Customer Reviews

OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH (3-Volume Hardcover Set)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you read one saga in your life, you would die happy having read Outlaws of the Marsh. This is a particularly good translation and edition in that they take perhaps eight or ten different versions of this story and pack it all together in one bit so you get more quality tale for the buck. Mr. Shapiro even discusses the differences between several of the versions in the beginning of the book.

The saga takes you through a few decades of this roaming band of Chinese warriors in a land of corruption and evil. Though they are no angels themselves (in fact they are demons on Earth), they fight together for loyalty and honor in the name of the Emperor during the Song dynasty.

The descriptions of the battles are vivid and enthralling, and the window into the culture of that time is truly something to cherish.

An ancient story such as this is not something to be taken lightly, though it has plenty of humor, sorrow, and action to captivate the attention of all ages. Characters such as Sagacious Lu, Stumpy Tiger Wang, and Liu Kui the Blackwhirlwind, will forever be a part of you in your travels. Chairman Mao, himself, actually carried this book with him during the Long March in China as a constant reminder of the proud traditions of the Chinese people.

[Revised Edit]
From reading some of the other reviews, I think I've come to a realization. For readers, Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms are a little bit like 1984 and Brave New World. Hear me out, doubters. If you read Brave New World first, you tend to have a pretty strong dislike for 1984, and vice versa. Those who've read Romance of the Three Kingdoms may pick up Outlaws of the Marsh expecting something similar in style. If that's what they're after, they'll be disappointed. I however read 1984 first, as well as Outlaws of the Marsh. Therefore, I couldn't even stand to finish Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Like it or not, Outlaws of the Marsh is truly one of a kind. You'll likely finish it like I did, wanting even more, but realizing that you've just eaten the very last Twinkie on the planet. Except here, you can just go back and reread it all over again.

"Outlaws of the Marsh" provides a fascinating look into 14th century Chinese literature- and thus the minds of 14th century Chinese the story was intended to entertain. The story was extremely popular in its day, for many of the same reasons that it endures as a stunning example of Chinese story telling today.

An excellent example of 14th century Chinese vernacular literature, "Outlaws of the Marsh" has been a favorite of Chinese readers for over 600 years. This riveting story has endured the centuries for a very good reason. It contains elements that captivate even today's jaded audiences: deception, violence, murder, gangs, and drunken revelry. Rife with charismatic heroes, scheming beauties, wild troublemakers and corrupt officials, the story brims with interesting characters and plot twists. The outlaws of Liangshan Marsh, societal outcasts drawn together by their misdeeds, form an almost super-human collective against the unjust (sort of like a precursor to Robin Hood). The story is peopled with rash, violent men; lusty, evil-minded beauties; upstanding men of honor fighting for what is right; well-meaning yet dangerous oafs; and corrupt, tyrannical officials. This tale of Song Jiang, Wu Song, and the rest of the "outlaws" will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Am I the only person who loves these books and thinks they're absolutely hilarious because of the Sidney Shapiro translation? I feel very shallow, because the stories and characters are certainly fascinating, but I get an enormous kick out of such lines as this:

"Frigging monkeyshines! Who says I have any Right Honorable XImen in there!"
"Don't hog him all to yourself! Let me have a lick of the juice too. Think I don't know?"
"Little ape! What do you know?"
"Stingy as cutting vegetables with a hoof-paring knife in a wooden spoon, aren't you?"

And the fact that they keep saying things like, "I don't give a tooting fart!"

I apologize for this not-very-intellectual assessment of the books, but they kept me laughing out loud and reading choice passages to people. I love them!!!

"Shui Hu Zhuan" (pinyin, this is how it is read in Putonghua/Chinese) is one of the four greatest Chinese novels. It is also known as "Shui Hu Chuan" and has been translated to titles such as "The Water Margin", "Outlaws of the Marsh", "All Men Are Brothers" etc.

It is generally accepted that Shi Nai'an is the author of this novel who is rumoured to live from late Yuan to early Ming Dynasty, around mid 14th century, though no one has ever been able to provide solid proof of his existence. Some believe that Luo Guanzhong, author of "San Guo Yan Yi"/"Three Kingdoms", is either the co-author or editor of "Shui Hu Zhuan".

Although the novel is around 600 to 650 years old, the story is about how 108 men and women became the heroic outlaws of the Marsh of Mount Liang (Liangshanbo) during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Northern Song Dynasty (1101-1125), i.e. more than two centuries before the completion of the novel.

Enjoyed by generation and generation for centuries in China and Many Asian Countries, this classic will make you better understand China and Chinese people, and entertain you in a way which you never find in other books.No wonder it is considered to be one of the four great Chinese classic novels {other three books are "Three Kingdoms","Journey to the West" and "A Dream of Red Mansions". Mr.Sidney Shapiro's translation maintains the original flavor of the Chinese version.
Must read !!!

An evil ruler has imposed a tyrannical reign of terror over his impoverished subjects. An intrepid band of resourceful men and women, driven into hiding, have formed themselves into an outlaw army dedicated to restoring the rule of law and justice. If this seems eerily like Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, forget about Sherwood Forest and look halfway around the globe: this story takes place in twelfth-century China. Written by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong, and magnificently translated by Sidney Shapiro, "Outlaws of the Marsh" is a stirring tale about the struggles of common people standing up for themselves against an overpowering oppression.

