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The Book and The Sword
Thư Kiếm Ân Cừu Lục
In the Book and Sword, Louis Cha revives the legend about the great eighteenth-century Manchu Emperor Qianlong which claims that he was in fact not a Manchu but a Han Chinese as a result of a "baby swap." The novel is panoramic in scope and includes the fantastical elements for which Cha is well-known: secret societies, kungfu masters, a lost desert city guarded by wolf packs, and the mysterious Fragrant Princess.
Paperback
First published February 8, 1955
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About the author
Jin Yong
851 books763 followersLouis Cha, GBM, OBE (born 6 February 1924), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (金庸, sometimes read and/or written as "Chin Yung"), is a modern Chinese-language novelist. Having co-founded the Hong Kong daily Ming Pao in 1959, he was the paper's first editor-in-chief.
Cha's fiction, which is of the wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") genre, has a widespread following in Chinese-speaking areas, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United States. His 15 works written between 1955 and 1972 earned him a reputation as one of the finest wuxia writers ever. He is currently the best-selling Chinese author alive; over 100 million copies of his works have been sold worldwide (not including unknown number of bootleg copies).
Cha's works have been translated into English, French, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Malay and Indonesian. He has many fans abroad as well, owing to the numerous adaptations of his works into films, television series, comics and video games.
金庸，大紫荊勳賢，OBE（英語：Louis Cha Leung-yung，1924年3月10日－2018年10月30日），本名查良鏞，浙江海寧人，祖籍江西婺源，1948年移居香港。自1950年代起，以筆名「金庸」創作多部膾炙人口的武俠小說，包括《射鵰英雄傳》、《神鵰俠侶》、《鹿鼎記》等，歷年來金庸筆下的著作屢次改編為電視劇、電影等，對華人影視文化可謂貢獻重大，亦奠定其成為華人知名作家的基礎。金庸早年於香港創辦《明報》系列報刊，他亦被稱為「香港四大才子」之一。
Source: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E9%87...
Cha's fiction, which is of the wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") genre, has a widespread following in Chinese-speaking areas, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United States. His 15 works written between 1955 and 1972 earned him a reputation as one of the finest wuxia writers ever. He is currently the best-selling Chinese author alive; over 100 million copies of his works have been sold worldwide (not including unknown number of bootleg copies).
Cha's works have been translated into English, French, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Malay and Indonesian. He has many fans abroad as well, owing to the numerous adaptations of his works into films, television series, comics and video games.
金庸，大紫荊勳賢，OBE（英語：Louis Cha Leung-yung，1924年3月10日－2018年10月30日），本名查良鏞，浙江海寧人，祖籍江西婺源，1948年移居香港。自1950年代起，以筆名「金庸」創作多部膾炙人口的武俠小說，包括《射鵰英雄傳》、《神鵰俠侶》、《鹿鼎記》等，歷年來金庸筆下的著作屢次改編為電視劇、電影等，對華人影視文化可謂貢獻重大，亦奠定其成為華人知名作家的基礎。金庸早年於香港創辦《明報》系列報刊，他亦被稱為「香港四大才子」之一。
Source: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E9%87...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
December 10, 2016
I had read this in Chinese in my childhood, along with other Jin Yong martial arts novels. The image of the virtuous hero Chen Jialuo stuck in my mind.
Update (Sept. 14, 2016) - I'm reading the English version.
Update (October 8, 2016) - After flipping through a few pages of the English version, I became frustrated as I couldn't recognize the names of the characters due to the "pinyin" romanization (my recollection is in Cantonese). Otherwise, the translation is well done. I'm going to re-read the Chinese version.
Update (December 6, 2016) ~ I've finished rereading the Chinese version of the novel. Almost half a century after my first read, I still found this novel magical! The author skillfully weaves together three main storylines: that of the resistance movement against the Qing rulers by a powerful clique called the Red Flower Society; that of the enigmatic birth secret of Qianlong Emperor who, as it turns out, is related to the protagonist Chen Jialuo, the head of the Red Flower Society; and that of the Xinjiang Uighur tribe's loss and recovery of their sacred scriptures. A convoluted love quadrangle forms between the protagonist, Qianlong and two Uighur sisters. Apart from these key storylines, there are several sub stories about some of the Red Flower Society's members, who are all veteran martial arts experts. The central theme is about honor and integrity of the individual, and loyalty and comradeship of the brotherhood.
For me, this was unquestionably a 5 star historical fantasy read.
October 1, 2014
This is officially one of my favorite books of all time.
First and foremost it's an epic, beautiful story. That said, there's loads of action, fighting, deception, intrigue and romance. It's unlike anything I've ever read. Fans of classic Shaw Brothers films will love it, but so many others would too. This book is for you if you also liked: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Da Vinci Code, The Stand. Or if you like long, action-packed, character-rich novels. I also loved learning about some aspects of Chinese history in the context of an exciting novel.
Though some of the kung fu described in this book is fantastic, a good amount is also real. I practice a southern Chinese style of kung fu and was surprised when the book described a staff technique that had the same name as the exact same move in my school.
I should also add that the translation is excellent.
First and foremost it's an epic, beautiful story. That said, there's loads of action, fighting, deception, intrigue and romance. It's unlike anything I've ever read. Fans of classic Shaw Brothers films will love it, but so many others would too. This book is for you if you also liked: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Da Vinci Code, The Stand. Or if you like long, action-packed, character-rich novels. I also loved learning about some aspects of Chinese history in the context of an exciting novel.
Though some of the kung fu described in this book is fantastic, a good amount is also real. I practice a southern Chinese style of kung fu and was surprised when the book described a staff technique that had the same name as the exact same move in my school.
I should also add that the translation is excellent.
December 7, 2022
Review written in 2013:
The only English translation of Jin Yong's novel. Sadly IT ISN'T HIS GRANDEST MASTERPIECE! Far from it!
I don't like the main characters at all, and because of that I felt little joy in reading The Book and the Sword.=__=
The only English translation of Jin Yong's novel. Sadly IT ISN'T HIS GRANDEST MASTERPIECE! Far from it!
