The Water Margin: Outlaws of the Marsh
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- Author：Shi Nai'an
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Summary
Based upon the historical bandit Song Jiang and his companions， this Chinese equivalent of the English classic Robin Hood and His Merry Men is an epic tale of rebellion against tyranny and has been thrilling and inspiring readers for hundreds of years。
This edition of the classic J。 H。 Jackson translation features a new preface and introduction by Edwin Lowe， which gives the history of the book and puts the story into perspective for modern readers。 First translated into English by Pearl S。 Buck in 1933 as All Men Are Brothers， the original edition of the J。H。 Jackson translation appeared under the title The Water Margin in 1937。 In this updated edition， Edwin Lowe addresses many of the shortcomings found in the original J。H。 Jackson translation， and replaces the original grit and flavor of Shuihui Zhuan found in Chinese versions， including the sexual seduction， explicit descriptions of brutality and barbarity， and the profane voices of the thieving， scheming， drinking， fighting， pimping lower classes of Song Dynasty China。 Similarly， the Chinese deities， Bodhisattvas， gods and demons have reclaimed their true names， as has the lecherous， over-sexed and ill-fated Ximen Qing。 All of which was sanitized out when first published in 1937。
While Chinese in origin， the themes of The Water Margin are universal enough that it has served as a source of inspiration for numerous movies， television shows and video games up to the present day。
This edition of the classic J。 H。 Jackson translation features a new preface and introduction by Edwin Lowe， which gives the history of the book and puts the story into perspective for modern readers。 First translated into English by Pearl S。 Buck in 1933 as All Men Are Brothers， the original edition of the J。H。 Jackson translation appeared under the title The Water Margin in 1937。 In this updated edition， Edwin Lowe addresses many of the shortcomings found in the original J。H。 Jackson translation， and replaces the original grit and flavor of Shuihui Zhuan found in Chinese versions， including the sexual seduction， explicit descriptions of brutality and barbarity， and the profane voices of the thieving， scheming， drinking， fighting， pimping lower classes of Song Dynasty China。 Similarly， the Chinese deities， Bodhisattvas， gods and demons have reclaimed their true names， as has the lecherous， over-sexed and ill-fated Ximen Qing。 All of which was sanitized out when first published in 1937。
While Chinese in origin， the themes of The Water Margin are universal enough that it has served as a source of inspiration for numerous movies， television shows and video games up to the present day。
Reviews
Amy Do
，
The first chapters were interesting， and then the rest was so repetitive。 Too many similar characters。 Some of them kill tigers。 Some of them are cannibals。 Some of them love to drink and eat。 This group of 'heroic' bandit isn't above killing innocent people to black mail people into joining their gang， and they never give any of their victims a fair trial。 Just kill。 The first chapters were interesting， and then the rest was so repetitive。 Too many similar characters。 Some of them kill tigers。 Some of them are cannibals。 Some of them love to drink and eat。 This group of 'heroic' bandit isn't above killing innocent people to black mail people into joining their gang， and they never give any of their victims a fair trial。 Just kill。 。。。more
G。W。
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‘Outlaws of the Marsh’， or ‘Water Margin’， is a beast of a book， divided into 100 chapters and coming in at over 2，000 pages。 Major portions of it were written as early as the 14th century， and contain a fictional account of real life outlaws from the 12th century Song dynasty。 As such， it has its place with Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron’ and Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’， and in some ways may remind the reader of those works or Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ with all of its warfare， but in many other ways， it ‘Outlaws of the Marsh’， or ‘Water Margin’， is a beast of a book， divided into 100 chapters and coming in at over 2，000 pages。 Major portions of it were written as early as the 14th century， and contain a fictional account of real life outlaws from the 12th century Song dynasty。 As such， it has its place with Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron’ and Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’， and in some ways may remind the reader of those works or Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ with all of its warfare， but in many other ways， it’s unique onto itself， reflecting Chinese culture， and one of China’s ‘Four Classic Novels’。 As with other ancient works before the advent of the modern novel， there aren’t a lot of psychological insight or deep observations made here， but it’s entertaining nonetheless。 It’s an action story， filled with a large number of characters， with one subplot told over several chapters leading to the next。 There are instances of martial arts exploits， such as ‘The Jade-Circle Steps with Duck and Drake Feet’ maneuver， which is flourishing one’s fists in the opponent’s face， turning and walking away， and then catching them with a backward leg kick。 There are super-human feats of strength， e。g。 uprooting a willow tree， picking up an entire pagoda and moving it， or killing a tiger， all single-handedly。 There are characters that may remind you of other super-heroes from the comics of our times， such as Dai Zong with his “magic travel method” resembling The Flash， Zhang Shun， the skilled swimmer dubbed the “White Streak in the Waves” resembling Aquaman （and then some， since he who can stay underwater for seven days and seven nights）， and Hua Rong the expert archer resembling Green Arrow or Hawkeye。 There are occasional physical abnormalities， such as Huangfu Duan， the veterinarian who has blue eyes with two pupils in each， and Ren Yuan （“Sky-Supporting Pillar”）， the wrestler who is ten feet tall。 There are also some supernatural aspects， with ghosts talking to the living， or evil spirits inhabiting a place。 Lastly， there are Taoist wizards like Gongsun Sheng， who can summon earthquakes， black mists， and sandstorms; they can also pour forth monstrous animals and poisonous serpents in battle， and one wonders why their powers aren’t used more。 Of course， the other side sometimes has these wizards as well， including Bao Daoyi， who has a sword called Occult Universe which can fly a hundred paces and kill a man， and late in the novel， a battle takes place in the sky between two supernatural warriors summoned by Taoists， one astride a supernatural dragon。If violence turns you off， skip this book。 There are many double-crosses， instances of false imprisonment， and thievery， followed by brutal vengeance and killing。 There are lots and lots of instances of decapitations， bodies being carved up “like hacking melons and slicing vegetables，” and innocent women and children being killed because they’re the family of an enemy。 Hearts are cut out， and still dripping blood， offered in sacrifices to the gods。 Horse’s legs are hacked with swords to bring their riders to the ground。 Rivers flow red with blood。 As one character （Wu Song） reasons， “I might as well do this thoroughly; even if I kill a hundred， I can only be executed once。” As another （Li Kui） says， “So I don’t get any credit。 But all that killing was a real pleasure。” There are several instances of cannibalism， and by mainline characters。 In one， Zhang Qing and his wife ‘Sun the Witch’ use human meat in their dumplings。 In another， Li Kui is hungry and realizes “there’s good meat right before me” before cutting off some of the flesh from Li Gui’s leg and roasting it for himself。 If that is too much for you， don’t read this book。 There are also a few really nice scenes， such as the glowing lanterns along a hill during a festival with dancers in comic masks in chapter 33。 There are references to places such as the Pipa Pavilion in Jiujiang and Xunyang Pavilion in Jiangzhou which still exist （albeit sometimes in rebuilt form）， and it was nice to look these up while reading。 There is an instance of a classical Song poem quoted （see below）， which was a lovely touch。 I also liked the half-dream， half-real scene which a character （Song Jiang） has when meeting the ‘Mystic Queen of Ninth Heaven’， as is was so unexpected， and had her dressed in “filmy golden silks， holding a scepter of white jade”， with lovely eyes and a divine countenance。 Later she’ll return to him in a dream， giving him advice on how to defeat the powerful Mongol army。Throughout the book there is also a lot of polite behavior to guests， false modesty， and feasts， along with the drinking of copious bowls of wine。 