Chinese history tells us that the outlaws of the Shantung Province marshes really existed; the story that comes down to us is based on their legendary exploits during the reign of the Sung emperor from 1101 to 1125. Sidney Shapiro's translation, neither too formal nor overly colloquial, preserves the original vernacular and brings the book vividly to life, while preserving such typically Chinese features as the double-sentence chapter headings, and chapter endings telling the reader to "Read the next chapter if you would know" what is about to happen next.

The book is a rousing, old-fashioned action/adventure story, with lots of blood, gore, and battle scenes. Sagacious Lu, Stumpy Tiger Wang, and the other marsh outlaws are no angels, any more than Robin Hood, Little John and the other Sherwood Forest gang were, but they represent the good guys as brothers in arms against a corrupt government. "Outlaws of the Marsh" has been adapted into films, picture books, puppet shows, and at least one American novel called "All Men are Brothers" by Pearl S. Buck. Children all over China know the heroes of this story by heart. Sidney Shapiro gives us a great gift in bringing their exploits to the English-speaking world.

Chalk up another victory for video games. Thanks to those electronic annoyances, I have found a wealth of knowledge of mythology and literature, in particular, Chinese literature. So parents, let your kids play!

Let me explain. About ten years ago, I stumbled across a video game called the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". A fascinating game, I was even more interested in this panoply of Chinese warlords vying for control of the great empire. Lo and behold, I come to find out that indeed this source for this game is an ancient Chinese classic.

Fast forward. Having played the "Suikoden" games, I began to grow interested in this notion of the 108 stars of destiny. Again, I look, and I learn of another Chinese classic, the "Outlaws of the Marsh" (or Shui Hu Zhuan). Needless to say, I learned more about Chinese culture from two video games than from the Orientalist claptrap that was taught to us in high school and college.

Oh, you don't play video games? Well, let's get down to the book! The "Outlaws" are a group of 108 which band together to fight in the name of the emperor and against government corruption during the Song dynasty. While certainly far from angelic, these people nonetheless fight for the Song dynasty as they are hunted as outlaws by the various nefarious factions of the corrupt Chinese empire. The book chronicles their tales. For example, we learn of Lin Chong, an arms expert whose wife is desired by the evil marshall Gao's lecherous son. Teaming with Lin's childhood friend and oath brother Lu, Gao and his soon manage to gain a death sentence for the righteous Lin. However, Lin escapes their plot and joins up with the other outlaws. Many such stories are chronicled in this fine work, which shares an author (Luo Guanzhong) with "Three Kingdoms".

All in all, I loved this book, and place it highly among my favorite works. While not quite as engaging as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (which I consider the greatest piece of literature ever created), "Outlaws of the Marsh" certainly deserves a place on any educated person's shelf. Also, Shapiro's translation displays a grat deal of the ancient wit found in the classic, and the woodcut images provide an interesting look into Ming dynasty art. My only desire is that one of these days, our schools will have children read some of these tales, rather than the works of Pearl Buck (it seems reasonable to allow people their own impressions of ancient China rather than giving them the observations of another Westerner).

I loved this book, it is fast, exciting and truly engaging! Even though it is a loooOOooong story, and the story grows to epic proportions in a not-too-organized fashion very quickly; it deserves five stars simply for its character and plot development, and how it carries over one hundred main characters without losing any story! This is for the unabridged & unexpurgated four volume set translated by Sidney Shapiro and issued by the Foreign Language Press.

Looking over the past reviews, I've seen a lot of people complaining about the lack of morality often found in the actions of the "heroes". That's a justifiable complaint, and I would be lying to not say that some of the things that happened in the novel completely shocked me. But all these things are there as background for the true theme of the novel, that of brothers-in-arms.

This "novel" is more like a nation-creation story on the lines of "The Song of Roland" or "The Iliad". The 108 heroes in the novel, charged with "killing rapacious villains and greedy officials" are an embodiment of the ideal of justice. And, furthermore, they are very cool. You have to admire a book whose chapters have had martial arts styles named after them. Although you'll detest them for killing entire families and razing whole cities, you'll also never not admire these guys when one of them, by himself, goes off to storm a city just for the sake of a friend.

And, if I have a kid, I'm definitely buying this book for him once he's 13. It's a great story, with great characters, but, most importantly, instead of the cynicism and other tripe that he'll have gotten from the media, this book at least makes it cool to be patriotic, to have duty, to do suicidal things in the name of honor.

If you can get past the gore, you'll actually find one of the better lessons on morality and honor that's around.

When you put elegant Chinese prose with an exciting, twisting story, what do you get? Outlaws of the Marsh! This book tells the story of Song Jiang and his outlaws, in what can be sometimes hillarious, thrilling, terrorizing, and the list goes on and on.... however, don't read it if you like boring stories or like to go to sleep at night. This will keep you coming back for more every time. Great reading and worth the price. Another book to be recommended is "The Three Kingdoms",which The Outlaws refers to.