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A review by saralynnburnett
Outlaws of the Marsh by Luo Guanzhong, Shi Nai'an
4.0
It has always bugged me to no end that the classics in Chinese lit never make the 'longest books' lists in the Western world (though I did come across a Wiki article that had Romance of the 3 Kingdoms on it)... not because they aren't long enough (this one at 2149 is like reading War and Peace, twice) but because no one over here reads them. They're good! Seriously - no one does drama (especially family drama) quite like Chinese lit.
With that said Outlaws of Marsh (aka: Water Margin) was totally different than a lot of other Chinese lit. It reads more like a ton of little tales all loosely woven together. There are 108 main characters (the outlaws) and loads of villains and other characters - a lot to keep track of but some of the main outlaws and villains reappear throughout which gives it its continuity. The biggest adjustment for me was the way it's told / written. It's SO straightforward and lacking in descriptive beauty. Sentences like 'they rode to the inn and had a conversation. They stopped their conversation and tied their horses." - If you can look past that and read the tales for what they are you'll like it.
A common thread it has with other Chinese lit books I've read is the inclusion of magic. The outlaws are reincarnations of demons let loose by a corrupt official (the underlying theme of the entire work is men battling the corruptness of the government & other men) and of course there are magical feats of strength, weird dreams, and leg scrolls that make you run super fast (< totally want some of these for myself).
All in all - this is essentially a book about guys, martial arts, and drinking (seriously omg I wish it came with a key for measurements of liquid back in 14th century China because these outlaws drank a ton every other page) but I really enjoyed all the tales (especially those of the 3 lady outlaws) a lot.
With that said Outlaws of Marsh (aka: Water Margin) was totally different than a lot of other Chinese lit. It reads more like a ton of little tales all loosely woven together. There are 108 main characters (the outlaws) and loads of villains and other characters - a lot to keep track of but some of the main outlaws and villains reappear throughout which gives it its continuity. The biggest adjustment for me was the way it's told / written. It's SO straightforward and lacking in descriptive beauty. Sentences like 'they rode to the inn and had a conversation. They stopped their conversation and tied their horses." - If you can look past that and read the tales for what they are you'll like it.
A common thread it has with other Chinese lit books I've read is the inclusion of magic. The outlaws are reincarnations of demons let loose by a corrupt official (the underlying theme of the entire work is men battling the corruptness of the government & other men) and of course there are magical feats of strength, weird dreams, and leg scrolls that make you run super fast (< totally want some of these for myself).
All in all - this is essentially a book about guys, martial arts, and drinking (seriously omg I wish it came with a key for measurements of liquid back in 14th century China because these outlaws drank a ton every other page) but I really enjoyed all the tales (especially those of the 3 lady outlaws) a lot.