There is also the more utilitarian bribery of officials and guards， which is never described in a cynical way， but instead as an essential tool to get things done。 This is a little window into the culture and time period， as are the instances of little sayings， such as “Though you see a friend off a thousand li [a unit of distance]， sooner or later you must part”， and “Lust engenders boundless audacity。” There are also little things like armies making night marches wearing ‘stick gags’ to ensure silence， tattooing the face of those convicted of crimes， and medical practices such as green bean powder protecting the heart from poisons， using poultices of powdered gold and ground jade to remove scars， and ‘golden spear ointment’ for an arrow wound。The book is peppered with salty and ribald language， and there are fantastic nicknames， which I could fill pages with （“Dried Pecker Head”， “Recklessly Rash”， “Devil Incarnate”， “Three Inches of Mulberry Bark”， “River Churning Clam”， “Sick Tiger”， “Magic Calculator”， “Elfin Flutist”， “Nine-Tailed Tortoise”， “Fiery-Eyed Lion”， “Ironclad Virtue”， “Kick a Sheep to Death”， “Flea on a Drum”， “Demon King Who Roils the World”， “Jade Unicorn”， “Ugly Son-in-Law”， “Oily Mudfish”， “God of Death”， “Cut Your Heart Out”， “Drop of Oil”， “Thin-Faced Bear”， etc）。 One man is known as “Wild Dog” Hao， because “his mother dreamed she was entered by the spirit of a wild dog shortly before she became pregnant with Hao，” and another is “Dragon Dream” Liu for the same reason。My favorite character early on was the irascible “Sagacious Lu”， a hothead “who gets in hot water and is forced to hide out as a monk in a monastery。 It’s with disastrous results， as he has no intentions of renouncing his earthly ways。 Another was “Golden Lotus”， the wife of a short and ugly little man who first tries to tempt her brother-in-law Wu Song， and then has an adulterous tryst with a man named Ximen， arranged for by her crafty neighbor Mistress Wang。 As Mistress Wang explains it to Ximen， for a successful seduction， he must satisfy five requirements: be handsome， well-endowed （ok， she says he “needs a tool as big as a donkey’s”）， rich， forbearing， and attentive。 It works， and each day she “returns with a rosy face”。 There are other little bits of sex， you know， to go with all of the violence in the book， for example， “Clever Cloud” in volume two， a young woman who carries on an affair with a monk named Hai the Preceptor。 I love the steamy way their desire gradually builds， and how the act itself is described: “He picked her up and carried her to the bed。 Then he disrobed her and had his heart’s desire。 Only after a long time did the clouds expend their rain。” Later the lovers are described “as close as glue and turpentine， sugar and honey， marrow and bone juice， fish and water， indulging merrily in licentious pleasure。” Of course， the two are eventually discovered， and then executed （which is mentioned as legal at the time， if they’re caught in the act）。One of my favorite characters in volume two was Wu Song， aka “Constable Wu”， who after getting vengeance for his brother， is falsely imprisoned， breaks out， commits various acts of carnage， and then uses clothing from one of the dead men and blood， to boldly write ‘The slayer is Wu Song the tiger-killer’ on the wall。 Another was Wang Ying， the so-called “Stumpy Tiger”， a lecherous fellow who attempts to carry off one woman or another until finally given a bride。 Lastly， Li Kui， “Black Whirlwind”， who I mention above。 He’s an ill-mannered warrior who wields two battle-axes， often fights stark naked， and is impossible to control in his mania to attack， is memorable。 The battle he has with Zhang Shun， the “White Streak in the Waves”， first on land and then in the sea， is entertaining。Li Kui remains a prominent figure throughout volume three， constantly getting into trouble because of his impulsiveness and violent ways。 His adventure trying to recruit Gongsun Sheng， getting toyed with by the Taoist wizard and his master， and later befouled with filth by jailors， is a good one。 He reminds me of an extreme form of Toshiro Mifune’s character in ‘Seven Samurai’， with the bloodlust dialed up。 In one scene he’s asked by a squire to help with what seems to be a supernatural disturbance in his daughter’s room at night， discovers she has a secret lover， and beheads both of them。 He then strips to the waist and “flails the two bodies with his axes as if he was drumming”， before reporting back to the squire， who goes into his daughter’s room to see “dismembered parts of the headless bodies scattered all over the floor。” At one point his tendency to get into trouble is so bad that he’s threatened with execution by Song Jiang， but his loyalty and strength always seem to have enough of a perceived virtue in them that he’s valued。Song Jiang’s story is interesting because despite his character， and his unimposing appearance （he’s described as swarthy， ugly， short， and fat）， he’ll eventually become the leader of the outlaws of Liangshang Marsh when Chao Gai takes an arrow to the face and dies in chapter 60。 （Chao Gai will reappear as an apparition to provide Song Jian with advice， not unlike Obi-Wan Kenobi in ‘Star Wars’）。 He resists leadership， trying to give it to Lu Junyi （“Jade Qilin”， translated here as “Jade Unicorn”， though this seems a little westernized， as the two beasts seem different）。 Song Jiang is a reasonable， generous， and well regarded man， but becomes an outlaw after killing his adulterous wife Poxi in a fit of anger towards the end of volume one。 His reputation as “Timely Rain” often precedes and protects him from harm。 He can flash anger and is a man of the world， but there is a bit of the Buddha in him when he wisely says of the uncouth and out of control Li Kui， “That’s his nature。 No one can change it。 But I respect his honesty。” As the book evolves， it’s stated that he’s only leading this band because the emperor’s officials in China are corrupt， and a burden to the people。 He seeks amnesty for them， at which point he will give up his lawlessness。 However， we do see his cruelty， such as killing a prefect’s son in volume three to ‘help compel him to join their stronghold’， only to have it said shortly later he only does what is morally right。 On other occasions， his men will kill entire families， big fractions of a town’s populace， or bind batches of prisoners with big rocks and throw them in the lake to drown them， so it’s hard to truly see them as honorable bandits， but that’s the book’s intention。 As for his own men， Song Jiang weeps when they die， and gets depressed when battles don’t go his way。 He’s an emotional man who is often consoled by Wu Yong， his military advisor， who tells him “You mustn’t let your distress over your brothers ruin your health。”Unfortunately， if you’re looking for more positive female characters， you’ve got to go quite a ways before finding one， but eventually， in chapter 47 after 991 pages， you’ll come across “Ten Feet of Steel”， a “courageous girl … who wields two long gleaming swords， and is an excellent horseman。” She’s followed shortly afterwards by Mistress Gu， the Tigress， who is also a powerful fighter。 Oh， how I enjoyed “Ten Feet of Steel’s” battle scene and victory over “Stumpy Tiger”， though it is telling that she is unable to refuse when she’s given to him as a bride later。 There is a fair bit of repetition in the themes in the book， one being the drugging of travelers with poisoned wine to rob them， which we first see in volume one。 More prevalently， the pattern is that a fierce opponent battles the outlaws， but once captured， is treated with respect （or blackmailed） and cajoled into joining them， which he almost always happily does， and sometimes in a comically short turnaround。 The little variations therefore end up being pretty interesting， such as Zhang Qin （the “Featherless Arrow”）， who uses his “ape-like arms” to hurl rocks at the outlaws who challenge him， somewhat humorously knocking them down until 15 have been seriously wounded。 One bit of advice I would proffer is to not be intimidated by the sheer number of characters that begin to accumulate over the telling of the story。 It gets a little crazy in the last five chapters of volume two， during the siege of the Zhu Family Manor， when large numbers of leaders and armies go at one another in battle after battle。 This continues to build as various leaders join the bandits in Liangshan marsh until the end of chapter 70 in volume three， when all 108 are present。 At its worst， details for leaders of various regiments are rattled off in large battle scenes， and at its best， the individual stories are told。 Just remember that even in those big battle scenes， you don’t need to recall the backstory behind each to enjoy the action， and often if a character is reintroduced for a longer subplot， we’re often reminded of who they are， or you can look them up。