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The Eleventh Son
On one of his missions, Xiao Shiyi Lang (the Eleventh Son, known as the Great Bandit) meets Shen, the fairest woman in the martial world. By the will of fate, he rescues Shen several times, which plants the seed of love in both of them. However, Shen is married to a rich young man who is also an outstanding martial artist. As if things were not complicated enough, Xiao has his own secret admirer, Feng, an attractive swordswoman with a quick temper. Xiao is drawn into a messy fight for a legendary saber, the Deer Carver, and is accused of stealing it. Xiao finds out that the person who has set him up is a mysterious young man with an angel's face and a devil's heart. Before he can pursue any further, Shen's grandmother is murdered, and Xiao is named the killer. It appears that things are spinning out of control….
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 1998
8 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Gu Long
512 books87 followersalso known as: 古龍
Xiong Yaohua (Chinese: 熊耀華) (7 June 1938 – 21 September 1985), better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Chinese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. Xiong is best known for writing wuxia novels and serials, which include Juedai Shuangjiao, Xiaoli Feidao Series, Chu Liuxiang Series, Lu Xiaofeng Series and Xiao Shiyilang. Some of these works have been adapted into films and television series for numerous times. In the 1980s Xiong started his own film studio, Bao Sian, to focus on adaptations of his works. He graduated from Cheng Kung Senior High School in Taipei and from the Foreign Language Department of Tamkang University.
Xiong was born on 7 June 1938 in Hong Kong but his registered identity claimed that he was born in 1941. His ancestral home was in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, and he lived in Hankou in his childhood. He moved to Taipei, Taiwan in 1952 with his parents, who divorced in 1956. With help from his friends and using the money he earned from part-time work to fund his education, Xiong graduated from the Foreign Language Department of Tamkang University. He found a job in the United States Army Advisory in Taipei later.
In 1960, Xiong published his first wuxia novel, Cangqiong Shenjian (蒼穹神劍), under the pen name "Gu Long". From 1960 to 1961, Xiong published eight novels but did not achieve the results he desired. He moved to Ruifang Town (瑞芳鎮) and lived there for three years, after which he changed his perspective and adopted a new writing style. Between 1967 and the late 1970s, Xiong rose to prominence in the genre of modern wuxia fiction for his works. As the sole representative of excellence in the wuxia genre from Taiwan for an entire decade, Xiong was named along with Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng as the "Three Legs of the Tripod of Wuxia".
While he was still in university, Xiong lived with a dance hostess, Zheng Yuexia (鄭月霞), and had a son, Zheng Xiaolong (鄭小龍), with her. However, later, he started a relationship with another dance hostess, Ye Xue (葉雪), who also bore him a son, Ye Yikuan (葉怡寬). Shortly after that, Xiong met a senior middle school graduate, Mei Baozhu (梅寶珠), who became his first legal spouse and bore him his third son, Xiong Zhengda (熊正達). Xiong's extramarital affairs with other women caused him to break up with Mei later.
In the later part of his life, Xiong suffered from depression and the quality of his works declined rapidly. He had to employ ghostwriters to co-write many of his later works because of his ailing health. He died on 21 September 1985 at the age of 48 due to illness wrought by alcoholism, namely cirrhosis and esophageal hemorrhage, at around 6pm. Xiong's friends brought him 48 bottles of XO at his funeral.
Xiong was said to be influenced not only by wuxia fiction, but also by the works of Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, John Steinbeck and Friedrich Nietzsche. His novels are usually made up of short sentences and paragraphs, and mostly dialogues between characters like a play script.
In contrast with Xiong, other writers such as Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng take an alternative route in writing wuxia fiction, incorporating Chinese history, culture and philosophical ideas in their works. Xiong initially intended to follow them but changed his decision after exposure to western works such as the James Bond series and The Godfather novels. The influence of these works, which relied on the idiosyncrasies of human life, razor-sharp wit, poetic philosophies, mysterious plots and spine-tingling thrills to achieve success, enabled Xiong to come up with a unique way of writing.
(source: wiki)
Gu Long and Khu Lung are the same person, the latter is the Hokkien pronunciation in Indonesia.
