The Valiant Lady cover

The Valiant Lady

Rating 3.9
Word count
130K words
Chapters
14
ISBN
9787503483820

Tags

Summary

A peerless masterpiece of heroic writing, appreciated by both refined and popular tastes; a rare and wondrous book, restored to the world. Republican-era martial arts fiction is a dazzling sight in the history of Chinese literature and Chinese culture. With the aim of promoting traditional Chinese culture and discovering and collating classic Republican-era literature, our press is launching on a large scale the Republican Martial Arts Fiction Collection Library by the ten great martial arts fiction writers of north and south in the Republican period. Bai Yu is an important Republican-era martial arts fiction writer; his works are filled with a spirit of justice, embody the characteristics of the social irony school of martial arts fiction, and are deeply loved by readers. The Republican Martial Arts Fiction Collection Library · Bai Yu Volume contains 20 works by Bai Yu. This book is one of them.

Editor's review

Heroic Lady is included in the Republican Martial Arts Fiction Collection Library · Bai Yu Volume published by China Wenshi Press and is a collated reappearance of Bai Yu's martial arts works. Bai Yu's martial arts fiction is known for the "social irony school": his writing does not only present flashing blades but also uses people and events in the jianghu to reflect social conditions and human feelings, combining a sense of justice with satirical meaning, so that readers find both lively entertainment and food for thought. This book is suitable as an entry point for understanding the diverse face of Republican-era martial arts fiction: readers can feel the narrative rhythm and linguistic flavor of old-school martial arts fiction and also appreciate the social observation Bai Yu embedded in genre fiction. The collation and publication itself is also meaningful for preserving Republican-era popular literary documents. When reading, one may slow down and pay attention to the wit in characters' speech and the depiction of social conditions—that is precisely where Bai Yu differs from ordinary martial arts authors. For readers familiar with Jin Yong and Gu Long who wish to trace the origins of the genre, this book can offer a simpler and more marketplace-close imagination of the jianghu.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers who love Republican-era popular literature and want to understand the original face of old-school martial arts fiction
  • Literary researchers interested in Bai Yu and the social irony school of martial arts fiction
  • Veteran martial arts fans who have read Jin Yong and Gu Long and hope to trace the origins of the genre
  • Collectors interested in the collation and republication of Republican-era documents

Not a good fit for

  • Readers who prefer fast-paced, plot-heavy fiction and seek the thrill of modern web novels
  • Those unaccustomed to Republican-era vernacular style and the narrative pace of old-school fiction
  • Readers who seek only novelty and excitement and do not care about social allegory

Reading tips

  1. First read the preface or publication note to understand Bai Yu's life and the characteristics of the "social irony school," then enter the main text.
  2. While reading, pay attention to characters' dialogue and marketplace descriptions to appreciate the social satire beneath the martial arts shell.
  3. Read in comparison with works by other Republican-era martial arts writers to feel the stylistic differences among schools.
  4. When encountering old expressions or folk details, consult notes or reference books as needed; there is no need to rush past them.

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. 我的生平
  3. 第一章 车前拦双美酒楼论人妖
  4. 第二章 护芳邻兄妹御寇
  5. 第三章 幕后短剑窗畔嗅异香
  6. 第四章 外家避贼突逢卖花娘
  7. 第五章 雄娘子再呈色相
  8. 第六章 同床异梦一击未中
  9. 第七章 蝶恋花愁侠女夜奔
  10. 第八章 飞来艳奔则为妾
  11. 第九章 冤家聚首雄娘子失脚
  12. 第十章 情留余孽
  13. 附录
  14. 整理后记

FAQ

What is special about Bai Yu's martial arts fiction?
Bai Yu is regarded as a representative of the "social irony school" in Republican-era martial arts fiction. Beyond martial combat, his works often use jianghu figures and events to satirize social conditions and human feelings; a sense of justice and critical awareness coexist, the language is close to the marketplace, and the style is more realistic and worldly than ordinary martial arts fiction.
I have never read Republican-era martial arts fiction. Can I read this book directly?
Yes. This book is an independent work and does not depend on previous works. It is suggested that you first read the publication note to understand the background and then adapt to the narrative pace of old-school vernacular. If you are used to fast-paced fiction, you may read a few chapters first to get a feel for the language style and then decide whether to read closely or skim.
Is this book suitable as material for literary research?
As one volume of the Republican Martial Arts Fiction Collection Library, this book can be used to understand Bai Yu's creative profile and the publishing situation of Republican-era popular literature. However, when citing it in research, it is still advisable to check the original edition or authoritative documents, using the collated edition as a reading base and original materials as the basis for verification.

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About the author

Bai Yu (Gong Zhuxin) Author · China · 1899–1966

Bai Yu (1899–1966), originally named Gong Wanxuan and later Gong Zhuxin, was a prominent Republican-era Chinese writer of martial arts fiction. His ancestral home was Dong'e, Shandong, and he was born in Machang, Tianjin. In his early years he received guidance from Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren and engaged in new literature writing before turning to martial arts fiction; he rose to fame in 1938 with The Twelve Money Darts. His works combine martial arts fiction with social fiction, and his representative works also include Stealing Boxing, Records of Martial World Strife, The Joint Escort Chronicle, and Blood-Washed Cold Light Sword. He is counted among the "Five Masters of Northern School Martial Arts Fiction." Bai Yu's novels emphasize social observation and character portrayal and hold a place in Republican-era popular literature. In his later years he turned to the study of oracle bones and epigraphy. Public information on the details of his life is limited; the collection contains 77 works, mostly on martial arts, social, and folk themes.