I don't like the main characters at all, and because of that I felt little joy in reading The Book and the Sword.=__=
March 4, 2008
Incredible.
Adventurous.
Beautiful.
Exciting.
Heroic.
Frightening.
Exotic.
Poetic.
Adventurous.
Beautiful.
Exciting.
Heroic.
Frightening.
Exotic.
Poetic.
December 12, 2022
Kì lắm, như kiểu mới viết tiểu thuyết này nọ đó, mà khum xác định được là mình nên viết thuần kiếm hiệp hay pha lẫn ngôn tình này nọ đó ;-; cái xong nhồi nhét 1 nồi thập cẩm tình cảm vô. Đọc cái sượng trân luôn ;-;
January 5, 2013
Di antara empat belas novel karya Chin Yung, sebagian besar sudah pernah kutonton serial televisinya semasa SD, atau kubaca bukunya semasa SMP-SMA, atau keduanya. Putri Harum dan Kaisar ini termasuk salah satu dari tiga yang sampai saat ini belum pernah kubaca atau kutonton. Senang juga bisa membaca sesuatu yang "baru" dari Chin Yung.
Putri Harum dan Kaisar bercerita tentang Hong-hwa-hwe (Perkumpulan Bunga Merah), yang bertujuan menggulingkan dinasti Ceng yang berkuasa pada masa itu dan mengembalikan kejayaan bangsa Han.
Alur
Ada tiga alur cerita besar yang berjalin dalam cerita ini. Alur pertama berkaitan dengan Bun Thay Lay, anggota Hong-hwa-hwe yang ditangkap oleh tentara Ceng, dan upaya rekan-rekan perkumpulan membebaskannya. Alur ini serta beberapa subalurnya menghabiskan hampir setengah cerita. Sayangnya, aku tidak terlalu menyukainya karena hampir tidak ada gregetnya. Tidak ada budi-dendam yang berurat berakar, tak ada kisah cinta yang mengharu-biru. Hanya rencana pembebasan yang bolak-balik disusun dan gagal, membuatku agak bosan membacanya.
Alur kedua adalah keterlibatan Hong-hwa-hwe dengan suku Uighur. Suku ini muncul agak awal dalam cerita, saat berupaya merebut kembali Al-Qur'an pusaka milik suku itu yang dicuri oleh tentara Ceng. Hong-hwa-hwe membantu mereka sehingga terjalin persahabatan di antara dua kelompok ini. Di bagian cerita lebih belakang, Hong-hwa-hwe datang ke wilayah Uighur dan membantu mereka menghadapi serangan pasukan Ceng.
Alur ketiga adalah misteri seputar jati diri Raja Kian Long, yang sebenarnya mengaitkan semua alur lain. Gara-gara jati diri inilah Bun Thay Lay ditangkap oleh tentara Ceng. Demi mencari bukti tentang ini juga, Hong-hwa-hwe pergi ke wilayah Uighur, kemudian ke Siao-lim-si. Dengan memanfaatkan ini pula, Hong-hwa-hwe berani menembus istana raja dan menemui dengan Kian Long untuk menentukan masa depan negara.
Tokoh
Tidak seperti kebanyakan cerita silat yang menyorot satu orang jagoan, cerita ini lebih berkisah tentang perkumpulan Hong-hwa-hwe. Perkumpulan ini dipimpin oleh empat belas orang, yang kegiatannya masing-masing selalu disampaikan kepada pembaca, baik yang terlibat langsung dalam kegiatan yang sedang dituturkan dalam cerita, maupun yang sedang diberi tugas atau beristirahat di tempat lain. Namun, di antara keempat belas orang ini, tentu saja ada tiga tokoh yang mendapat porsi cerita lebih besar, termasuk kisah asmara.
Tokoh yang pertama tentu saja adalah Tan Keh Lok, sang ketua perkumpulan. Dalam alur cerita pertama, kegiatannya hanya sesekali bertempur dan membagi-bagi tugas kepada kawan-kawannya. Untunglah setelah alur itu selesai, dia diberi kesempatan bertualang sedikit. Bertemu gadis cantik, melawan musuh berat, melatih ilmu baru, membongkar rahasia masa lalunya sendiri, menghadapi dilema antara dua gadis, antara kepentingan pribadi dan negara. Sip lah.
Tokoh kedua adalah Ji Thian Hong, ahli strategi dalam perkumpulan ini. Dialah yang menyusun rencana saat Hong-hwa-hwe perlu melakukan kegiatan apa pun. Kisah asmaranya cukup romantis, dari benci jadi cinta. Sayangnya, cerita pribadinya terlalu singkat.
Tokoh ketiga adalah Ie Hi Tong, yang menurutku memiliki cerita yang paling menarik. Mulai dari kasihnya yang tak sampai, cedera saat ingin menebus dosa, bertemu dengan musuh berat sehingga dia harus mengerahkan daya-upaya untuk menyelamatkan nyawa, sampai menghadapi gadis dengan cinta bertepuk sebelah tangan.
Tulisan ini tentu belum lengkap tanpa menyebut sang Putri Harum. Dia putri kepala suku Uighur, yang kemudian menjadi unsur penting dalam pembicaraan Tan Keh Lok dan Kian Long dalam menentukan nasib negara Tiongkok.
Putri Harum dan Kaisar bercerita tentang Hong-hwa-hwe (Perkumpulan Bunga Merah), yang bertujuan menggulingkan dinasti Ceng yang berkuasa pada masa itu dan mengembalikan kejayaan bangsa Han.
Alur
Ada tiga alur cerita besar yang berjalin dalam cerita ini. Alur pertama berkaitan dengan Bun Thay Lay, anggota Hong-hwa-hwe yang ditangkap oleh tentara Ceng, dan upaya rekan-rekan perkumpulan membebaskannya. Alur ini serta beberapa subalurnya menghabiskan hampir setengah cerita. Sayangnya, aku tidak terlalu menyukainya karena hampir tidak ada gregetnya. Tidak ada budi-dendam yang berurat berakar, tak ada kisah cinta yang mengharu-biru. Hanya rencana pembebasan yang bolak-balik disusun dan gagal, membuatku agak bosan membacanya.