Xiong Yaohua (Chinese: 熊耀華) (7 June 1938 – 21 September 1985), better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Chinese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. Xiong is best known for writing wuxia novels and serials, which include Juedai Shuangjiao, Xiaoli Feidao Series, Chu Liuxiang Series, Lu Xiaofeng Series and Xiao Shiyilang. Some of these works have been adapted into films and television series for numerous times. In the 1980s Xiong started his own film studio, Bao Sian, to focus on adaptations of his works. He graduated from Cheng Kung Senior High School in Taipei and from the Foreign Language Department of Tamkang University.
Xiong was born on 7 June 1938 in Hong Kong but his registered identity claimed that he was born in 1941. His ancestral home was in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, and he lived in Hankou in his childhood. He moved to Taipei, Taiwan in 1952 with his parents, who divorced in 1956. With help from his friends and using the money he earned from part-time work to fund his education, Xiong graduated from the Foreign Language Department of Tamkang University. He found a job in the United States Army Advisory in Taipei later.
In 1960, Xiong published his first wuxia novel, Cangqiong Shenjian (蒼穹神劍), under the pen name "Gu Long". From 1960 to 1961, Xiong published eight novels but did not achieve the results he desired. He moved to Ruifang Town (瑞芳鎮) and lived there for three years, after which he changed his perspective and adopted a new writing style. Between 1967 and the late 1970s, Xiong rose to prominence in the genre of modern wuxia fiction for his works. As the sole representative of excellence in the wuxia genre from Taiwan for an entire decade, Xiong was named along with Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng as the "Three Legs of the Tripod of Wuxia".
While he was still in university, Xiong lived with a dance hostess, Zheng Yuexia (鄭月霞), and had a son, Zheng Xiaolong (鄭小龍), with her. However, later, he started a relationship with another dance hostess, Ye Xue (葉雪), who also bore him a son, Ye Yikuan (葉怡寬). Shortly after that, Xiong met a senior middle school graduate, Mei Baozhu (梅寶珠), who became his first legal spouse and bore him his third son, Xiong Zhengda (熊正達). Xiong's extramarital affairs with other women caused him to break up with Mei later.
In the later part of his life, Xiong suffered from depression and the quality of his works declined rapidly. He had to employ ghostwriters to co-write many of his later works because of his ailing health. He died on 21 September 1985 at the age of 48 due to illness wrought by alcoholism, namely cirrhosis and esophageal hemorrhage, at around 6pm. Xiong's friends brought him 48 bottles of XO at his funeral.
Xiong was said to be influenced not only by wuxia fiction, but also by the works of Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, John Steinbeck and Friedrich Nietzsche. His novels are usually made up of short sentences and paragraphs, and mostly dialogues between characters like a play script.
In contrast with Xiong, other writers such as Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng take an alternative route in writing wuxia fiction, incorporating Chinese history, culture and philosophical ideas in their works. Xiong initially intended to follow them but changed his decision after exposure to western works such as the James Bond series and The Godfather novels. The influence of these works, which relied on the idiosyncrasies of human life, razor-sharp wit, poetic philosophies, mysterious plots and spine-tingling thrills to achieve success, enabled Xiong to come up with a unique way of writing.
(source: wiki)
Gu Long and Khu Lung are the same person, the latter is the Hokkien pronunciation in Indonesia.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 15, 2012
I really like the style and voice of Gu Long. He is clearly my favorite author of wuxia fiction. This book is not as intriguing as some of his other works such as the Lu Xiaofeng series, but it is the only published English translation of any of his works. There are many fan translations on sites such as wuxiapedia.com, however.
March 14, 2011
This is one of the better martial arts novels I have read in a really long time. Probably because this reads more like a good novel with characters in the world of martial arts. Like most fiction that I enjoy, The Eleventh Son probes the ideas of love, culture and the problems that arise from living a compartmentalized life. The translation of this novel was excellent and presented the reader with a number of perspectives on the text. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to all lovers of fiction.
April 6, 2011
This is I think the only Gu Long kung fu/wuxia novel that ever got a real release in the US, which is a shame. Gu Long's action scenes are a masterclass in how to command the reader's attention. I'd quote at length but I lent the book out and never got it back.
I read this in 2008 so I don't remember the details of this book except for some amazing moments like a tense standoff during a thunderstorm where the first flash of light will allow the combatants to see each other:
"Lightning struck... but Xiao Shiyi Lang's sword was faster than lightning!"
I will also admit I rolled my eyes at the "dollhouse" twist near the end.
Still, anyone interested in wuxia would do well to read this one. Then move on to Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword (available on Wuxiapedia and other sites).
