The Water Margin - (Tuttle Classics) by Naian (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally written in the 14th century (1368 CE)

Book Synopsis

**Named by Men's Health: "50 Books Every Man Should Read Before Turning 50"**

Based upon the historical bandit Song Jiang and his companions, The Water Margin is an epic tale of rebellion against tyranny that will remind Western readers of the English classic Robin Hood and His Merry Men.

This edition of the classic J. H. Jackson translation brings a story that has been inspiring readers for hundreds of years to life for modern audiences. It features a new preface and introduction by Edwin Lowe, which gives the history of the book and puts the story into perspective for today's 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 reinserts the grit and flavor of Shuihui Zhuan found in the original Chinese versions, including the sexual seduction, explicit descriptions of brutality, and the profane voices of the lower classes of Song Dynasty China. Similarly, the Chinese deities, Bodhisattvas, gods and demons have reclaimed their true names, as has the lecherous, ill-fated Ximen Qing. This 70-chapter book includes much that was sanitized out of the 1937 publication, giving Anglophone readers the most complete picture to date of this classic Chinese novel.

While Chinese in origin, the themes of The Water Margin are so universal that they have served as a source of inspiration for numerous movies, television shows and video games up to the present day.

Review Quotes

"A delightful example in the genre of 'rule breakers having adventures, ' its righteous bandits on the edge of society join the company of knights errant, ronin, Robin Hood, and the outlaws of the American West. Don't let its age or its pedigree scare you off. (It's one of the commonly grouped four classic novels of Chinese literature.) --Men's Health

About the Author

Shi Naian is one of the respected elders of Chinese literature. In addition to authoring Water Margin, he was also the teacher of Lo Kuan-chung, author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

J. H. Jackson first came into contact with Chinese culture through his involvement with Presbyterian missionary efforts. His translation of The Water Margin was the first to follow the text of the Chinese original closely. It was his only translated work.

Edwin Lowe is Associate Lecturer of Chinese Studies in the Department of Asian Studies at Macquarie University, Sydney. He researches Chinese strategic and defense studies, comparative cultural and philosophical approaches to warfare and the evolving nature of conflict and war.