Water Margin (3 Volumes)

Shi Nai'an / Luo GuanzhongNov 2023

Rating 4.9
Word count
808K words
Chapters
105
ISBN
9787559479242

Tags

Classical Literature Peasant UprisingBrotherhoodLoyalty DilemmaVengeance and GratitudeTragedy of AmnestyJianghu FeudHeroic EnsembleOutlaw LegendsRebellionNorthern Song

Summary

This set consists of three volumes: The Water Margin, Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

The Water Margin is one of China's four great classical novels. Taking peasant uprising as its subject, it vividly depicts the Northern Song era, when treacherous ministers held power and the people struggled to survive. The peasant rebel army led by Song Jiang gradually grew strong and protected the common folk, was later granted amnesty and fought for the Song dynasty, repeatedly earning military merit, but was murdered by powerful ministers for their own selfish ends and finally came to ruin. The novel vividly portrays the 108 heroes of Liangshan Marsh, reflects the darkness of feudal society, celebrates the rebellious spirit and righteous deeds of the uprising heroes, and exposes the sharply opposed social contradictions of the time. Since its publication the work has had a huge impact on society and has become a model of Chinese fiction writing.

Editor's review

This three-volume edition presents the full arc of the 108 heroes—from their gathering and pledge of brotherhood to amnesty, military campaigns, and final demise—with vivid character portraits and a plot that moves with the rhythm of oral storytelling. Its value lies not only in the excitement of the story but in showing readers the social soil of the Northern Song: treacherous ministers in power, the people living in misery, and the rebellious spirit and limitations of the uprising heroes. Readers can follow the fates of characters such as Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, and Lin Chong, while also noticing how the author pieces together sharp social contradictions through individual cases of being forced to Liangshan. The three-volume format is easy to carry and suits reading episode by episode in spare moments; it is also suitable for family reading or classroom discussion on themes such as amnesty, loyalty, and power relations. Note that the book contains considerable violence and ancient values, so younger readers should have guidance.