After the 108 outlaws have assembled， they seek amnesty from the emperor， and after a few attempts are scuttled by corrupt imperial ministers， they succeed。 In volume four they’re then sent by the emperor to battle the Mongols to the north， who under the Liao Dynasty were a real threat to China。 The Tartars often carry black flags and banners， and it’s interesting to hear one general described as having a fair complexion， red lips， golden hair， and green eyes。 In one battle， different contingents of their army wear different colors （e。g。 “In conical hats of ochre red and robes dyed the color of orangutan blood， over which was chain and fish-scale armor of peach pink”）。 Included is a contingent of women cavalry dressed in fabulous silver and white。 However， I have to say， some of these chapters lag， as battles are on a large scale， and there is less originality。After defeating the Liaos， they’re then sent south to defeat a group of bandits who have formed under a chieftain named Fang La， another real historical figure who was fictionalized。 I loved this description of his clothing: “He wore a high hood of bright gold with turned-up corners and a robe embroidered with nine dragons amid sun， moon， and clouds。 A jade belt embossed with gold and precious stones bound his waist。 His feet were shod in a pair of royal boots stitched in gold thread with soles of cloud design。” And it’s in battle with Fang La and his armies that the novel finishes strong。 To its credit， it shows that many of the bandits suffer the fate that so many who wage war suffer: they are killed in battle。 Others die of sickness or retire， and even though the group is ultimately successful， they slowly disband， which of course is the fate of all things。 One Buddhist abbot perhaps foreshadows this in Chapter 90 by saying “Alas， all living things afloat in this world futilely howl in mire and sand。” When Gongsun Sheng decides to leave to go back to being a Taoist monk in the mountains， Song Jiang tells him “Our days together were like opening flowers。 Our parting is like flowers that fall。” Often when they die， the narrator comments on the tragedy of it all; for example， when ‘Ten Feet of Steel’ is killed by a brick to the forehead， he says “Poor beautiful female warrior， her life was gone like a dream of spring！” There is a wonderful sense of poignancy in these moments， coming after all of the bravado and camaraderie。 In one of the better sequences in volume four， Zhang Shun swims underwater across West Lake in the attempt of breaking through the gate into Hangzhou。 After a couple of attempts of quietly scaling its walls from the water， he’s discovered， and dies under a deluge of arrows， javelins， and stones。 He appears to Song Jiang in ghost form in a dream， and then exacts his revenge on the bandits in battle by temporarily possessing his comrade Zhang Heng’s body， and then， buff naked， killing their king’s son， one of his generals。 In another， Sagacious Lu just sits calmly and wills himself to die to finish a prophecy， writing in his farewell note that “today I know myself at last。”The novel saves one of the most interesting and surprising moments for the end。 Song Jiang discovers he’s dying from slow-acting poison sent in wine by corrupt ministers of the Emperor who are jealous of him。 His thoughts are not to bemoan his fate or to seek revenge， instead， he realizes that it’s the pre-ordained time to die， and simply fears that once Li Kui hears of it， he will re-form an outlaw group and rebel。 So what does he do？ He sends Li Kui the same poison， killing him as well。 It was a moment which shocked me， though the two talk as ghosts and Li Kui seems to hold no grudges。 In a sign of solidarity， Wu Yong and Hua Rong weep over their brothers， and then hang themselves from a tree。 Happily， the emperor is told the truth about what happens in a dream， clearing their name， and allowing him to set up the proper memorials to the brave chieftains。 One of the points the book makes amidst all of the action is how fate can be random， how certain events can have all sorts of far-reaching implications to a person and to hundreds of others， of course rippling from there。 There are also overtones of it all being a part of a divine plan， for example， as chapter 32 ends， “Truly， the bumpy roads we travel are all part of Heaven’s plan。 Can the gales and storms we encounter be sheer accident， then？” There are evil people， of course， but there are also people who end up on the wrong side of the law because of unfairness or misunderstanding。 And of course， with the events in the late chapters seeing the outlaws killed or disbanded， we see in it the arc of all life。 Perhaps this is why Pearl Buck dubbed her translation of the 70-chapter version “All Men Are Brothers”， though I think it’s quite a stretch given all of the violence。 A lot of the time it’s people behaving badly – robbing others， bribing officials， and murdering their enemies。 It makes for an interesting read though！ 。。。more
Cookie
，
I read 1262 pages of this book before finally admitting to myself that this was anymore would simply be a waste of time that wouldn't be bringing me anything。This is said to be one of the 4 great classics of Chinese litterature and after reading this， I am absolutely appalled by that statement。I found virtually no literary value here。 For the benefit of doubt， I will chalk it all up to the translation but even then I'm incredibly dubious。 The writing is dry as scorched earth， the story repetitiv I read 1262 pages of this book before finally admitting to myself that this was anymore would simply be a waste of time that wouldn't be bringing me anything。This is said to be one of the 4 great classics of Chinese litterature and after reading this， I am absolutely appalled by that statement。I found virtually no literary value here。 For the benefit of doubt， I will chalk it all up to the translation but even then I'm incredibly dubious。 The writing is dry as scorched earth， the story repetitive and frankly uninteresting and the themes。。。 The themes and messages here leave me absolutely confounded。I am personally baffled at this book and how it is marketed。 This book is praised as the Chinese Robin Hood story; the blurb mentions Chinese citizens who are disillusioned with corrupt governments and turn to banditry to fight against the system。 I don't know if people actually read this book because this is absolutely a thousand li away from the truth。 This book is about people who turn to banditry。 That's it。 These people are not Robin Hood equivalents: they do not aim or help the common people。 Actually， in truth， they kill innocent people and very often turn to banditry after harming innocent people。 What's worse: the author tries to spin all the actions of the bandits in a positive light， even when said actions are absolutely disgusting and wrong。 Ohh bandit steals the food and beats an innocent person？ Oh， well all is forgiven because he is the famous X from X province; quick， kowtow and show your respect。 Shi Xiu steals a rooster then burns down a man's tavern when confronted？ Oh well no the actual person to blame is the tavern owner: we now have reason to lead and war and kill the whole Zhu Family who suddenly become terrible oppressors for some unexplained reason。 I will give this book the benefit of the doubt: both in terms of the writing and the moral values。 Maybe there is a cultural chasm that cannot be filled here。 However， with my ethical and moral beliefs， I found the bandits and their actions often despicable and cannot fathom the use of "chivalrous" and "gallant" when it comes to them （can we talk about the times they set fire to people's homes to force them to join them and suddenly all is well？）。 Like another reviewer rightly said， the only value they have is in their loyalty to each other。。。 Their is no fight against corruption or injustice here: the bandits themselves are terribly corrupted， honourless and unjust。 The only thing that I retain is that there is one truth in their world: power。I was really tempted in giving a one star rating to this。 I restrained myself since I haven't read the whole book but what I've read， I would definitely have rated only 1 star。 I still keep hope in the 3 other classics: hopefully， I'll find better there。。。 。。。more
Boofybaby
，
just。。。 so。。。。 long。。。。
Cphe
，
An epic tale written long ago。 A story of outlaws who band together， their journey to seek refuge from a corrupt system in the Liangshan Marsh。 Initially found this difficult to get into and gain a reading rhythm， took a long time to separate the immense cast of characters。 A novel about friendship and honour but also parts that were violent and gory。 More an epic adventure than characterisation。 Listed on the Boxall 1000 list。
Emma