Alur kedua adalah keterlibatan Hong-hwa-hwe dengan suku Uighur. Suku ini muncul agak awal dalam cerita, saat berupaya merebut kembali Al-Qur'an pusaka milik suku itu yang dicuri oleh tentara Ceng. Hong-hwa-hwe membantu mereka sehingga terjalin persahabatan di antara dua kelompok ini. Di bagian cerita lebih belakang, Hong-hwa-hwe datang ke wilayah Uighur dan membantu mereka menghadapi serangan pasukan Ceng.
Alur ketiga adalah misteri seputar jati diri Raja Kian Long, yang sebenarnya mengaitkan semua alur lain. Gara-gara jati diri inilah Bun Thay Lay ditangkap oleh tentara Ceng. Demi mencari bukti tentang ini juga, Hong-hwa-hwe pergi ke wilayah Uighur, kemudian ke Siao-lim-si. Dengan memanfaatkan ini pula, Hong-hwa-hwe berani menembus istana raja dan menemui dengan Kian Long untuk menentukan masa depan negara.
Tokoh
Tidak seperti kebanyakan cerita silat yang menyorot satu orang jagoan, cerita ini lebih berkisah tentang perkumpulan Hong-hwa-hwe. Perkumpulan ini dipimpin oleh empat belas orang, yang kegiatannya masing-masing selalu disampaikan kepada pembaca, baik yang terlibat langsung dalam kegiatan yang sedang dituturkan dalam cerita, maupun yang sedang diberi tugas atau beristirahat di tempat lain. Namun, di antara keempat belas orang ini, tentu saja ada tiga tokoh yang mendapat porsi cerita lebih besar, termasuk kisah asmara.
Tokoh yang pertama tentu saja adalah Tan Keh Lok, sang ketua perkumpulan. Dalam alur cerita pertama, kegiatannya hanya sesekali bertempur dan membagi-bagi tugas kepada kawan-kawannya. Untunglah setelah alur itu selesai, dia diberi kesempatan bertualang sedikit. Bertemu gadis cantik, melawan musuh berat, melatih ilmu baru, membongkar rahasia masa lalunya sendiri, menghadapi dilema antara dua gadis, antara kepentingan pribadi dan negara. Sip lah.
Tokoh kedua adalah Ji Thian Hong, ahli strategi dalam perkumpulan ini. Dialah yang menyusun rencana saat Hong-hwa-hwe perlu melakukan kegiatan apa pun. Kisah asmaranya cukup romantis, dari benci jadi cinta. Sayangnya, cerita pribadinya terlalu singkat.
Tokoh ketiga adalah Ie Hi Tong, yang menurutku memiliki cerita yang paling menarik. Mulai dari kasihnya yang tak sampai, cedera saat ingin menebus dosa, bertemu dengan musuh berat sehingga dia harus mengerahkan daya-upaya untuk menyelamatkan nyawa, sampai menghadapi gadis dengan cinta bertepuk sebelah tangan.
Tulisan ini tentu belum lengkap tanpa menyebut sang Putri Harum. Dia putri kepala suku Uighur, yang kemudian menjadi unsur penting dalam pembicaraan Tan Keh Lok dan Kian Long dalam menentukan nasib negara Tiongkok.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2010
Jin Yong's first wuxia novel is set in the reign of the Qian Long Emperor, when the Qing dynasty was expanding its realm through the Uighur lands in China's far west. The main protagonist, Chen Jialuo, is the young helmsman of the Red Flower Society, a secret organization dedicated to the restoration of Han Chinese sovereignty, which they wish to accomplish through the secret tie between their helmsman and the Emperor. The plot is woven around two stories that date from this period in Chinese history: the rumor that Qian Long is in fact Chinese by birth, not Manchu, and the legend of the Fragrant Princess, a Muslim beauty who Qian Long took as his concubine. There is martial art fighting galore, especially in the earlier part of the book ---which could have been trimmed a bit --- and other exciting episodes: wolf packs, war scenes and a lost city in the desert. There are also poetic moonlit boat rides on the West Lake and a romantic journey through the Edenic grassland of Xinjiang. The characters are ably rendered, although not with as much depth as in Jin Yong's later works. The story is relatively brief at around 500 pages (an effect of the English editing?) and somewhat realistic for this genre, except for the tragic end with its echo of the Legend of the Butterfly Lovers (Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai), China's Romeo and Juliet. It is interesting to compare this book with The Deer and The Cauldron, Jin Yong's last novel, which also takes place during the Qing dynasty and deals with similar issues of loyalty and patriotism.
December 30, 2015
Not the best of Jin Yong...
March 13, 2021
This is the first wuxia novel I've read. It's a rollicking adventure with heaps of characters and events and major set pieces. As I was reading this, I kept thinking that this would be possibly better translated into film than it is as a book.
The plot itself seems to have no clear direction, though there are a number of key "stories" (e.g. secret of the Emperor's birth, the Uighur resistance to Manchurian empire (:| current events, anyone?), general shenanigans of the Red Flower Society). I never found it clear what the book was building to, if anything, though the fun/trope-y events/scenes kept coming thick and fast -- like the one with the Emperor and the courtesans on the lake, the Secret City escapade, various fight scenes, Chen Jialuo going through the different levels in the Shaolin temple. Possibly this is reflective of the book's origin as a serialised story. And then the ending wasn't particularly satisfying either, though I understand it might've had to be that way given its loose basis on historical events.
