Record of Strange Tales from Jianghu

Xiang KairanChina Culture and History Press · ChinaOct 2024

Rating 3.5
Word count
281K words
Chapters
46
ISBN
9787520516617

Tags

Martial Arts Fiction Legendary LivesAdventure JourneyVengeance and GratitudeJianghu FeudChivalrous SpiritGrand PlottingLyrical StyleOld-School WuxiaRepublican EraFolk Legend

Summary

Pingjiang Buxiaosheng (namely Xiang Kairan) is a founder of the old-school wuxia novel and is revered as one of the two great masters of the Republican-era wuxia world, known together with Zhao Huanting as "Nan Xiang Bei Zhao" (Xiang of the South, Zhao of the North). His works are distinguished by brilliant prose and grand plotting, making them rare fine works. To disseminate classic literature and carry forward the wuxia spirit of filial piety, friendship, righteousness, and chivalry, our press has launched the "Republican-Era Wuxia Fiction Collection · Pingjiang Buxiaosheng Volume." Adhering to the principle of respecting the original and restoring the classic, we have collated and punctuated the works based on the original Republican-era editions. This is one of them: a full-length novel that was once adapted into a film of the same title, released in 1932.

Editor's review

This book is a full-length wuxia work by Pingjiang Buxiaosheng, included in the "Republican-Era Wuxia Fiction Collection · Pingjiang Buxiaosheng Volume" and collated and punctuated from the original Republican-era edition. Pingjiang Buxiaosheng is regarded as one of the founders of the old-school wuxia novel and, together with Zhao Huanting, is known as "Nan Xiang Bei Zhao"; his works are distinguished by brilliant prose and grand plotting and hold a seminal place in the genealogy of Republican-era wuxia. The book was once adapted into a film of the same title, released in 1932, and this cross-media history also offers a clue to understanding how wuxia narrative circulated at the time. Reading this book, one can both feel the narrative atmosphere and verbal appeal of old-school wuxia and observe how chivalric themes moved between the novel and the screen. This collated and punctuated edition respects the original and restores the classic, and is suited to readers willing to understand the evolution of the wuxia genre from its source. Because the book was completed early, its narrative rhythm differs from that of today's genre fiction, and it is best entered with a literary-historical eye and at a leisurely pace.

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Reading tips

  1. Begin with the publisher's note or preface to understand the base text and collation principles, then proceed to the main text.
  2. Compare the book with materials on the 1932 film of the same title to observe what was kept and changed in adaptation.
  3. While reading, pay attention to how the plot and the ensemble of characters unfold; there is no need to rush after plot.
  4. If the language feels distant, read a fixed amount each day and briefly retell each section afterward.

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 平江不肖生论（代序）
  3. 无来禅师
  4. 朱三公子
  5. 丹墀血
  6. 皖罗
  7. 变色谈
  8. 寇婚
  9. 岳麓书院之狐异
  10. 三个猴儿的故事
  11. 蓝法师记——蓝法师捉鬼
  12. 蓝法师记——蓝法师打虎
  13. 聪明误用的青年
  14. 好奇欤好色欤
  15. 半副牙牌
  16. 天宁寺的和尚
  17. 三十年前巴陵之大盗窟
  18. 窑师傅
  19. 解星科
  20. 吴六剃头
  21. 江阴包师傅逸事
  22. 变色谈
  23. 熊与虎
  24. 蛤蟆妖
  25. 皋兰城楼上的白猿
  26. 喜鹊曹三
  27. 两矿工
  28. 一个三十年前的死强盗
  29. 无锡老二
  30. 名人之子
  31. 神针
  32. 快婿断指
  33. 瘌福生
  34. 没脚和尚
  35. 黑猫与奇案
  36. 恨海沉冤录
  37. 傅良佐之魔
  38. 侠盗大肚皮
  39. 无名之英雄
  40. 绿林之雄
  41. 三掌皈依记
  42. 何包子
  43. 梁懒禅
  44. 至人与神蟒
  45. 甲鱼顾问
  46. 郴州老妇

FAQ

What is Pingjiang Buxiaosheng's place in the history of wuxia? The materials state that Pingjiang Buxiaosheng, namely Xiang Kairan, is a founder of the old-school wuxia novel and is revered as one of the two great masters of the Republican-era wuxia world, known as "Nan Xiang Bei Zhao." His works are distinguished by brilliant prose and grand plotting and hold an important place in the origins of the wuxia genre.
What is the relationship between this book and the 1932 film of the same title? According to the publication information, the book was once adapted into a film of the same title, released in 1932. Readers can compare the novel with the early film adaptation and observe how wuxia stories were transformed between the novel and the screen in the Republican era.
Is this edition the original text as it was? This book is included in the "Republican-Era Wuxia Fiction Collection · Pingjiang Buxiaosheng Volume." Adhering to the principle of respecting the original and restoring the classic, the publisher has collated and punctuated it based on the original Republican-era edition. It is a collated and punctuated edition, not a rewrite or adaptation.

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About the author

Xiang Kairan Author · Chinese · 1890–1957

Pingjiang Buxiaosheng, whose original name was Xiang Kui and whose courtesy name was Kaiyuan, was a native of Pingjiang, Hunan, born in Xiangtan. A foundational figure in modern wuxia fiction, he was also known as a martial artist. He wrote under the pen name Pingjiang Buxiaosheng, which became far better known than his real name. In his early years he traveled to Japan and wrote "The Unofficial History of Studying in the East," a sharp portrayal of the lives and manners of Chinese students abroad. He later turned to wuxia, and his representative work, "The Strange Heroic Tale of Jianghu," unfolds in chapter-by-chapter form the feuds of jianghu schools and the duels of swordsmen, with bizarre plots and boundless imagination; it is regarded as a pioneering work of modern wuxia fiction. The book was later adapted into the film "Burning of the Red Lotus Temple," extending its influence to cinema. His output was considerable, with 118 titles held in the collection, commonly categorized as wuxia fiction and philosophical reading. Public information on the details of his life, such as education, lineage, and specific experiences, is limited, and no speculation is offered here.