Green Peony and the Rise of the Chinese Martial Arts Novel

[ghostexorcist]

I recently purchased the book Green Peony and the Rise of the Chinese Martial Arts Novel by Utah Chinese language and liturature Prof. Margaret B. Wan. Here is its synopsis:

"Martial arts fiction has been synonymous with popular fiction in China from the Qing dynasty on. This book, the first to trace the early development of the martial arts novel in China, demonstrates that the genre took shape nearly a century earlier than generally recognized. Green Peony (1800), one of the earliest martial arts novels, lies at the center of a web of literary relations connecting many of the significant genres of fiction in its day. Adapted from a drum ballad, Green Peony parodies both previous popular fiction and the great Ming novels, generating humorous reflection on their values. By focusing on popular fiction and popular culture, Margaret B. Wan argues for the relevance of genre to literary criticism, the convergence of "popular" and "elite" fiction in the nineteenth century, and a general turn from didacticism to entertainment. Literary scholars, historians, and anyone who wishes to know more about Chinese popular culture in the Qing dynasty will benefit from reading this book."

I haven't read much, but I really like it so far. I'm sure others on here, especially Sal, would really like it too.

I got a like new used copy for $35 on amazon. New ones are $70.

Has anyone else read this?

[ghostexorcist]

The author claims the martial arts novel was influenced by three genres: 1) Court-case; 2) Scholar-beauty romance; 3) Military (chivalric) romance

1) The judge character's need to avenge a wrong transformed in the martial arts novel to the hero's need to right the wrong of a judge or other evil official character.

2) The scholar's fortuitous meeting, romance, and eventual wedding to a beauty transformed into the structure in which a hero must right the wrong done to a couple, such as a betrothed woman being kidnapped.

3) The General's strategic use of his army to stop the forces of his opponent's transformed into the hero's one-on-one (or one-on-many) battles against his enemies.

Any person who has read The Water Margin (a.k.a. Outlaws of the Marsh) will no doubt notice similarities with its plot and those listed above.

[SimonM]

1) References the stories of Judge Bao Zheng to a large part I would imagine San/Qi Xia Wu Yi was almost the template for the Wuxia novel and it was a compilation of Bao Zheng stories cribbed from operas originally.

2) This element seems ubiquitous throughout the genre. It's a fundamental aspect especially of Jin Yong.

3) Again something we see in all Wuxia stories, echoing Sanguo Yanyi and Outlaws of the Marsh. I see this element to being very prevalent in Liang Yusheng's stories.