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Third time's a charm and I finally finished this behemoth。 The prose was a little boring。 This， I believe is due to the translation。 I also found it a little hard to get into， but once I got used to the style it kept my interest。 The story itself felt rather disjointed during the first third of the book， but began to feel much more coherent at around the half-way mark。 There was also a lot of repetition。 Like the exact same scenario happening to several different characters。 I'm not sure if this Third time's a charm and I finally finished this behemoth。 The prose was a little boring。 This， I believe is due to the translation。 I also found it a little hard to get into， but once I got used to the style it kept my interest。 The story itself felt rather disjointed during the first third of the book， but began to feel much more coherent at around the half-way mark。 There was also a lot of repetition。 Like the exact same scenario happening to several different characters。 I'm not sure if this is just the storytelling style of the time it was written in or just that Shi Nai An got tired of coming up with unique back stories for all 108 bandits。。。 The characters， and there were SO MANY of them， started to really blend together in the last third of the book （view spoiler）[（almost every single chapter a new "hero" a。k。a dude who is good at fighting， "joined" a。k。a was coerced into joining， the outlaws） （hide spoiler）]， the majority of them were just names and had no chance to really be developed further than their particular fighting skill。 There were a few however， who felt more fleshed out。 My personal favourites being Lin Chong and Hu San Niang （view spoiler）[（who admittedly was one of the underdeveloped characters， but she's also one of the few women who wasn't a horrible person） （hide spoiler）]。 However if you ever hear me referring to someone as a "Li Kui"， you can be sure that I loathe them with an unquenchable passion。。。It certainly has been interesting to read a story so obviously written in a different time and very different culture， and I'm sure many of the culture nuances were lost on me as I read through my 21st century， western lens。 Looking forward to reading more classical Chinese novels。 。。。more
Yiwen Zhang
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大河向东流啊。。。
Ardyth
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Stalled the Shapiro translation because the formatting on Kindle is distractingly bad。
ayana
，
wine and meat （pun intended？） are the MCs & MVPs of this proto-wuxia journey
Daniy ♠
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Im up to date with the podcast/audiobook！
Testa Yeh
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替天行道，除暴安良。
Bob Kaufman
，
Very interesting， many many characters and an elaborate story。
Brian Griffith
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China's great Robin Hood saga， featuring over 100 brazen outlaws whose loyalty to each other is， frankly， their only moral value。 The great hymn to rebels who screw a criminally abusive world， and a legend that is both an inspiration and a nightmare of the People's Republic。 China's great Robin Hood saga， featuring over 100 brazen outlaws whose loyalty to each other is， frankly， their only moral value。 The great hymn to rebels who screw a criminally abusive world， and a legend that is both an inspiration and a nightmare of the People's Republic。 。。。more
Sherwood Smith
，
Finally finished this four volume story。 Typical of many early Chinese novels， there is debate about who the author really is， and there are differing versions of the text floating around。 It does mention， once， the equally famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms， which I thought was an earlier work， but instead may have been written by the editor of this one。The two have certain characteristics in common （I'm halfway through the first of three thick volumes of the Romance）， but then all the Chines Finally finished this four volume story。 Typical of many early Chinese novels， there is debate about who the author really is， and there are differing versions of the text floating around。 It does mention， once， the equally famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms， which I thought was an earlier work， but instead may have been written by the editor of this one。The two have certain characteristics in common （I'm halfway through the first of three thick volumes of the Romance）， but then all the Chinese novels I've read so far in translation are structured very differently than Western novels。 Generalizing with leaps and bounds， Aristotelean structure is seeped into Western bones， whether Westerners have actually read any Aristotle or not。 It's that three act form， with its attendant arcs， and built-in assumptions about what makes drama。Spoiler Alert！ The Chinese never read Aristotle。 The novels I've read are structured like a flowing river， incident leading to incident， like streams feeding a river until it reaches its end。 I imagine I can see the street storyteller experience underlying these novels， especially when the narrator abruptly appears to comment， and then recedes behind the characters again。 Chapters end with foreshadowing， often a question， followed by， "Turn the page and you shall see。"This is a wuxi/xianxia novel in that it's about outlaws living on the margins of society--and， as in so many Jianghu tales， literally on the margin of a marsh。 The generally accepted title means "on the edge of a marsh。" The outlaws are assumed。 Jianghu tales are far older than this one， which was written somewhere in the 1300s， about some actual incidents （rebellions） that happened a couple centuries earlier， about which many stories had become popular。 One source I came across quoted a Chinese writer of a few centuries B。C。 who complained bitterly about the popularity of Jianghu tales--how trite they were in his time！The heirs of the Jianghu tale are the Hong Kong action movies， and the bones of some of the great series now， like Nirvana in Fire rely on these traditions。 Think of them as the martial arts tradition， the wandering fighter who uses his weapon in defense of ordinary people--a Robin Hood。Their persistent popularity has its own reflection in different types of tales in the West--at least， it seems to me， they rise out of that tension between the craving for order， which leads to a highly stratified society， which China tried to be in spite of its many internal struggles， and the stifling effect of the imposing of order， especially when distorted by greed and ambition。 Deeply steeped in Confucian， Daoist， and also Buddhist thinking， Chinese government through the various dynasties strove to be orderly and benign， but we're talking about human beings here。 （There are some who maintain that China is still an empire， despite the crashing end of the Qing in 1905: that Mao was an emperor， and Xi Jinping is one now， in spite of the Western suit and tie， and the various uses of "secretary" in Communist Party elite circles。 The roots of these modest titles go straight back to the court titles in empire days。）Anyway！ What we have here is a scattershot narrative through the early volumes especially as the 108 outlaws of Song Jiang's group begin to accrete。 Just about all of them are wronged by government officials or nobles （often the two combined into one）， take to the outlaw life， and end up swearing allegiance to Song Jiang， who everyone has heard about as being righteous and loyal。Song Jiang is an interesting figure。 He actually doesn't fight all that much， in a four-volume novel that is 95% fighting。 He doesn't even do most of his strategizing once the outlaws are forgiven and sent against enemies of the state， especially the tough and cruel criminal Fang La （who apparently really lived， and led a peasant rebellion--declaring himself a king）。 Song Jiang is praised for the fact that he never kills the innocent， and he respects men who are good to their mothers and fathers， yet when he goes after someone or other who kills or threatens his followers he is not satisfied to kill that man， but the narrative assures us that everyone in the enemy's household is slaughtered as well， "young and old，" including servants and slaves， who had no say in anything。 I'm guessing that this is the outlaw reflection of the imperial order to kill high level malefactors to the ninth generation。Kinship is integral to Chinese society。 Ancestor worship was， and is now， I gather， in spite of the cultural revolution， deeply embedded in its society。 The names for different kin connections are complicated， part of one's identity。 And in the Jianghu world， the outlaws address one another as brother， and Song Jiang as Big Brother。 To the outlaws， staying true to one another is an admirable quality。One of the interesting aspects of the story is the shifting loyalties--who switches sides and why。 Song Jiang stays loyal to his band until the very end; when he is poisoned at the last by evil officials， he poisons his most faithful follower， the horrible yet somehow entertaining killer Black Whirlwind Li， knowing that the man would go on a killing spree following his death。 