Library of Chinese Classics Chinese-German: Outlaws of the Marsh

Description

Outlaws of the Marsh is one of the most famous China’s full-length classical novels. It tells how, during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), 108 men from humble stations in life or from the lower ranks of officialdom are compelled by injustice to seek sanctuary in the mountain fastness of Liangshan. Under their leader Song Jiang, they perform heroic deeds of resistance to the bureaucratic army of the ruling dynasty, humble the rich to help the poor, and right the people’s wrongs. Outlaws of the Marsh is notable for the outstanding freshness and individuality of its characterization, and its powerfully moving narrative. It occupies an important position in the history of the development of Chinese literature. Outlaws of the Marsh appeared as a novel in the 14th century, in the closing years of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). But prior to this, its episodes had long circulated among the common people in the form of prompt books for itinerant storytellers or of zaju, a type of poetic drama set to music. As a novel, it was reprinted in many forms, and from as early as the 18th century it has been translated into many languages and become world-renowned. The present English translation, the best of a host of similar efforts, is the work of Sidney Shapiro, a leading American expert on Chinese literature.