THE EVOLUTION OF A CHINESE NOVEL : Shui-hu-chuan

Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ Press, 1953. First Edition, 2nd Printing . Soft cover. Near Fine/None as Issued. Text/NEAR NEW & Bright, with some light pencilled (erasable) Chinese characters margins. Softcover/VG; strong w/trace soiling & lean to spine. Literary study of the evolution of novel Shui-hu-chuan (also, Water Margin, Men of the Marshes, and, All Men Are Brothers) ... an "unofficial history" of 108 braves led by historical figure Sung Chiang (fl. 1117-21), of the Northern Sung Dynasty (960 - 1279) flourishing in Shantung province. The last years of the dynasty were beset by popular rebellions; this is one that survived long. Based on oral traditions and borrowing from genre of official histories, first appearance in novel form was five hundred years later in the Ming. Authorship(s?) uncertain; versions abound. So, the tale of the 108 heroes maybe said to be pseudo-history in form, but so engaging a medley of fact and fiction that it gained great popular appeal. 231 pgs in 5 parts, with a summary of the novel, in its 120 chapter edition, to rear. Part I, Introduction; II, Historical Foundations; III, Evolution of the Novel, Part 1; IV, Evolution of the Novel, Part 2; and V, Conclusion, followed by 3 appendices.