And he tells him， and Li thanks him， loyal to the last。 In spite of the fact that a goodly portion of the slaughtering in all four volumes was done by the whirling of his two axes。Another aspect that I've observed in the older Chinese novels I've read in translation so far is that no one criticizes the emperor。 If he does something stupid or evil， it was because he was led astray by evil ministers。 When speaking to him， everyone assures him that any good deed or triumph is due directly to the emperor's personal good fortune or 。 。 。 we don't really have a word for it in English， but it seems integral to the shared agreement between subject and ruler that said ruler is chosen by Heaven。There aren't many women in these books。 And those few are， for the most part， negligible， or evil--especially the pretty ones。 And yet not all。 Ten Feet of Steel is a total badass， who Song Jiang rescues from the otherwise total slaughter of her family when they go against Song Jiang。 One of Song Jiang's cruder outlaws， Stumpy Tiger， wanted a wife， so Song Jiang gives her to him。 And apparently she stays loyal to him all the way through， fighting by his side， when she isn't in command of her own forces。 I wish we could have seen her point of view even briefly， about all these events。These brief glimpses of women， even the evil ones， furnish an idea of how women coped in such a society。 Their lives are so easily disposed of by the men around them。 It took machinations just to survive， much less to find happiness of their own。 The author doesn't quite understand that， but he does feel， as Western knights did， that staying loyal to your brethren was good， and getting involved with women was a sure road to hell。 Maybe it was the sure road to emotional hell？ Or it split loyalties--you don't want to go out fighting when you are happy at home。It took me a long time to read all four volumes， partly because of the scattered nature， but also the casual cannibalism。 And the occasional vividly described torture。 As we can get in Western medieval writings。Overall it's entertaining， and many of the characters stick in the mind。 There's also that sense of bonded brotherhood in the long， desperate campaign against Fang La， when roughly three-quarters of the band die by violence。 The aftermath is interesting; so is the interweaving of magic into the fabric of the story， the ghosts。 At one point one of the outlaws， having been killed， possesses his brother's body in order to finish off a foe。 。。。more
Trần Chi
，
Mình đọc bản truyện tranh của NXB Kim Đồng nên nhiều chi tiết bị giản lược đi như trận Phương Lạp bị tua nhanh khá khó chịu， thường mình hay kỳ vọng vào mấy trận đánh lớn nhưng Thuỷ Hử lại không như Tam Quốc Chí， Thi Nại Am tập trung vào cuộc đời các anh hùng hơn。Gọi là 108 anh hùng Lương Sơn Bạc nhưng thực sự không có mấy ai là anh hùng thật sự như quan điểm của mình。 Tống Giang， Ngô Dụng thì dùng đủ mọi loại hạ sách để chiêu mộ nhân tài， đến mức giết cả trẻ con thì mình thật sự không còn hy vọ Mình đọc bản truyện tranh của NXB Kim Đồng nên nhiều chi tiết bị giản lược đi như trận Phương Lạp bị tua nhanh khá khó chịu， thường mình hay kỳ vọng vào mấy trận đánh lớn nhưng Thuỷ Hử lại không như Tam Quốc Chí， Thi Nại Am tập trung vào cuộc đời các anh hùng hơn。Gọi là 108 anh hùng Lương Sơn Bạc nhưng thực sự không có mấy ai là anh hùng thật sự như quan điểm của mình。 Tống Giang， Ngô Dụng thì dùng đủ mọi loại hạ sách để chiêu mộ nhân tài， đến mức giết cả trẻ con thì mình thật sự không còn hy vọng gì vào hai người nữa rồi; yeah có thể là ở thời thế loạn lạc không thể dùng thế giới quan bây giờ để cảm nhận nhưng nếu những quy tắc cơ bản của việc làm người cũng không giữ được thì làm gì còn là anh hùng？ Làm gì còn được thế hệ sau kính nể？Bỏ qua chuyện đạo đức cá nhân thì Thuỷ Hử khắc hoạ nên hình ảnh triều đình thối nát， quan lại hà hiếp dân chúng dẫn đến bần cùng sinh đạo tặc， yep 108 anh hùng hầu hết đều là trọng phạm cướp của giết người và đương nhiên， cuớp của nhà giàu và giết kẻ ác rồi được bá tánh tôn sùng như những vị hảo hán， mô típ quen thuộc của hầu hết mấy bộ truyện Trung Quốc thời phong kiến mình từng đọc。Tổng lại thì Thuỷ Hử không đọng lại mấy trong não mình， không khiến mình nghĩ quá nhiều trừ việc cố nhớ tên 108 người :（ À， có một điểm sáng là tâm lý nhân vật được khắc hoạ rất tốt， mình có thể cảm nhận được từng bước phát triển của họ， hiểu được tại sao lại có phiên bản họ của ngày hôm nay。 。。。more
LionC
，
It is about some people in china long time ago are having a revolution， some heros got together in a mountain called liang shan。
Matt Hodson
，
800 pages of my life I’ll never get back。 The good:A fascinating if disturbing insight into Chinese life c。 a millennium ago， ie actually written （or told） centuries upon centuries ago， which is fascinating from an anthropological point of view。 Obviously any culture shock of such a nature of valuable and really interesting。 The bad:The characters are essentially impossible to like。 The are completely capricious and amoral。 I’m not exactly a moral prude - I’m totally happy to have an evil hero。 800 pages of my life I’ll never get back。 The good:A fascinating if disturbing insight into Chinese life c。 a millennium ago， ie actually written （or told） centuries upon centuries ago， which is fascinating from an anthropological point of view。 Obviously any culture shock of such a nature of valuable and really interesting。 The bad:The characters are essentially impossible to like。 The are completely capricious and amoral。 I’m not exactly a moral prude - I’m totally happy to have an evil hero。 The trouble with these “heroes” is that they are COMPLETELY inconsistent， so they lose all sense of real identity。 They call themselves heaven’s warriors but at the same time wander around raping， pillaging and murdering everyone， even children。 Characters are forgiven for this by some kind of contrived casting of the blame onto the corruption of officials， but the “heroes” themselves are identically corrupt， never stopping short of a trick or a bribe to get their way。 The hypocrisy is mind blowing and one is left with a regrettable impression of Chinese culture at this time， that I’m sure is at least partially misrepresented here and is no doubt not at all representative of the race as a whole。 One of the main characters， Li Kui， kills hundreds， disfigures women for no reason at all， slaughters children， and all this is forgiven because， well， he’s a “bit rough”。 Loveable rogue？ No， just a dick。 In short， it’s just really unlikeable。 。。。more
Robert Marshall
，
This book is a classic that is the inspiration for many eastern stories and even some notable ones in the west。 It is honestly a must read for anyone interested in Chinese culture or Asian History。 It inspired countless anime's， video games， and Kung Fu movies。 this book is a abridged version and I am sure is missing portions but as I have not read other versions I cant compare it。 The translation leaves a lot to be desired。 there is a lot of repetition， you will hear phrases such as "he was muc This book is a classic that is the inspiration for many eastern stories and even some notable ones in the west。 It is honestly a must read for anyone interested in Chinese culture or Asian History。 It inspired countless anime's， video games， and Kung Fu movies。 this book is a abridged version and I am sure is missing portions but as I have not read other versions I cant compare it。 The translation leaves a lot to be desired。 there is a lot of repetition， you will hear phrases such as "he was much pleased at this" and "I have a plan but fear you will not like it。。。 Well tell us the plan。。。。 He told them the plan。。。 They were much pleased with this"。 I am not kidding this same conversation happens about 30 times throughout the book only with different characters。 If you can get past that， though this is really worth the read。 。。。more
Pham Tung
，