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Reading tips

  1. Read through the story once by chapter, then return to closely read the entrances and transformations of key figures such as Lin Chong, Wu Song, and Song Jiang.
  2. Prepare a simple character-relationship chart and note each hero's background and stance as you read, so you do not forget earlier details.
  3. Slow down when you reach the amnesty section and consider, in light of the surrounding plot, why the uprising army's fate turns.
  4. Keep the three volumes in different places—read the middle volume on your commute and the last at home—as long as you maintain chapter continuity.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 水浒传 上
  3. 引首
  4. 第一回 张天师祈禳瘟疫 洪太尉误走妖魔
  5. 第二回 王教头私走延安府 九纹龙大闹史家村
  6. 第三回 史大郎夜走华阴县 鲁提辖拳打镇关西
  7. 第四回 赵员外重修文殊院 鲁智深大闹五台山
  8. 第五回 小霸王醉入销金帐 花和尚大闹桃花村
  9. 第六回 九纹龙剪径赤松林 鲁智深火烧瓦罐寺
  10. 第七回 花和尚倒拔垂扬柳 豹子头误入白虎堂
  11. 第八回 林教头刺配沧州道 鲁智深大闹野猪林
  12. 第九回 柴进门招天下客 林冲棒打洪教头
  13. 第十回 林教头风雪山神庙 陆虞候火烧草料场
  14. 第十一回 朱贵水亭施号箭 林冲雪夜上梁山
  15. 第十二回 梁山泊林冲落草 汴京城杨志卖刀
  16. 第十三回 急先锋东郭争功 青面兽北京斗武
  17. 第十四回 赤发鬼醉卧灵官殿 晁天王认义东溪村
  18. 第十五回 吴学究说三阮撞筹 公孙胜应七星聚义
  19. 第十六回 杨志押送金银担 吴用智取生辰纲
  20. 第十七回 花和尚单打二龙山 青面兽双夺宝珠寺
  21. 第十八回 美髯公智稳插翅虎 宋公明私放晁天王
  22. 第十九回 林冲水寨大并火 晁盖梁山小夺泊
  23. 第二十回 梁山泊义士尊晁盖 郓城县月夜走刘唐
  24. 第二十一回 虔婆醉打唐牛儿 宋江怒杀阎婆惜
  25. 第二十二回 阎婆大闹郓城县 朱仝义释宋公明
  26. 第二十三回 横海郡柴进留宾 景阳冈武松打虎
  27. 第二十四回 王婆贪贿说风情 郓哥不忿闹茶肆
  28. 第二十五回 王婆计啜西门庆 淫妇药鸩武大郎
  29. 第二十六回 郓哥大闹授官厅 武松斗杀西门庆
  30. 第二十七回 母夜叉孟州道卖人肉 武都头十字坡遇张青
  31. 第二十八回 武松威镇安平寨 施恩义夺快活林
  32. 第二十九回 施恩重霸孟州道 武松醉打蒋门神
  33. 第三十回 施恩三入死囚牢 武松大闹飞云浦
  34. 第三十一回 张都监血溅鸳鸯楼 武行者夜走蜈蚣岭
  35. 第三十二回 武行者醉打孔亮 锦毛虎义释宋江
  36. 第三十三回 宋江夜看小鳌山 花荣大闹清风寨
  37. 水浒传 中
  38. 第三十四回 镇三山大闹青州道 霹雳火夜走瓦砾场
  39. 第三十五回 石将军村店寄书 小李广梁山射雁
  40. 第三十六回 梁山泊吴用举戴宗 揭阳岭宋江逢李俊
  41. 第三十七回 没遮拦追赶及时雨 船火儿夜闹浔阳江
  42. 第三十八回 及时雨会神行太保 黑旋风斗浪里白跳
  43. 第三十九回 浔阳楼宋江吟反诗 梁山泊戴宗传假信
  44. 第四十回 梁山泊好汉劫法场 白龙庙英雄小聚义
  45. 第四十一回 宋江智取无为军 张顺活捉黄文炳
  46. 第四十二回 还道村受三卷天书 宋公明遇九天玄女
  47. 第四十三回 假李逵剪径劫单人 黑旋风沂岭杀四虎
  48. 第四十四回 锦豹子小径逢戴宗 病关索长街遇石秀
  49. 第四十五回 杨雄醉骂潘巧云 石秀智杀裴如海
  50. 第四十六回 病关索大闹翠屏山 拚命三火烧祝家庄
  51. 第四十七回 扑天雕双修生死书 宋公明一打祝家庄
  52. 第四十八回 一丈青单捉王矮虎 宋公明两打祝家庄
  53. 第四十九回 解珍解宝双越狱 孙立孙新大劫牢
  54. 第五十回 吴学究双用连环计 宋公明三打祝家庄
  55. 第五十一回 插翅虎枷打白秀英 美髯公误失小衙内
  56. 第五十二回 李逵打死殷天锡 柴进失陷高唐州
  57. 第五十三回 戴宗智取公孙胜 李逵斧劈罗真人
  58. 第五十四回 入云龙斗法破高廉 黑旋风探穴救柴进
  59. 第五十五回 高太尉大兴三路兵 呼延灼摆布连环马
  60. 第五十六回 吴用使时迁盗甲 汤隆赚徐宁上山
  61. 第五十七回 徐宁教使钩镰枪 宋江大破连环马
  62. 第五十八回 三山聚义打青州 众虎同心归水泊
  63. 第五十九回 吴用赚金铃吊挂 宋江闹西岳华山
  64. 第六十回 公孙胜芒砀山降魔 晁天王曾头市中箭
  65. 第六十一回 吴用智赚玉麒麟 张顺夜闹金沙渡
  66. 第六十二回 放冷箭燕青救主 劫法场石秀跳楼
  67. 第六十三回 宋江兵打北京城 关胜议取梁山泊
  68. 第六十四回 呼延灼夜月赚关胜 宋公明雪天擒索超
  69. 第六十五回 托塔天王梦中显圣 浪里白跳水上报冤
  70. 第六十六回 时迁火烧翠云楼 吴用智取大名府
  71. 水浒传 下
  72. 第六十七回 宋江赏马步三军 关胜降水火二将
  73. 第六十八回 宋公明夜打曾头市 卢俊义活捉史文恭
  74. 第六十九回 东平府误陷九纹龙 宋公明义释双枪将
  75. 第七十回 没羽箭飞石打英雄 宋公明弃粮擒壮士
  76. 第七十一回 忠义堂石碣受天文 梁山泊英雄排座次
  77. 第七十二回 柴进簪花入禁院 李逵元夜闹东京
  78. 第七十三回 黑旋风乔捉鬼 梁山泊双献头
  79. 第七十四回 燕青智扑擎天柱 李逵寿张乔坐衙
  80. 第七十五回 活阎罗倒船偷御酒 黑旋风扯诏谤徽宗
  81. 第七十六回 吴加亮布四斗五方旗 宋公明排九宫八卦阵
  82. 第七十七回 梁山泊十面埋伏 宋公明两赢童贯
  83. 第七十八回 十节度议取梁山泊 宋公明一败高太尉
  84. 第七十九回 刘唐放火烧战船 宋江两败高太尉
  85. 第八十回 张顺凿漏海鳅船 宋江三败高太尉
  86. 第八十一回 燕青月夜遇道君 戴宗定计赚萧让
  87. 第八十二回 梁山泊分金大买市 宋公明全伙受招安
  88. 第八十三回 宋公明奉诏破大辽 陈桥驿滴泪斩小卒
  89. 第八十四回 宋公明兵打蓟州城 卢俊义大战玉田县
  90. 第八十五回 宋公明夜度益津关 吴学究智取文安县
  91. 第八十六回 宋公明大战独鹿山 卢俊义兵陷青石峪
  92. 第八十七回 宋公明大战幽州 呼延灼力擒番将
  93. 第八十八回 颜统军阵列混天象 宋公明梦授玄女法
  94. 第八十九回 宋公明破阵成功 宿太尉颁恩降诏
  95. 第九十回 五台山宋江参禅 双林渡燕青射雁
  96. 第九十一回 张顺夜伏金山寺 宋江智取润州城
  97. 第九十二回 卢俊义分兵宣州道 宋公明大战毗陵郡
  98. 第九十三回 混江龙太湖小结义 宋公明苏州大会垓
  99. 第九十四回 宁海军宋江吊孝 涌金门张顺归神
  100. 第九十五回 张顺魂捉方天定 宋江智取宁海军
  101. 第九十六回 卢俊义分兵歙州道 宋公明大战乌龙岭
  102. 第九十七回 睦州城箭射邓元觉 乌龙岭神助宋公明
  103. 第九十八回 卢俊义大战昱岭关勣宋公明智取清溪洞
  104. 第九十九回 鲁智深浙江坐化勣宋公明衣锦还乡
  105. 第一百回 宋公明神聚蓼儿洼 徽宗帝梦游梁山泊