I read this in 2008 so I don't remember the details of this book except for some amazing moments like a tense standoff during a thunderstorm where the first flash of light will allow the combatants to see each other:
"Lightning struck... but Xiao Shiyi Lang's sword was faster than lightning!"
I will also admit I rolled my eyes at the "dollhouse" twist near the end.
Still, anyone interested in wuxia would do well to read this one. Then move on to Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword (available on Wuxiapedia and other sites).
August 2, 2022
An enjoyable martial arts novel with a compelling and strong female protagonist and a complex romance.
Read
July 25, 2022Had extremely high expectations having seen several films penned by Gu Long, and having also read the English translation of the first novel in Jin Yong's Condor Heroes series whereupon it became apparent I loved wuxia novels.
This one just like that one moves forward at a brisk pace and is filled with myriad distinct characters. As with a lot of non-Western art I have encountered, character arcs are not the focus of the writing -- instead the main interest lies in revealing aspects of the characters that they themselves already possess.
The ending of this one though is what took me aback -- it completely transcends itself to become a truly divine exploration of love. However, do keep in mind I have never experienced love in any form and can thus not attest to how truthful this depiction is, but that being said it was really beautiful.
This one just like that one moves forward at a brisk pace and is filled with myriad distinct characters. As with a lot of non-Western art I have encountered, character arcs are not the focus of the writing -- instead the main interest lies in revealing aspects of the characters that they themselves already possess.
The ending of this one though is what took me aback -- it completely transcends itself to become a truly divine exploration of love. However, do keep in mind I have never experienced love in any form and can thus not attest to how truthful this depiction is, but that being said it was really beautiful.
August 23, 2019
I had really wanted to like this as I love kung fu films. But I just found the writing super creepy. Starting with the woman naked in the bath and lingering over and over about her perfect body, despite her "age" of just after 30! She was the cute strong women I like in films but so highly sexualised I couldn't stand it. One of the things I enjoy about Chinese and Hong Kong films is that generally they don't hyper sexualise the women characters like Hollywood does. But the book did. When she decided she had to give up her freedom and get ANY man I gave up. I mean has the writer actually met any women? No women behave like that. (especially when it comes to loving every bit of their own body!)
May 7, 2024
Menurutku ini kisah cinta yang sangat pedih yang pernah ditulis Gu Long. Bercerita tentang Xiau Shiyi Lang, seorang berandalan yang berasal dari lembah gelap. Ia adalah seorang yang berada di luar garis, hidupnya penuh rasa sepi, karena itu ia selalu bersenandung dendang kesepian. Sampai akhirnya Ia jatuh cinta pada seorang wanita tercantik yang telah memiliki suami. Namun kehidupan dalam perjalanan manusia sulit ditebak.Seperti sebatang pecut, selamanya ada yang memecutinya dari belakang, menyuruh ia berjalan ke depan, menyuruh ia pergi mencari, tetapi selamanya belum pernah ada yang mau memberitahukan padanya apa sebetulnya yang harus dicari.
The eleventh son - Gu Long
The eleventh son - Gu Long
September 10, 2020
The book reads like a classic kung fu movie on the page - which makes sense because that was Gu Long's other day job. But something happens in the last chapter where the preceeding 350 pages are thrown out the window to give us an abrupt and deflating ending. It's like he got bored writing and just ended it to move to something else. So even though I loved reading it, I had to ding the score for the lazy wrapup.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2023
It’s incredible how much you learn about the author from a Wuxia novel. Gu was clearly a trouble misogynistic alcoholic. His almost random and absurd asides with opinions one women are sprinkled throughout and are even a bit jarring. The novel itself is engaging but it lacks the beautiful historicity of Condor Heroes. Perhaps I just prefer Jin Yong. However, with all that, I must commend the translation
January 17, 2025
What a fantastic short novel!
As someone who can’t read the original (yet?) I can’t personal verify if it’s well translated, but I love the way it is translated. The writing and flow just feels incredibly natural after only a short time. It gives the novel a wonderful rhythm and flow to the writing, that just takes you away as you read.
As someone who can’t read the original (yet?) I can’t personal verify if it’s well translated, but I love the way it is translated. The writing and flow just feels incredibly natural after only a short time. It gives the novel a wonderful rhythm and flow to the writing, that just takes you away as you read.
