Literary Pursuits: Shui Hu Chuan

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Shui Hu Chuan

Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Scholarly Pursuits
Forum Name: Literary Pursuits
Forum Discription: all things relating to the written word
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=742
Printed Date: 10-Jun-2024 at 09:54
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Topic: Shui Hu Chuan

Posted By: MengTzu
Subject: Shui Hu Chuan
Date Posted: 29-Sep-2004 at 22:29

Hey all,

Perhaps the greatest of Chinese epics, Shui Hu Chuan (Outlaws of the Marsh) is a milestone in Chinese, Eastern Asian, and world literature. For those who are not familiar with it, it has a very similar premise as Robin Hood stories: outlaws who exact justice and oppose an oppressive regime. Who has read it? What do people think?

Peace,

Michael

9-29-2004

Replies:

Posted By: fastspawn
Date Posted: 30-Sep-2004 at 11:54

why is it a milestone? its like just another pop novel at that time similar to Journey to the west or Romance of the Three Kingdoms. it wasn't a great piece of literature that changed the world.

I would consider things like the Analects or even the Legalist tracts as milestone literature.

Posted By: MengTzu
Date Posted: 30-Sep-2004 at 21:05

Hey Fastspawn,

Well, the Analects and the other classics are certainly much more influential. But fictions such as Shui Hu Chuan were milestones, for one thing, in the development of Chinese literature. Shui Hu Chuan is one of those "first novel" that influenced later novels. Socioeconomically, it reflects certain trends in society. One cannot say that it has no practically influence either: Nurhaci, while a servant of a Han household, learned to read San Guo and Shui Hu. Mao carried around a basket, and in it are these two books. It might or might not be true that rebels used them as military guide books, but at least on some emotional level, they seemed to have motivated people that brought about changes (whether good or bad.)

Peace,

Michael

9-30-2004