FAQ

Is this set the complete text or an abridged version? It is a complete three-volume set comprising The Water Margin, Parts One, Two, and Three. It covers the full story from treacherous ministers in power and the heroes' gathering to amnesty, campaigns, and final demise. It is not an abridgment or a vernacular retelling.
Do middle-school students need extra guidance to read this set? The book involves ancient official systems, jianghu codes, and considerable violence, so middle-schoolers reading alone may miss the social background. Teachers or parents are advised to offer brief guidance on topics such as amnesty and loyalty, helping them distinguish literary depiction from real-world value judgments.
Will reading the three volumes separately break the plot continuity? The book advances by chapter, and the three volumes are merely a packaging division; the plot is continuous throughout. As long as you remember the last chapter you read, switching volumes will not break the flow. If a long time has passed, skim the chapter summary at the end of the previous volume to pick up again.

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About the author

Shi Nai'an Author · Chinese · 1296–1370

Shi Nai'an (c. 1296–1370), whose given name was Yanduan and who used the courtesy names Zhaorui and Zi'an, was a writer of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. He was a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu, with ancestral roots in Suzhou. Tradition holds that he once served as magistrate of Qiantang County and later withdrew from office to devote himself to writing. Both his life and his authorship of Water Margin remain disputed among scholars, and reliable public information is limited. Water Margin, attributed to him, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. Set against the backdrop of Song Jiang's uprising in the late Northern Song, it portrays a vast company of 108 outlaws at Liangshan, distinguished by vivid language and memorable characters, and it has exerted a lasting influence on later fiction, drama and folk culture. His works fall under classical literature and martial-arts fiction, and this site offers a variety of related editions, including unabridged texts, annotated versions with pronunciation guides, and curriculum-oriented reading editions.

Luo Guanzhong Author · China · 1330–1400

Luo Guanzhong, whose given name was Ben and whose courtesy name was Guanzhong, styled himself Huhai Sanren, was a novelist of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, born around 1330 and died around 1400, a native of Taiyuan (some say Dongyuan, present-day Dongping in Shandong). Public records of his life are limited, and what later generations know of him is mostly tied to his works. His best-known achievement is the creation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (also known as Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms), which, with its broad historical vision and vivid narrative, shaped numerous characters and exerted a profound influence on later historical romance fiction. He is also traditionally credited with works such as Chronicles of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Romance of the Late Tang and Five Dynasties, and The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt, and a zaju play, The Dragon and Tiger Meet of Emperor Taizu of Song, survives. His subjects are mostly drawn from history and legend, and his style combines the rigor of historical writing with the expansive narration of fiction.