December 15, 2020
A tale that starts with a mighty blast... then keeps losing steam. A shame. The plotting is haphazard, as if Gu Long was making it up as he went along (he probably did?). Overall, the story just wasn't neat enough and felt shapeless.
It's also clear that Long was utterly obsessed with alcohol.
It's also clear that Long was utterly obsessed with alcohol.
February 19, 2018
Tác phẩm đầu tiên của Cổ Long mình đọc. Tính rate 5 rồi đấy mà thực sự cái kết ba chấm quá. Phần một vẫn hay nhất.
Want to read
May 3, 2020My superb adventure to explore the beautiful works of Gu Long
September 15, 2021
very good story from Gu Long, the romance story is superb, on par with Return of the condor heroes from jin yong, but cliffhanger ending
October 21, 2011
I have wanted to read this novel for years, but for one reason or another I just never got around to it. Wuxia films are some of my favorite movies of all time and I have always wanted to read more of fiction which many of my favorite kungfu movies were based on. Gu Long considered one along with Jin Yong (The Book and the Sword) and Liang Yushen (Bride with White Hair) as the "three legs of the tripod of wuxia". I have also published my own Wuxia horror crossover (Hunting The Moon Tribe) that was more influenced by film as until now I have only read Yong's The Book and the Sword and the Chinese literary classic Three Kingdoms.
So yeah, I was super overdue in reading this novel. It was written in the late 60's, and I am assuming it was published as a serial in newspapers like most Wuxia novels in the era. The chapters take on a serial feel, and it is hard to comment on the writing style because you always wonder how much is a product of translation.
The Eleventh Son is tangled story indeed as characters weave into and out of the story. Some even drop out of the story altogether. The main character Xiao is not even introduced until a few chapters in. It would seem at first that the novel is about Xiao battling for a famous sword called “The Deer Carver.” this maguffin is quickly forgotten as Xiao and a sinister female villian known as Little Mister battle over the chinese countryside. The main story here is a messy love story between Xiao and a noble woman named Shen. Little Mister who is truly awesome villain frames Xiao for the murder of Shen's entire family. She knows better as Xiao is the one who saved her.
It is said that Long was more influenced by western writers than his competition and I only have Jin Young to compare him too. I can see a little more western influence in the structure of the novel, and the way he tells the story.
Some really cool and weird stuff happens along the way and you would expect in a Wuxia novel, there is a cool chapter where they encounter and battle gods of lightning and thunder. Perhaps my favorite part was a chapter called Doll manor, this super weird chapter finds Xiao and Shen tapped in a doll house worried that they have been shrunk and chaptered a kungfu magician. I was totally surprised by their escape and it was a super neat surprise. The coolest and most inventive part of the novel.
My biggest problem with the novel is that it ended with a set-up for sequel. That is not translated into english. Here is hoping the translator and publisher do this again. We need more Wuxia novels in print!
February 22, 2013
Elf Söhne sollt ihr sein
Einer gegen alle - der "Bandit" Xiao Shiyi Lang wird von allen verfolgt. Die "ehrenwerten Gentlemen", die ihn auslöschen wollen, stellen sich aber meist schnell als wenig ehrenwert heraus, und die Jagd auf ihn intensiviert sich, als Xiao mit der Frau eines berühmten Kämpfers zusammentrifft...
Gu Longs Stil ist für mich sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig. Kurze, abgehackte Sätze mögen ja vielleicht wirklich in Actionsequenzen die Dramatik hervorheben, wie die Übersetzerin in ihrem Vorwort meint, doch sind die Actionsequenzen in diesem Buch an einer Hand abzählbar. Der Rest des Romans, der sehr viel mehr ein Roman "of Tangled Love" ist als "of Martial Arts" (so der Untertitel), leidet unter diesem Stil aber dann doch deutlich. Wer hofft, hier einen Wuxia-Roman á la Jin Yong zu finden, wird enttäuscht - über weite Strecken ist dieser Text gähnend langweilig in seiner Beschreibung einer recht banalen Liebesgeschichte. Dazu kommt die lästige Tendenz Gu Longs, ständig Pseudo-Lebensweisheiten einzubauen ("Wenn Leute in dieser und jener Situation sind, tun sie dies und jenes" und ähnliches Blabla) und nicht wirklich spannende emotionale Regungen der Personen in die Länge zu ziehen.