Đọc Thủy Hử thấy cái rõ nhất chính là văn hóa kim tiền của Trung Quốc。 Các nhân vật trong truyện gặp nhau một chút là mang tiền ra biếu; quan lại thì dùng xe chở kim ngân châu báu để mừng thọ phụ mẫu; người tù tội thì phải lo đút lót hết cấp này đến cấp nọ。 Thế mới thấy Tống Giang có thể dùng vài đồng bạc lẻ mà mua được cả thiên hạ， làm cho ai cũng phải biết đến tiếng tăm của mình là một người trọng nghĩa khinh tài， là "cập thời vũ" （nghĩa là cơn mưa đúng lúc）。 Nói về trí tuệ， tài năng thì Tống Đọc Thủy Hử thấy cái rõ nhất chính là văn hóa kim tiền của Trung Quốc。 Các nhân vật trong truyện gặp nhau một chút là mang tiền ra biếu; quan lại thì dùng xe chở kim ngân châu báu để mừng thọ phụ mẫu; người tù tội thì phải lo đút lót hết cấp này đến cấp nọ。 Thế mới thấy Tống Giang có thể dùng vài đồng bạc lẻ mà mua được cả thiên hạ， làm cho ai cũng phải biết đến tiếng tăm của mình là một người trọng nghĩa khinh tài， là "cập thời vũ" （nghĩa là cơn mưa đúng lúc）。 Nói về trí tuệ， tài năng thì Tống Giang không bằng ai， nhưng sự giả nhân giả nghĩa thì không ai bằng。 Cái tài của tác giả là không chỉ khiến Tống Giang lừa được các nhân vật trong truyện， mà còn lừa được người đọc bao nhiêu thế kỷ nay。 Ban đầu đọc lời bình của Kim Thánh Thán còn ngờ vực， nhưng sau càng thấy sự hợp lý。 Tống Giang đúng là một kẻ gian hùng， khi bản chất giả dối lộ dần qua từng hồi。Ngày xưa coi phim biết Lâm Xung， Võ Tòng， thấy ai ai cũng ca ngợi là 108 anh hùng Lương Sơn Bạc。 Đọc qua sách rồi mới thấy， họ có xứng đáng với danh hiệu anh hùng không？ Thực tế thì họ toàn là đám đầu trộm đuôi cướp， vì trốn tránh tù tội mà phải tụ lại để chống trả triều đình， thế mà suốt ngày cho rằng mình "tụ nghĩa"。 Trong 70 hồi này， không thấy các vị "anh hùng" làm được điều tốt gì cho dân chúng， trái lại còn giết hại bao nhiêu dân vô tội trong các cuộc chiến。Lại nói thủ đoạn của đám Lương Sơn rất bẩn thỉu và man rợ。 Khi muốn kéo một người gia nhập， họ thấy không dùng cách mời mọc được thì sẽ dồn người đó vào đường cùng， hại người ta khuynh gia bại sản， gia đình tan nát， tù tội không còn đất dung thân。 Như truyện của Chu Đồng， Lý Quỳ sẵn sàng giết hại một đứa trẻ vô tội để khiến Chu Đồng không dám trở về。 Hay thảm hơn là truyện Lư Tuấn Nghĩa， bị Ngô Dụng bày mưu hại chết đi sống lại， tan cửa nát nhà。 Tất cả cuối cùng chỉ còn biết ngậm ngùi về Lương Sơn。 Thế mà đám Lương Sơn tự coi mình nhân nghĩa là thế， lẽ nào tiêu chuẩn nhân nghĩa thời đó bị hạ thấp đến cùng cực như vậy。Nói về Lư Tuấn Nghĩa là người vào Lương Sơn Bạc cuối cùng。 Người này trí tuệ non nớt， tính tình háo thắng bồng bột， bị bọn Lương Sơn lừa tan nhà nát cửa mà vẫn đi theo một lòng trung thành。 Dù bất tài là thế nhưng Lư Tuấn Nghĩa lại dường như là một nhân kiệt không thể thiếu， đến nỗi Lương Sơn Bạc hao tổn bao tâm trí， nhân lực để mời gia nhập và muốn cho ông làm trại chủ。 Cuối cùng ông cũng được xếp đến hàng thứ 2 trong 108 người， đúng là khó mà hiểu nổi。 。。。more
Mikey
，
One of the great works of literature for a reason。 I think its a deceptively subtle novel--on the surface it seems like a very straightforward adventure， with criminals fighting the powers that be。 Indeed， the narrator is typically very （overly？） clear about who the heroes and villains are。 And yet， that makes the moments of moral ambiguity stand out that much more: for example， when Li Kui killed the little boy under Zhu Tong's supervision， did the boy's father "have it coming" in the moral con One of the great works of literature for a reason。 I think its a deceptively subtle novel--on the surface it seems like a very straightforward adventure， with criminals fighting the powers that be。 Indeed， the narrator is typically very （overly？） clear about who the heroes and villains are。 And yet， that makes the moments of moral ambiguity stand out that much more: for example， when Li Kui killed the little boy under Zhu Tong's supervision， did the boy's father "have it coming" in the moral context of the novel？ I didn't get that impression。 I think that incident also clarifies how much of this book is an exploration of leadership--it's no wonder that Mao found it stimulating。I thought the translation was solid and entertaining， haven't really explored others though。 。。。more
Ian
，
Many things struck me as I enjoyed a patient march through this ancient Chinese epic。 Firstly， it was a reminder of how much I had enjoyed the 1970s TV adaptation， especially the theme tune。 Mainly though， I was confused about the strange moral standards embodied in the tales。 The 108 heroes， gradually congregating in the Liang Shan marshes， are set against Imperial forces because of the corrupt government。 Yet these same heroes offer bribes at the drop of a hat。 Heroes' wives and children are o Many things struck me as I enjoyed a patient march through this ancient Chinese epic。 Firstly， it was a reminder of how much I had enjoyed the 1970s TV adaptation， especially the theme tune。 Mainly though， I was confused about the strange moral standards embodied in the tales。 The 108 heroes， gradually congregating in the Liang Shan marshes， are set against Imperial forces because of the corrupt government。 Yet these same heroes offer bribes at the drop of a hat。 Heroes' wives and children are often kidnapped， as much to ensure the compliance of the new recruit as to escape official retribution。 And apparently cooking up human remains in a casserole and serving them to everyone is still not enough to preclude you from joining the merry brand of lawbreakers。 Being a drunken violent murderer （I'm looking at you， Lu Ta） is also scarcely frowned upon。 。。。more
CJ Spear
，
It is not often that I get to read something that is 700 years old。 Through seven centuries， 7，000 miles， three editors， and two translators， 'The Water Margin' arrived in my lap as an altered experience， but hopefully close enough to what the Chinese have been enjoying for all these years。'The Water Margin' or 'Shuihu Zhuan' is unlike anything I've ever read in that there are so many characters interacting with each other and shifts in point of view， it is downright difficult to even follow the It is not often that I get to read something that is 700 years old。 Through seven centuries， 7，000 miles， three editors， and two translators， 'The Water Margin' arrived in my lap as an altered experience， but hopefully close enough to what the Chinese have been enjoying for all these years。'The Water Margin' or 'Shuihu Zhuan' is unlike anything I've ever read in that there are so many characters interacting with each other and shifts in point of view， it is downright difficult to even follow the story being told。 Slowly， as the novel goes on， the disparate characters begin uniting under the central protag， Song Jiang， and the various plots coalesce。The sense of morality is baffling as the noblest of characters often murder women， children， wives and entire families for reasons that couldn't be justified in any century。 The bandits believe they are Heaven's Agents with the purpose of correcting the corrupt nature of the Song Dynasty's flawed bureaucracy。 The bandits of Liangshan Marsh are not the first or last to believe they have a Divine Mandate， but this idea is dangerous and leads to the exact situations in which Song Jiang finds himself murdering women and children。 How far can one go before they recognize they are doing more evil than the good they are striving for。The lesson I draw from this is not to emulate Song Jiang， or to put any one person on a pedestal as being a Hero。 Every great villain starts out as an idealistic hero。 Ideals don't belong to any single person， and even their original mouthpiece will someday falter。 。。。more
David
，
Great book。 I really liked the structure of the gathering of the heroes。 The author shifts POV from one character to the next as they go on their adventures， and gradually， their encounters become more and more tightly connected until they all meet up in the marsh。 The final act is also very poignant， during the campaign against Fang La and afterwards。 Many characters we hadn't seen much of during the middle acts return for the curtain call。 For a book with sure a large cast， the individuality o Great book。 I really liked the structure of the gathering of the heroes。 The author shifts POV from one character to the next as they go on their adventures， and gradually， their encounters become more and more tightly connected until they all meet up in the marsh。 The final act is also very poignant， during the campaign against Fang La and afterwards。 Many characters we hadn't seen much of during the middle acts return for the curtain call。 For a book with sure a large cast， the individuality of these people really shines。As a sidenote， these guys really are thugs。 While they kind of get their act together after the amnesty， they generally do a poor job of "protecting the common folk"， engaging in all sorts of mischief and criminal behavior。 Just sayin'。I would have given the book a 5-star rating， but the proofing for this translation is atrocious。 。。。more
Ian Jones
，