I'm not sure if it's the style of the writing or the translation, but the writing itself seemed lacking -- you get events described, and occasionally feelings, but overall I felt like I never really got into the 'head' of any of the characters. There are heaps of them, and maybe because of this, but they feel somewhat shallow -- for many of them, I could only think of them by whatever epithet the author has given them (eg. Hunchback Zhang, Mastermind Xu), their fighting style, and their one or two personality traits. The 'hero' of the story, Chen Jialuo, feels like a bit of a Gary Stu. This book reminded me a bit of the Serpentwar Saga, in that it contained a bunch of leveled-up bad-ass heroes, who are all like that because leveled-up bad-ass heroes are cool. Also, it took me a while to distinguish between characters as there were so many of them, particularly without contextual language clues for their names.
The way people acted also beggared belief, if you believed they were people -- the main one that stood out to me was when the . At any rate, this is why I think a film adaptation could be more enjoyable, as actors, being literal people, would be easier to perceive as actual people.
That said, one good thing about the cast of thousands is that it makes things sorta fun. It also allowed for a lot of female characters, most of whom were good fighters, which was also a pleasant surprise (Huo Qingtong -- the Uighur princess who can fight and strategise -- best girl). I was rather pleased this aspect of it, especially given how long ago this book was written.
There are also things that I feel would have been lost in translation -- by which I don't necessarily mean the translation itself, but the cultural elements that the author may or may not have expected readers to understand. These things I feel I'm only aware of because I've previously watched Chinese kungfu series/films set in ye olde times. For example, things like how society is structured, what it means to sit the imperial civil service exam (can't say I fully grasp this), what the 'brothers-in-arms' relationship entails (noting that the translation doesn't distinguish between who is elder/senior in the use of the term 'brother'), and so on. Even things like how the Chinese/Uighurs/Manchus differ from each other isn't really spelt out - at best Chinese/Manchu clothes are described as being Chinese or Manchu, and the Uighurs are labelled as Muslims (and sometimes drink koumiss). Given my ignorance of Chinese culture, I think I would've liked this book a lot more if these sorts of cultural things were described or explained. There are also some phrases in the translation that strike me as being Chinese, that I was only able to identify because of my very limited knowledge of Chinese, but which otherwise might seem a bit clunky - e.g. multiple instances of people not 'daring' to do something, one instance where a tea was described as the best 'under Heaven' (i.e. in the world).
All in all, this was a mostly fun read, albeit a bit long. Ideally, I would've liked some more depth in the characters and the world building. If I had to encounter this story again, I'd be more interested in perhaps a film or comic version. A number of reviewers seem to have reviewed this book through a lens of nostalgia, but alas, without that to soften my heart, I wasn't especially taken with this book, so 3 stars it is. So yeah, as enjoyable as it was, I'm not sure not sure I'd prioritise other wuxia books on my reading list if they are all kinda like this. At any rate, I'm glad to have tried out a book written by a Chinese author for a Chinese audience.
The plot itself seems to have no clear direction, though there are a number of key "stories" (e.g. secret of the Emperor's birth, the Uighur resistance to Manchurian empire (:| current events, anyone?), general shenanigans of the Red Flower Society). I never found it clear what the book was building to, if anything, though the fun/trope-y events/scenes kept coming thick and fast -- like the one with the Emperor and the courtesans on the lake, the Secret City escapade, various fight scenes, Chen Jialuo going through the different levels in the Shaolin temple. Possibly this is reflective of the book's origin as a serialised story. And then the ending wasn't particularly satisfying either, though I understand it might've had to be that way given its loose basis on historical events.
I'm not sure if it's the style of the writing or the translation, but the writing itself seemed lacking -- you get events described, and occasionally feelings, but overall I felt like I never really got into the 'head' of any of the characters. There are heaps of them, and maybe because of this, but they feel somewhat shallow -- for many of them, I could only think of them by whatever epithet the author has given them (eg. Hunchback Zhang, Mastermind Xu), their fighting style, and their one or two personality traits. The 'hero' of the story, Chen Jialuo, feels like a bit of a Gary Stu. This book reminded me a bit of the Serpentwar Saga, in that it contained a bunch of leveled-up bad-ass heroes, who are all like that because leveled-up bad-ass heroes are cool. Also, it took me a while to distinguish between characters as there were so many of them, particularly without contextual language clues for their names.
The way people acted also beggared belief, if you believed they were people -- the main one that stood out to me was when the . At any rate, this is why I think a film adaptation could be more enjoyable, as actors, being literal people, would be easier to perceive as actual people.
That said, one good thing about the cast of thousands is that it makes things sorta fun. It also allowed for a lot of female characters, most of whom were good fighters, which was also a pleasant surprise (Huo Qingtong -- the Uighur princess who can fight and strategise -- best girl). I was rather pleased this aspect of it, especially given how long ago this book was written.
There are also things that I feel would have been lost in translation -- by which I don't necessarily mean the translation itself, but the cultural elements that the author may or may not have expected readers to understand. These things I feel I'm only aware of because I've previously watched Chinese kungfu series/films set in ye olde times. For example, things like how society is structured, what it means to sit the imperial civil service exam (can't say I fully grasp this), what the 'brothers-in-arms' relationship entails (noting that the translation doesn't distinguish between who is elder/senior in the use of the term 'brother'), and so on. Even things like how the Chinese/Uighurs/Manchus differ from each other isn't really spelt out - at best Chinese/Manchu clothes are described as being Chinese or Manchu, and the Uighurs are labelled as Muslims (and sometimes drink koumiss). Given my ignorance of Chinese culture, I think I would've liked this book a lot more if these sorts of cultural things were described or explained. There are also some phrases in the translation that strike me as being Chinese, that I was only able to identify because of my very limited knowledge of Chinese, but which otherwise might seem a bit clunky - e.g. multiple instances of people not 'daring' to do something, one instance where a tea was described as the best 'under Heaven' (i.e. in the world).
All in all, this was a mostly fun read, albeit a bit long. Ideally, I would've liked some more depth in the characters and the world building. If I had to encounter this story again, I'd be more interested in perhaps a film or comic version. A number of reviewers seem to have reviewed this book through a lens of nostalgia, but alas, without that to soften my heart, I wasn't especially taken with this book, so 3 stars it is. So yeah, as enjoyable as it was, I'm not sure not sure I'd prioritise other wuxia books on my reading list if they are all kinda like this. At any rate, I'm glad to have tried out a book written by a Chinese author for a Chinese audience.
August 30, 2014
Thank the freakin Zeus I've finally finished reading this book!
Never again.
CHEN JIALUO YOU... YOU FOUL... YOU EVIL MOTHERFUCKER! I CANNOT FIND WORDS FOUL ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE THIS CRINGING BIT OF FILTH.
Good god this girl is dumb. Princess Fragrance is a fucking ninny.
No you asshole you just wanted to have the two sisters together you fucking SOB! And I don't care if you are the "Most Honorable" Great Helmsman you deserve to rot in the Ten Courts of Hell. Or even better, get mauled my the Ox demons.
I have very very few favorite characters in this appalingly long story. Yuanzhi, Huo Qingtong and the Twin Vultures. That's it. And there were alot of them side characters. Jesus. I can't even remember who those other people are and what they do.
So basically the moral of this story is that heroism is the most important of all. Can't say I agree. After all, the bloody sod (Chen Jialuo) asked Princess Fragrance to give up her virtue to the Emperor, so he can be all honorable. BS.
Wuxia novels are so tedious. I'd rather watch them. So why the 3 stars? Thank the fight scenes.
Never again.
CHEN JIALUO YOU... YOU FOUL... YOU EVIL MOTHERFUCKER! I CANNOT FIND WORDS FOUL ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE THIS CRINGING BIT OF FILTH.
"My sister loved you all along, and you love her, don't you?"
"Yes. I shouldn't try to deceive you."
"But I know you truly love me too. And without you, I cannot live. So let's go and find my sister quickly and we can all live happily together forever. Don't you think that would be lovely?"
Good god this girl is dumb. Princess Fragrance is a fucking ninny.
"When I return to Beijing, I will go and find an Islamic Imam and get him to teach me so that I can become a good follower of the Muslim faith," said Chen.
No you asshole you just wanted to have the two sisters together you fucking SOB! And I don't care if you are the "Most Honorable" Great Helmsman you deserve to rot in the Ten Courts of Hell. Or even better, get mauled my the Ox demons.
I have very very few favorite characters in this appalingly long story. Yuanzhi, Huo Qingtong and the Twin Vultures. That's it. And there were alot of them side characters. Jesus. I can't even remember who those other people are and what they do.
So basically the moral of this story is that heroism is the most important of all. Can't say I agree. After all, the bloody sod (Chen Jialuo) asked Princess Fragrance to give up her virtue to the Emperor, so he can be all honorable. BS.
Wuxia novels are so tedious. I'd rather watch them. So why the 3 stars? Thank the fight scenes.
May 24, 2019
I loved this book, it was a magical trip to times of Qian Long of the Qing Dynasty. The characters are well drawn. I was impressed with his equal treatment of the women in the story and the fact that several of them were true heroes. Chen Jialuo the leader of Red Flower is so real I can almost feel like i know and his character drawn against Qian Long takes the novel to an interesting level of good versus evil nd how neither is ever all of both....I must point out that anyone turned off by violence, even if it is an accurate description of the time, should take miss, but they will be missing a wonderful novel of time and place...and kung fu, a little touch of fantasy is always fun.
December 28, 2018
With the decease of the infamous Chinese Martial Arts writer I decided to cover some of his books again. And I'm doing it from the oldest to the newest.
Frankly speaking, in most of the martial arts novels, there's always a very big list of characters. And to a certain extent, it gets kinda confusing. And simply makes one wonder, who exactly was the main protagonist of this book... Even though the book didn't really end with a happy ending but as far as the story goes, that's probably the best ending that it can get...
Frankly speaking, in most of the martial arts novels, there's always a very big list of characters. And to a certain extent, it gets kinda confusing. And simply makes one wonder, who exactly was the main protagonist of this book... Even though the book didn't really end with a happy ending but as far as the story goes, that's probably the best ending that it can get...
April 20, 2008
this book is lots of fun and everybody should read it (as long as you don't hate chinese people or action or muslims)
May 5, 2013
Ắt hẳn đây là Thư kiếm ân cừu lục
August 23, 2020
My favourite parts of this novel was at the very beginning when some of the major characters were introduced. The character of Li Yuanzhi helped to capture my imagination as she and I were both were peering into the world of martial arts heroes. The members of the Red Flower Society were introduced in succession, each having a different personality and different speech patterns (they came from different parts of China). The major mystery and conflict of the novel was introduced through a conversation between the leader of the RFS, Chen Jialuo, and the Emperor Qian Long. The dialogue in this conversation was so beautifully written and it exemplifies the subtle and polite manner of semi-classical conversations.
I find that Louis Cha novels start off spectacularly, and yet part-way through, the story collapses into the realm of ridiculousness. This was another story that was published in serial form. Perhaps this is why the plot line becomes increasingly extravagant as you go along since the writer had to constantly shift gears in order to keep it interesting for the readers. As such, it makes the story appear to lack focus.
As others have mentioned, there are way too many characters and way too many side-plots. As a reader, I still find it difficult to decide who is the lead female character, for instance.
Some fans of Louis Cha think that the story was written for the character Huo Qingtong, one of the lead heroines of the story. She is very clever, tremendously brave (whether in front of the enemy, or in front of her own family and friends), compassionate and loyal. And yet, very few of the events are told through her point-of-view. Often times when she does appear in the story, she's portrayed through the eyes of other characters. That, or she disappears completely from the story.
That is when other lead female characters come to the foreground, such as her sister, Princess Fragrance. Or, Li Yuanzhi, the young girl we meet in the opening paragraphs of the novel. All three play very important roles in the novel by propelling the plot forward. This is what I meant by "keeping the story interesting." The downside of that is that the story feels like it severely lacks focus.
One major complaint I have of this story must be viewed within the post-colonial lens. It is a story of a minority Muslim group being oppressed by the Manchurian government in Qing-dynasty China. Huo Qingtong is the heroine who leads her people into battle against the Qing forces, and later loses her sister when Princess Fragrance is kidnapped by Emperor Qian Long. Among all this conflict is the Red Flower Society, whose aim is to overthrow the Qing government, expel the Manchurians from China and re-establish the Ming government led by Han Chinese people. It seems like a story where Cha is trying to advocate for the suffering of an ethnic minority group by featuring them in his wuxia novel, except that most of the story is told through the eyes of Han Chinese characters. The conflict between the RFS and Emperor Qian Long overtakes the story as the main plot line. The minority Muslim group's survival becomes dependent on Chen Jialuo and the RFS.
With every wuxia novel, the martial arts is a major plot device. It allows the hero to fight and beat a major villain. In this case, the martial arts belongs to a Muslim warrior from a long time ago. Who gets to learn and master this super-powerful martial arts? Not Huo Qingtong, a Muslim warrior. But Chen Jialuo, a Han Chinese. This is why it is so disappointing.
I started the novel thinking this is a very rare novel featuring a female warrior of super-hero status who fights off the giants and saves her people. In the end, it is just another story about womanizing male hero who kills the villain and saves the day.
I find that Louis Cha novels start off spectacularly, and yet part-way through, the story collapses into the realm of ridiculousness. This was another story that was published in serial form. Perhaps this is why the plot line becomes increasingly extravagant as you go along since the writer had to constantly shift gears in order to keep it interesting for the readers. As such, it makes the story appear to lack focus.
As others have mentioned, there are way too many characters and way too many side-plots. As a reader, I still find it difficult to decide who is the lead female character, for instance.
Some fans of Louis Cha think that the story was written for the character Huo Qingtong, one of the lead heroines of the story. She is very clever, tremendously brave (whether in front of the enemy, or in front of her own family and friends), compassionate and loyal. And yet, very few of the events are told through her point-of-view. Often times when she does appear in the story, she's portrayed through the eyes of other characters. That, or she disappears completely from the story.
That is when other lead female characters come to the foreground, such as her sister, Princess Fragrance. Or, Li Yuanzhi, the young girl we meet in the opening paragraphs of the novel. All three play very important roles in the novel by propelling the plot forward. This is what I meant by "keeping the story interesting." The downside of that is that the story feels like it severely lacks focus.
One major complaint I have of this story must be viewed within the post-colonial lens. It is a story of a minority Muslim group being oppressed by the Manchurian government in Qing-dynasty China. Huo Qingtong is the heroine who leads her people into battle against the Qing forces, and later loses her sister when Princess Fragrance is kidnapped by Emperor Qian Long. Among all this conflict is the Red Flower Society, whose aim is to overthrow the Qing government, expel the Manchurians from China and re-establish the Ming government led by Han Chinese people. It seems like a story where Cha is trying to advocate for the suffering of an ethnic minority group by featuring them in his wuxia novel, except that most of the story is told through the eyes of Han Chinese characters. The conflict between the RFS and Emperor Qian Long overtakes the story as the main plot line. The minority Muslim group's survival becomes dependent on Chen Jialuo and the RFS.
With every wuxia novel, the martial arts is a major plot device. It allows the hero to fight and beat a major villain. In this case, the martial arts belongs to a Muslim warrior from a long time ago. Who gets to learn and master this super-powerful martial arts? Not Huo Qingtong, a Muslim warrior. But Chen Jialuo, a Han Chinese. This is why it is so disappointing.
I started the novel thinking this is a very rare novel featuring a female warrior of super-hero status who fights off the giants and saves her people. In the end, it is just another story about womanizing male hero who kills the villain and saves the day.
March 1, 2023
A Hero Born is the first volume of the series Legends of the Condor Heroes written by Jin Yong (a top class 20th century chinese author). The novel is set in the china during the 1750s, where the Red Flower society rebels the Qing dynasty so that their leader, ChenJiaLuo would be the emperor as he is the true son of the king, a Han. The first volume paved the story by talking about some minor conflicts between the Red Flower society and the government, and how different people met up, for example how ChenJiaLuo is related to the emperor and why is he supported to be the emperor.
I really enjoyed the novel because Jin was able to express combat scenes to the tiniest details. How the weapons clash and what skills each character performs are portrayed and expressed with the perfect phrases, how he words the sentences to explore each movement just makes the novel extremely pleasanting. However, the novel lacked a lot of parts as it is translated. This is because Chinese is very different to english, some words in the novel are impossible to translate into english, for example the phrase 江湖. deliberately, the word means rivers and lakes, but in chinese it means the martial arts society in China, its just pretty much impossible to translate some phrases which makes it quite different compared to the original version.
Out of 5 stars, i would rate the novel a 4 stars, the way Jin writes the novel hooks the reader with its superb language choice and intriguing plot. I would suggest the novel for teenagers as its what teenagers tend to enjoy, however, if possible the reader should read the original chinese version as it is much better.
I really enjoyed the novel because Jin was able to express combat scenes to the tiniest details. How the weapons clash and what skills each character performs are portrayed and expressed with the perfect phrases, how he words the sentences to explore each movement just makes the novel extremely pleasanting. However, the novel lacked a lot of parts as it is translated. This is because Chinese is very different to english, some words in the novel are impossible to translate into english, for example the phrase 江湖. deliberately, the word means rivers and lakes, but in chinese it means the martial arts society in China, its just pretty much impossible to translate some phrases which makes it quite different compared to the original version.
Out of 5 stars, i would rate the novel a 4 stars, the way Jin writes the novel hooks the reader with its superb language choice and intriguing plot. I would suggest the novel for teenagers as its what teenagers tend to enjoy, however, if possible the reader should read the original chinese version as it is much better.
July 22, 2019
Bộ truyện không quá đồ sộ nhưng cũng phải tốn nhiều thời gian mới đọc hết. Có thể nói vì đây là thiên kiếm hiệp đầu tay của Kim gia nên nội dung có chỗ chưa sâu sắc bằng các tập tiểu thuyết sau này. Nhưng cách ông xây dựng hình tượng nhân vật cũng rất hay, nếu không đọc sách mà chỉ xem phim thì có lẽ mọi người sẽ chế nhạo Trần Gia Lạc "có mới nới cũ", "thấy trăng quên đèn" khi vứt bỏ tình cảm của Hoắc Thanh Đồng để đến với Kha Tư Lệ. Theo phân tích của Kim gia, ngay từ đầu dù Trần Gia Lạc có tình ý chưa thổ lộ với Hoắc Thanh Đồng nhưng tận sâu trong vô thức, tình cảm đó chỉ là sự kính trọng nhiều hơn, thậm chí còn sợ hãi. Chàng tự thuyết phục mình phải rời xa Hoắc Thanh Đồng, nàng là người mạnh mẽ đa mưu túc trí, chàng chỉ có thể ngắm chứ không thể với. Vậy là thâm tâm, đó không hẳn là tình yêu. Ở tình yêu chân chính không có chỗ cho sự sợ hãi.
Chính vì vậy mà khi gặp Kha Tư Lệ, một cô gái tuyệt sắc mỏng manh cần che chở, Trần Gia Lạc mới tự tin và vui vẻ thể hiện bản lĩnh. Ở bên Kha Tư Lệ, chàng mới được là anh hùng, không còn nỗi sợ trước sự tài giỏi của một nữ nhân. Đọc đến hết truyện, chứng kiến cái chết của Kha Tư Lệ cùng thần trí điên loạn vì đau đớn của Trần Gia Lạc, mới thấy được, người chàng yêu thực sự chính là Kha Tư Lệ. Tình yêu thực sự đã khiến chàng hành động không sợ hãi, không đè nén, chàng khóc, chàng la hét, chàng thần hồn điên đảo chẳng còn ra dáng một dũng sĩ, điều đó cho thấy chàng cũng chỉ là một con người, hành động như một con người nguyên bản.
Truyện kết thúc rất buồn.
Chính vì vậy mà khi gặp Kha Tư Lệ, một cô gái tuyệt sắc mỏng manh cần che chở, Trần Gia Lạc mới tự tin và vui vẻ thể hiện bản lĩnh. Ở bên Kha Tư Lệ, chàng mới được là anh hùng, không còn nỗi sợ trước sự tài giỏi của một nữ nhân. Đọc đến hết truyện, chứng kiến cái chết của Kha Tư Lệ cùng thần trí điên loạn vì đau đớn của Trần Gia Lạc, mới thấy được, người chàng yêu thực sự chính là Kha Tư Lệ. Tình yêu thực sự đã khiến chàng hành động không sợ hãi, không đè nén, chàng khóc, chàng la hét, chàng thần hồn điên đảo chẳng còn ra dáng một dũng sĩ, điều đó cho thấy chàng cũng chỉ là một con người, hành động như một con người nguyên bản.
Truyện kết thúc rất buồn.
October 25, 2022
Setting the nationalism aside, this book is middling, at best, due to very monotonous to the point of almost indistinguishable character description, overly melodramatic plots, poor pacing throughout the book, and especially an innumerable list of illogical plot details. But the most annoying thing about this book is its obnoxious nationalism that degrades any and all Manchu characters while elevates every single Han and Hui characters to a pseudo first-class people (in comparison to the clearly second-class Manchu people). IF they were that good, why could they just take back the whole country from the Manchu (or not losing it in the first place)? Regarding this aspect, "Lộc đỉnh ký" is a much, much, much better book with a subtle sense of nationalism but still possesses a balanced description of all ethnics, and especially a reasonable explanation about the downfall of the Han people in general while facing Manchu people by the end of the Ming Dynasty. The nationalism in this book is really so bad that I finally decided to abandon my effort to read through the whole book - its very, very biased tone just does not sit well with me. What a waste of time, especially since Jin Yong has other much better books.
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March 16, 2023Wuxia literature is so cool -- a character in this literally does the Matrix bend over backwards to avoid projectile that flies just above their face move.
Novel itself is dense, though certainly not in a bad way, it is just chock full of everything always.
Easy to compare this (and other wuxia) to Western works ("the lost city was so Indiana Jones!”, “the armies fighting is so GoT/LotR”), but such is not meritorious criticism, and all that means is that Jin has an innate understanding of fantasy/adventure. He is not an influencee, but a peer and contemperary.
Does not take the easy satisfying ending it set itself up for, opting instead to lean a tad more into the philosophical realm, or at least offering some sort of moral questions to be answered.
It’s an actual crime how small the number of wuxia literatures to have received an official English translation is.
Novel itself is dense, though certainly not in a bad way, it is just chock full of everything always.
Easy to compare this (and other wuxia) to Western works ("the lost city was so Indiana Jones!”, “the armies fighting is so GoT/LotR”), but such is not meritorious criticism, and all that means is that Jin has an innate understanding of fantasy/adventure. He is not an influencee, but a peer and contemperary.
Does not take the easy satisfying ending it set itself up for, opting instead to lean a tad more into the philosophical realm, or at least offering some sort of moral questions to be answered.
It’s an actual crime how small the number of wuxia literatures to have received an official English translation is.
June 8, 2020
I've always been anenthusiast of Asian culture ever since i could remember my self. The myths, the history, the architecture and everything about the Far East world were and still are a passion for me. Jin Yong, or Dr.Lui Cha, did the impossible to me: he made that passion even stronger and even gave birth to the idea of me starting writing novels heavily inspired by those countries. He had an ubelievable gift of mixing history with fantasy and still creating the feeling that maybe just maybe all of these happened.
"The Book and the Sword" is a must read for everyone. It has action, kung fu, mystery, romance and raw, true emotion.
"The Book and the Sword" is a must read for everyone. It has action, kung fu, mystery, romance and raw, true emotion.
June 20, 2017
This is a fun book, though not quite what I was expecting from my first venture into Wuxia. This is a very pulpy book, you can tell it was being serialized, with a series of adventures taking the heroes from place to place--one wonders what all was planned at the beginning. The ending feels disappointing--though of course thanks to history the heroes couldn't actually win.
Still, it was very enjoyable, enlightening, and at points grows beyond it's pulpiness.
Still, it was very enjoyable, enlightening, and at points grows beyond it's pulpiness.
February 9, 2020
Đoạn đầu Kim Dung chắc mới viết kiếm hiệp nên khá dài dòng, đọc hơi chán, có mỗi chuyện đánh lộn nhầm người mà lê thê tới 1/8 cuốn sách. Sau đó tới cuối thì rất hay. Có đoạn cuối hơi loạn về mặt địa lý. Chiều đang ở Bắc Kinh, xong chạy tới tối tới cái mosque Hồi giáo Thanh Chân tự ở Trường An, xong khuya lại chạy về Ung Hòa cung ở Bắc Kinh gặp hoàng đế. Trường An cách Bắc Kinh 1000 km, bộ đi máy bay hả?
August 14, 2020
What an epic and engaging adventure. Long. Complex. Lots of battles. Many main characters, including both men and women skilled in the martial arts.
I appreciated the glossary in the beginning and the pinyin pronunciation tip list.
The story is written in a manner distinctly different than western literature. I only wish I could read and appreciate it in its original version, as there is always bound to be some loss in translation.
I loved it.
I appreciated the glossary in the beginning and the pinyin pronunciation tip list.
The story is written in a manner distinctly different than western literature. I only wish I could read and appreciate it in its original version, as there is always bound to be some loss in translation.
I loved it.
October 6, 2018
This was a good read. It probably was a magazine or newspaper serial originally as the parts of the book flow a little funny, but the plot was great with no dull spots, like a Shaw Brothers Kung Fu movie. The characters were excellent especially the nicknames and their various kung fu styles. Overall a fun book, highly recommended.
October 31, 2018
Had potential. This book is on a fascinating topic, especially now, the Qing in Central Asia. But it was a bit of a let down. I just had trouble keeping track of all the different people and the tiny little events that happened. I never felt like the book focused on anything or came to any big pictures.
May try to reread later on. Read 61 out of 510 pages, 12%.
May try to reread later on. Read 61 out of 510 pages, 12%.
May 30, 2020
The best work of Mr. Jin Yong.
The structure might seems a little bit weird with 3 stories, of 3 main characters, which also are 3 sworn brothers.
The depth and details of world he built up about countries at war, the idea and conflict of being loyalty to your home country, or to the country that raised you... which make me think a lot.
The structure might seems a little bit weird with 3 stories, of 3 main characters, which also are 3 sworn brothers.
The depth and details of world he built up about countries at war, the idea and conflict of being loyalty to your home country, or to the country that raised you... which make me think a lot.
January 18, 2025
A wonderful book of cultures clashing, rebellion, and choosing righteousness rather than power, even at great personal cost. It touches on the issues of today, despite being written sixty years ago about strife many centuries past.
And of course, the mystery, puzzles, martial arts battles are legendary, but it’s Jin Yong/Louis Cha, so that’s a given!
And of course, the mystery, puzzles, martial arts battles are legendary, but it’s Jin Yong/Louis Cha, so that’s a given!
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July 22, 2020Phim xem lâu rồi, mà giờ mới đọc truyện. Thích nhất Lý Nguyên Chỉ nhưng cuối cùng nàng chỉ là nữ phụ, lại cưới Dư Ngư Đồng, thật sự quá uổng. Còn nam chính Trần Gia Lạc, càng về sau tính cách lưng chừng, thiếu quyết đoán. Càng đọc về sau càng muốn bỏ giữa chừng.
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March 14, 2025脱下童年滤镜。
非常喜欢金庸以波澜不起的闲笔开篇。射雕的秋夜最好。神雕的采莲，倚天中郭襄独行，甚至连城诀里在乡下练剑，都有类似韵味。连载版开篇笨拙，三联版改后自然很多。
童年听熟的传说敷衍成书，写出这样的第一部书已经没什么遗憾了吧。但细究，半部书救文泰来，半部书去回疆，单薄的情节，机械地推进。布局人物可能受水浒的影响？红花会当家们各擅胜场，加上威风的绰号，小时很喜欢。细看之下，不外寥寥数笔的工具人，和稍微用心描摹的脸谱。当然还有陈家洛。第一部书写出这样一个没有性格、没有成长的主角，而此后再没犯同样的错误，反而更可贵。（袁承志、张无忌的没有个性也可算一种性格，而陈家洛是没有性格，因为金庸根本没写。）
身影慢慢远去的结尾好像也是金庸最喜欢用的，我也喜欢此中带着惆怅的希望。新修版后面加了一章，看后记大概是阅读可兰经的心得，不知所谓。
非常喜欢金庸以波澜不起的闲笔开篇。射雕的秋夜最好。神雕的采莲，倚天中郭襄独行，甚至连城诀里在乡下练剑，都有类似韵味。连载版开篇笨拙，三联版改后自然很多。
童年听熟的传说敷衍成书，写出这样的第一部书已经没什么遗憾了吧。但细究，半部书救文泰来，半部书去回疆，单薄的情节，机械地推进。布局人物可能受水浒的影响？红花会当家们各擅胜场，加上威风的绰号，小时很喜欢。细看之下，不外寥寥数笔的工具人，和稍微用心描摹的脸谱。当然还有陈家洛。第一部书写出这样一个没有性格、没有成长的主角，而此后再没犯同样的错误，反而更可贵。（袁承志、张无忌的没有个性也可算一种性格，而陈家洛是没有性格，因为金庸根本没写。）
身影慢慢远去的结尾好像也是金庸最喜欢用的，我也喜欢此中带着惆怅的希望。新修版后面加了一章，看后记大概是阅读可兰经的心得，不知所谓。
June 22, 2018
suicide :(
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