Water Margin

[Ian_Lee]

The novel "Water Margin" was very influential to Mao and his peers during the early era of PRC.

What did Mao usually accuse (and later purge) someone out of his favor?

Song Jiang Surrenderism

Politics aside, Water Margin is the most male chauvinistic novel ever written in Chinese history.

In the original 72-chapter version written by Mr. Shi or the edited 71-chapter version compiled by Mr. Jin:

All those women portrayed in the novel except one were either wives or mistresses whom betrayed their men and were later revenged by their men or men's brothers in a brutal way, or women who operated guest house but chopped off their guests in midnight to make human flesh buns, or women sadistically being forced to marry dwarf-like impotent husbands.

The 120-chapter is a little bit more lenient to female. At least it got the famous hooker Ms Li Shi Shi who could entice the Song Emperor to sneak out of the palace in a snowstormy evening to spend a night with her.

[Ian_Lee]

How come nobody is interested in the "Water Margin"?

Actually it is a very fascinating novel which tells us a lot of what was gping on in the society during Song era.

What is narrated most vividly about those Water Margin heroes?

Fighting with wild tigers by bare hands.

It seems that wild life was roaming around in the forest and hills of China during Song era. (Nowadays man attacked by tiger is big news in China. Only a token few tigers can still be found in the Northeast.)

Moreover, dining out is a common event during Song's time. So many heroes in the novel were depicted eating out in the restaurants. Many got into trouble by graffiting political poems.

In fact, tea house was first invented during Song's time.

Another thing is that those guys did not have a healthy diet. What did they usually order?

Two catties of Bajiu and Four catties of White Meat (I guess it does not refer to chicken breast) and no veggie.

[Quest]

you've said it all

Actually, being ranked among the 4 best ancient Chinese novels, 《水浒传》has a lot of fans worldwide. Don't feel bad if nobody replied.

[skylee]

OK I am replying. I have not read the book. So tell me how women (I suspect there are only a few) are portrayed in it?

[sunyata]

it's chauvinistic, but realistic ;)

I enjoyed reading it, although the english translation i had sucked... i guess they tried to make it as literal as possible, which is good, but makes reading it a bit boring...

[OM3RTA]

I've read it (Water Margin) b4, but it was then published in S'pore with drawings in it...so the storyline was like real short. Come in 5 books.

Love the story.

[geek_frappa]

i also love the water margin. it was my first chinese literature to read (after lady in the painting)... heheh...

[Ian_Lee]

Actually Song China looks like today's America.

What did the Water Margin heroes carry?

Lethal weapons -- hatchets, long sword, bow and arrows,.......etc (those 108 heroes other than a dozen all carried different varieties of weapons) under broad daylight. You name it, they got it.

They didn't even bother to conceal them under their jackets.

It seemed that it was perfectly legal to carry weapons around during Song's time.

Now I believe what is narrated in those Kung Fu novels is true.

No wonder the Mongols had to confiscate them in the subsequent Yuan Dynasty.