Two things you notice about this novel are: first， you get four volumes totalling over 2100 pages in a slip case; second， each volume is perfectly sized for a laptop case or pocket or handbag。 So， the formatting would have been perfect if I had still been commuting。 As it was， I read all four volumes during the Co-vid lock down and semi-lock down， and had a wonderful sense of escapism， as I spent several weeks in 12th century China。 Older readers might remember the TV series The Water Margin， wh Two things you notice about this novel are: first， you get four volumes totalling over 2100 pages in a slip case; second， each volume is perfectly sized for a laptop case or pocket or handbag。 So， the formatting would have been perfect if I had still been commuting。 As it was， I read all four volumes during the Co-vid lock down and semi-lock down， and had a wonderful sense of escapism， as I spent several weeks in 12th century China。 Older readers might remember the TV series The Water Margin， which feels as if it was shot soon after Outlaws of the Marsh was written in the 14th century。 The book is far longer and more complicated than the series， although this edition might still not give you the full monty。 In the introduction， a professor of Chinese literature， Shi Changyu， explains that the novel exists in several different versions， varying between 70 and 124 chapters。 This edition has 100 chapters， which might be a good compromise。 At the end the translator， Sidney Shapiro， explains how he put this edition together， selecting bits from the short and long editions， and excluding some ridiculous poems that give away the plot。 Shapiro himself was an American who lived in China for many years， married a Chinese woman and became a Chinese citizen in 1963， just in time for the Cultural Revolution。 I wonder what Mao thought of this novel。 The translation itself was made in the 1970s， and gives us a lively， colloquial read which “zips along” – just like a recent Booker Prize judge said novels ought to do。 The text itself is an odd mixture of American and British grammar and spelling， with lots of typos， but that don’t detract from the enjoyment of the read。 So， what’s it all about？ The novel was written in the 14th century and is based on real events that occurred in the 12th century。 In some ways it’s a kind of Robin Hood story。 108 men and women （if memory serves， 105 men and three women） are obliged， through a combination of injustice and misfortune， to betake themselves to Liangshan Marsh where they join a growing robber band that robs the rich and either gives to the poor or leaves the poor alone。 The 108 chieftains （there are thousands of foot soldiers in the band） are all distinct characters， and along with their given name， they each have a moniker that reflects some feature of their history， physique or chosen weaponry。 For instance， one of the female chieftains is called Ten Feet of Steel because she wields two swords， both five feet long， to deadly effect。 The first couple of volumes tell the story of each of the chieftains and how they came to join the robber band。 They spend a lot of time consuming vast quantities of wine （presumably rice wine） and meat in taverns that seem to be strewn around the countryside。 It’s so easy to walk into a tavern and demand a bowl of wine and a platter of meat， but do you always know what you’re getting？ There are a lot of rascally inn-keepers who drug their guests and then take them to an abattoir round the back of the tavern where they chop them up and cook them in pies which they serve the next set of guests。 No food safety standards in 12th century China。Eventually the emperor realises that the bandits are a potential force for good and after a couple of attempts to offer them an amnesty are thwarted by evil， envious officials， they go mainstream and are used to fight against neighbouring kingdoms。 Warning: there is a lot of violence throughout the novel， but it often feels like cartoon violence。 Lots of heads are chopped off and bodies salami-sliced， but there is little graphic description and most of the victims are nasty people who deserve a bit of rough justice。 There is enough moral philosophy around to raise this novel above a mere adventure yarn， with frequent references to Buddhism， Taoism， filial piety and the sanctity of friendship and oaths。 Another warning， which is stated in the introduction， is that women do not get a good press here。 Apart from the female chieftains （and they’re not really central characters） most of the female characters are grasping wives who cheat on their husbands， bawds who facilitate adultery or ale-wives who drug their guests and bake them in pies。 I won’t spoil the ending。 Suffice to say that years pass， the heroes age and you have a growing sense that the good times will come to an end。 You might think that after 2000 pages you’d be glad to reach the end， but in fact you do feel a sense of loss when you finally reach it。 。。。more
Shutong
，
A perfect guide about how to be a criminal and set up other people
Aaron
，
Sigh。。。 the fate of the gallant few。 I don't think I've ever read a story that involves so many characters， but I enjoyed my time with them all。 My only dissatisfaction would be that the romanization is not the pinyin that I'm used to。 Sigh。。。 the fate of the gallant few。 I don't think I've ever read a story that involves so many characters， but I enjoyed my time with them all。 My only dissatisfaction would be that the romanization is not the pinyin that I'm used to。 。。。more
Gaya3
，
Just a few hours is all enough and interesting mango classic 😊
Barack Liu
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072-Water Margin-Shi Nai'An-History novel-1368Barack--The peace was originally set by the general， and the general was not allowed to see the peace。"Water Margin" was published in China at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty （1368）。 A historical novel。 It tells the process of Songjiang uprising in the Song Dynasty from the occurrence， development to failure。Shi Nai'an was born in Baiju Town， Xinghua City， Jiangsu Province （now Dafeng District， Yancheng City， Jiangsu Province） in a 072-Water Margin-Shi Nai'An-History novel-1368Barack--The peace was originally set by the general， and the general was not allowed to see the peace。"Water Margin" was published in China at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty （1368）。 A historical novel。 It tells the process of Songjiang uprising in the Song Dynasty from the occurrence， development to failure。Shi Nai'an was born in Baiju Town， Xinghua City， Jiangsu Province （now Dafeng District， Yancheng City， Jiangsu Province） in about 1296 and died in about 1370。 It is said that Zhang Shicheng fought against the enemy and called Wang Wu in Pingjiang （Suzhou） and hired Shi Nai'an as a military division。After Zhang Shicheng descended， Shi Nai'an repeatedly advised him， so he abandoned his office and went to the Donglin Temple in Jiangyin Zhuang。 He taught "Water Margin" while teaching。 Representative works: "Water Margin" and so on。The Zhao Kuangyin seized power from the son of Chai Rong， the later Zhou Shizong。 I did something for us to usurp the throne， but later I was afraid that my men would do such things in the future， so I had a story of a glass of wine to release the military power。 People have done bad things and they will inevitably be suspicious and fear that others will do this kind of thing to themselves。The beginning of "Water Margin" is that the plague is prevalent， and the people do not talk about life。 Looking back now。 This epidemic can also be regarded as a large-scale plague。 But it did not cause people to talk about life and thieves。 From this perspective， society has improved a lot。When there was a plague in those days， it was inevitable to choose to invite priests or monks to pray for peace。 And now that there is an epidemic， it is to mobilize scientific research forces and academic challenges。 Productivity， as the underlying technology， profoundly affected the appearance of the top-level building from bottom to top。The officials acted arbitrarily， causing trouble， but were unable to end。 It can only cover-up in a hurry。 The consequences of the scourge are borne by the people of the world。 History repeats itself again and again。The traditional readers dismissed the skills of playing football as a sideline。 But the fact is that any kind of ability if it is played out at the right time， can receive miracle effects。 If Gao Ji is not good at playing football。 Or maybe you did not get the chance to play football。 So why did it make a fortune？In the movie "When Happiness Comes to Knock"。 The protagonist also wins a trial opportunity by the ability to solve the Rubik's cube quickly。Sometimes a person walks in the clouds， not entirely because of his ability。 It was because the people he followed were skyrocketing。 And he was quite pleased with the leadership。 Although those who are promoted like this， it is inevitable that they will be scorned and jealous。 But this kind of thing happened again and again。People tend to use people they know and get close to。 Even the emperor cannot avoid it， let alone ordinary people？ Be cautious when choosing a follower。Shi Jin set fire to the village because of Zhu Wu and others and became an enemy of the government。 It was a bad thing at the time。 In the long run， if it were not for this incident， it would not lead him to become a member of Liang Shanbo。 Do not fail to consider the results of Liang Shanbo after accepting the security。 Shi Jin can also be considered a blessing due to misfortune and got a chance to make a fortune。It can be seen that one thing is good or bad， and there is no conclusion。 It seems to be a good thing now， but it might be a bad thing in the future。 It is considered a bad thing now， but it may become a good thing in the future。Although Jin Lao and Cui Lian were born poor。 But after being favored by Lu Zhishen， he tried to repay。 Lu Yuhou and Lin Chong intersect freely but repeatedly hurt because of their future。 Therefore， this matter of gratitude and enlightenment may not be necessarily related to the level of birth。 Some people complained of virtue for high power。 Someone who has no possessions knows to be grateful。This statement is ridiculous。 Li Zhongzhou ’s approach is like giving love to others， instead of directly paying for it， but saying that I will buy a lottery ticket and give you as much as you want。 How can you attract talent if you are so stingy？According to the social situation at that time， it seemed that as long as it was a steep mountain， bandits were gathering to rob。 It can be seen that in the chaotic world， robbers rise。 But this method is probably only possible in the cold weapon era。 The natural danger in the era of hot weapons has been greatly weakened， and it is probably difficult to think of the king as the king。In the past， communication was inconvenient， and there were many encounters between people in exchanges。 The chance came together for a few days， and then each went their way。 It is difficult to tell whether there is a chance to meet again in the future。 And now the situation is so close to each other， but it has only lasted for decades。 If a person a hundred years ago came to today， he would probably consider today's communication technology as a miracle。In the past， looking for a job was either a hereditary prince or an ancestral craft。 Either trustee recommendation。 Now looking for a job is to submit a resume and a written interview。 It is still transparent and open， fair， and just。 This also gives ordinary people more choices in life。 If life is not difficult， there are only a few people who are willing to commit crimes。Lin Chong's ability is not necessarily worse than Lu Zhishen。 But because we must consider the future of our career and the safety of our family， we have to be patient。 And Lu Zhishen was unconcerned and left alone。 Therefore， we can act rashly。The same is true of human life。 When he was young， he had a lifetime of life， maybe he was lonely and lonely， but his behavior was less restrictive。 After marriage and childbirth， although you can enjoy the joy of the bed， the family has to take care of it， you can no longer act like a teenager， and think of one is one。Gao Ya’nei 's stepson fell in love with Lin Chong's wife and colluded with Gao Ya’nei 's design to frame Lin Chong。 The so-called innocent people are guilty。 Under the circumstances， only when the plaintiff and the defendant were evenly matched， was their justice。 Otherwise， whoever has the highest weight is the king。 The law is enforced by people and interpreted by people。 Who will guarantee its fairness？Lin Chong himself is still alive， and he still remembers his wife's future destiny。 But such a law-abiding person has a long life。Liang Shanbo has 108 different characters。 The author has created many vivid images， and through what each character does， between the details and the words and deeds， these people have become three-dimensional。The boy is alive。 The first task is to accumulate power and wealth。 Not necessarily out of greed for the property。 But without these things， you may not be able to protect your family。 Failure to protect yourself and your family is probably the biggest shame a man can suffer。In the wild boar forest， Lu Zhi rescued Lin Chong。 In Cangzhou， it was also Li Xiao’er who reported to Lin Chong。 It can be seen that when dealing with people， it is better to make more friends。 No matter how strong you are， there may be a time when you lose your strength。 In the low point of life， there are often villains falling into the well。 If it is not for the help of friends， they will inevitably be harmed。 How can it last until the day when he returns？Powerful people， if they want to harm others。 Even if the other party escapes to the end of the world， it is difficult to prevent the calculation。 The power of power is so great。In the prosperous world， robbers are afraid of the government， and the people are not afraid of the government。 The world is not flat， robbers are not afraid of the government， and the people are afraid of the government。The leader's strength is not necessarily as strong。 But be sure to be open-minded and tolerate all kinds of characters。 As long as the entrants have real talents， they should be treated well。 Throughout the ages， when was there a shortage of talent？ It lacks the Bole that can use people and dare to use people。 Jealousy and jealousy may be human nature， but those who want to become big things must use reason to suppress this foolish instinct。Throughout the ages， how much has the wicked complained first？ As an adjudicator， if you only listen to one side。 It is inevitable to be deceived。 Therefore， although witness testimony is an important basis for making judgments， it is often the most unreliable basis。 Those in power who are unable to distinguish right from wrong are easily deceived by their subordinates， thus making a judgment that reverses black and white。If you don’t know each other， you can say that it is appropriate to use it in Water Margin。 When the two met， they made a big deal out of nowhere。 Only when the other party can compete with each other can the two sides declare their names and make friends with each other。It can be seen that even in the green forest heroes， not all friends make friends， but respect for strength。 As if on the officialdom， people first look at a person's official title， and then consider whether to have the same dialogue with them。 If the strength of the two sides cannot be evenly matched， then there is no interest in making friends。I'm a little puzzled by the rules of their own。 The two sides met and the leaders fought together。 The leader won the battle and won。 They can let their soldiers swarm and win by numbers。 Will the game be played against the generals to reduce losses？Song Jiang reported to Chao Gai for ventilation。 Zhu Ling and Lei Heng both wanted to let Chao cover away。 Not only to let go but also to point out in person that he gave each other a favor。 The government and the robbers are opposed。 But the mansion and the robbers are all made up of people。 There may be personal relations between officers on duty and specific thieves。 As long as it is done by people， it is possible to release water。16/05/2720/05/28 。。。more
Chris Durston
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The story’s worth reading， but this translation isn’t the greatest。 I really would recommend Water Margin， ‘cos there’s a lot to enjoy about it。 It’s hard to tell how much of this is the style of the translator and how much is the original narrator， but there’re a lot of really idiosyncratic and interesting things about both the story itself and the character of the prose: it’s very much reminiscent of someone telling a story to a captivated audience， ending each chapter on a cliffhanger and pro The story’s worth reading， but this translation isn’t the greatest。 I really would recommend Water Margin， ‘cos there’s a lot to enjoy about it。 It’s hard to tell how much of this is the style of the translator and how much is the original narrator， but there’re a lot of really idiosyncratic and interesting things about both the story itself and the character of the prose: it’s very much reminiscent of someone telling a story to a captivated audience， ending each chapter on a cliffhanger and promising to answer the mysteries next time。 It’s also fascinating to see the difference in moral values between those of the old Chinese culture and those of a modern reader。 I suspect many of the acts carried out by the ‘heroes’ of the story will not seem very heroic at all to most readers， although it is interesting to try to reconcile their more vicious crimes with the values the narrator clearly thinks they’re exhibiting。 It’s occasionally laugh-out-loud funny， sometimes deliberately and sometimes probably not。 So that’s the tale itself; as for this version， I’m not sold on it。 I don’t have any other translations to compare to， but based on synopses I’ve read elsewhere it seems that there might be a few bits missing， with a big chunk of story that I was expecting to find at the end simply not there。 This edition is weighed down by typos and frequent awkward phrasings and punctuation， which I don’t think can be attributed to staying true to the original。 I would suggest reading Lowe’s foreword and introduction， although I’d probably read it after reading the rest of the book rather than before， since it’s much more interesting once you have more context about the events of the story。 。。。more
GaiB
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