phonetic Edition of the Four Great Classical Novels (Color Illustrations)

Author: Shi Nai'an
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The Water Margin is a long, serial novel in Chinese literature themed on peasant uprisings, standing as a towering monument in the history of Chinese literature and a dazzling gem in the world's literary treasury. For centuries, it has been deeply cherished by the Chinese people and translated into multiple languages, becoming one of the most widely circulated ancient novels in China. The author, Shi Nai'an, was a writer from the Ming Dynasty who reworked and created this immortal masterpiece based on folk tales of the Water Margin. The Water Margin vividly depicts the entire process of the peasant uprising led by Song Jiang, from its occurrence and development to its eventual decline; it exposes the darkness, corruption, and various evils of the feudal society and the ruling class; it enthusiastically praises the rebellious spirit and just actions of the uprising heroes; and it portrays the heroic images of a large number of heroes from Liangshan. The novel vividly reveals the objective truth of "official oppression leading to peasant rebellion" in feudal society and the inherent reasons for the failure of the peasant uprising. To make this treasure of national culture accessible and enjoyable for young readers, the editors have carefully rewritten it while remaining faithful to the original, preserving the original's exciting plot and linguistic style while avoiding descriptions of superstitious elements. The entire text is annotated with standard Pinyin, and it is accompanied by a wealth of beautiful and vivid illustrations, greatly enhancing readability and interest.