Ian’s Reviews > The Water Margin, or Outlaws of the Marsh > Status Update

Ian, are you enjoying it so far? 😊

Pia G. wrote: "Ian, are you enjoying it so far? 😊"

Hi Pia. I am, although a quarter of the way through and the book has covered the back stories of some of the "heroes" - there are 108 in total so I'm not sure they will cover every one! They are starting to gather in Liangshan Marsh.

Like many of the ancient and medieval European epics, the book concentrates on "actions" rather than on motives. Sometimes people act in ways that I find surprising, but no explanation is offered. I have encountered this in other books from this period.

It's noticeable how much single combat features - in that respect it has a Homeric feel.

It's very male-dominated. The medieval European epics often have one or two significant female characters, even if they are only a love interest. However, (so far) women hardly feature in this story, appearing only in the most peripheral of roles.

Ian, the bit about the women barely being there got me thinking. With 108 heroes, you’d think there would be a bit more room for them somewhere, but apparently not. I think I’d end up wondering quite a lot about who actually gets to be a hero in that world. And what you said about European epics having at least a few women who stand out makes the difference even more interesting. I have a feeling your final review will probably decide whether I end up reading this one.