Zur Ehrenrettung - die hintersinnige Beschreibung der perfekten Ehrenleute, und des bösen Banditen Xiao, die sich mit Fortschreiten des Romans ins genaue Gegenteil umkehrt, ist schon witzig. Auch die Idee mit dem Puppenhaus, in das Xiao und Shen versetzt werden, gefällt mir sehr, und den Mut des Autors, ein offenes Ende zur präsentieren, mag ich.
Die Übersetzung von Rebecca Tai liest sich flüssig, hin und wieder findet sich ein Flüchtigkeitsfehler (wenn etwa Xiao seine Begleiterin mit ihrem Nachnamen anspricht). Ein informatives Vorwort der Übersetzerin, wie hier vorhanden, sehe ich immer gerne.
Die Papierqualität ist zufriedenstellend - der Einband ist die Sorte, die sich schnell eindreht.
Wuxia-Fans können mal reinschauen. Wenn Sie aber nur EINEN Wuxia-Roman lesen wollen, greifen Sie lieber zu Jin Yong (Louis Cha), z.B. The Book and the Sword.
Einer gegen alle - der "Bandit" Xiao Shiyi Lang wird von allen verfolgt. Die "ehrenwerten Gentlemen", die ihn auslöschen wollen, stellen sich aber meist schnell als wenig ehrenwert heraus, und die Jagd auf ihn intensiviert sich, als Xiao mit der Frau eines berühmten Kämpfers zusammentrifft...
Gu Longs Stil ist für mich sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig. Kurze, abgehackte Sätze mögen ja vielleicht wirklich in Actionsequenzen die Dramatik hervorheben, wie die Übersetzerin in ihrem Vorwort meint, doch sind die Actionsequenzen in diesem Buch an einer Hand abzählbar. Der Rest des Romans, der sehr viel mehr ein Roman "of Tangled Love" ist als "of Martial Arts" (so der Untertitel), leidet unter diesem Stil aber dann doch deutlich. Wer hofft, hier einen Wuxia-Roman á la Jin Yong zu finden, wird enttäuscht - über weite Strecken ist dieser Text gähnend langweilig in seiner Beschreibung einer recht banalen Liebesgeschichte. Dazu kommt die lästige Tendenz Gu Longs, ständig Pseudo-Lebensweisheiten einzubauen ("Wenn Leute in dieser und jener Situation sind, tun sie dies und jenes" und ähnliches Blabla) und nicht wirklich spannende emotionale Regungen der Personen in die Länge zu ziehen.
Zur Ehrenrettung - die hintersinnige Beschreibung der perfekten Ehrenleute, und des bösen Banditen Xiao, die sich mit Fortschreiten des Romans ins genaue Gegenteil umkehrt, ist schon witzig. Auch die Idee mit dem Puppenhaus, in das Xiao und Shen versetzt werden, gefällt mir sehr, und den Mut des Autors, ein offenes Ende zur präsentieren, mag ich.
Die Übersetzung von Rebecca Tai liest sich flüssig, hin und wieder findet sich ein Flüchtigkeitsfehler (wenn etwa Xiao seine Begleiterin mit ihrem Nachnamen anspricht). Ein informatives Vorwort der Übersetzerin, wie hier vorhanden, sehe ich immer gerne.
Die Papierqualität ist zufriedenstellend - der Einband ist die Sorte, die sich schnell eindreht.
Wuxia-Fans können mal reinschauen. Wenn Sie aber nur EINEN Wuxia-Roman lesen wollen, greifen Sie lieber zu Jin Yong (Louis Cha), z.B. The Book and the Sword.
December 6, 2013
Martial-arts Fantasy aka Wuxia whether in books or movies is one of my favourite genres.
The Eleventh Son is Gou Long's first work and the single one having an official English translation.
Even though there isn't much character development and a lot of important ones appearing and disappearing randomly. But at least he didn’t kill everyone off at the end *cough The Proud Twins*..
The great description of the martial world and brilliant fights made up for any weakness in the book including its abrupt ending.
The Eleventh Son is Gou Long's first work and the single one having an official English translation.
Even though there isn't much character development and a lot of important ones appearing and disappearing randomly. But at least he didn’t kill everyone off at the end *cough The Proud Twins*..
The great description of the martial world and brilliant fights made up for any weakness in the book including its abrupt ending.
January 2, 2008
Gu Long is famous in China for changing the face of the martial art novel by focusing on fights and a moving plot rather than a man or woman becoming a martial artist. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in martial arts stories, but I just don't think it was for me
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews