Cover of the English translation of "The Book and the Sword" published by the Oxford University Press in 2005.

The Book and the Sword (Traditional Chinese: 書劍恩仇錄; Simplified Chinese: 书剑恩仇录; pinyin: shū jiàn ēn chóu lù) is a wuxia novel by Jinyong, first published in 1955. Set in early Qing China during the rule of the Qianlong emperor, The Book and the Sword details the quest of the Red Flower Society (红花會), an organisation aiming to overturn the ruling Manchu government. Image File history File links The_Book_and_the_Sword. ... Image File history File links The_Book_and_the_Sword. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; also Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) refer to one of two standard Chinese character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language, officially simplified by the government of the Peoples Republic of China in an attempt to promote literacy. ... It has been suggested that Pinyin_method be merged into this article or section. ... Poster from the American release of Zhang Yimous 2002 film Hero (英雄) WÇ”xiá (also Wu Xia) (Traditional Chinese: 武俠; Simplified Chinese: 武侠; Mandarin IPA: ; Cantonese: mów hàb), literally meaning martial arts chivalry or martial arts heroes, from Chinese, is a distinct genre in Chinese literature, television and cinema. ... Louis Cha or Zha Liangyong (sometimes Cha Leung Yung), OBE (born June 6, 1924), known to most by his penname Jinyong (Jin Yong) or Kam-yung (Cantonese), is one of the most influential modern Chinese-language novelists who is also the co-founder of the Hong Kong daily Ming Pao. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of... The Qianlong Emperor (September 25, 1711–February 7, 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China. ... The Red Flower Society (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a fictional secret society in the wuxia novel The Book and the Sword, written by Jinyong. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: , Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: MÇŽnzú, Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeast China). ...

Alternate English titles of the novel are Book and Sword: Gratitude and Revenge and The Romance of the Book and Sword.

Chapters

The third edition of the book contains 20 chapters, listed below in Simplified Chinese: Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...

1. 古道腾驹惊白发 危峦快剑识青翎
2. 金风野店书生笛 铁胆荒庄侠士心
3. 避祸英雄悲失路 寻仇好汉误交兵
4. 置酒弄丸招薄怒 还书贻剑种深情
5. 乌鞘岭口拚鬼侠 赤套渡头扼官军
6. 有情有义怜难侣 无法无天振饥民
7. 琴音朗朗闻雁落 剑气沉沉作龙吟
8. 千军岳峙围千顷 万马潮汹动万乘
9. 虎穴轻身开铁铐 狮峰重气掷金针
10. 烟腾火炽走豪侠 粉腻脂香羁至尊
11. 高塔入云盟九鼎 快招如电显双鹰
12. 盈盈彩烛三生约 霍霍青霜万里行
13. 吐气扬眉雷掌疾 惊才绝艳雪莲馨
14. 蜜意柔情锦带舞 长枪大戟铁弓鸣
15. 奇谋破敌将军苦 儿戏降魔玉女□
16. 我见犹怜二老意 谁能遣此双姝情
17. 为民除害方称侠 抗暴蒙污不愧贞
18. 驱驴有术居奇货 除恶无方从佳人
19. 心伤殿隅星初落 魂断城头日已昏
20. 忍见红颜堕火窟 空余碧血葬香魂

Summary

The first character introduced to the reader is Li Yuanzhi (李沅芷), the young daughter of a high-ranking official, Li Keshou. Headstrong and physically adept, she learns the art of kungfu from her master, Lu Fei Qing (陸菲青). The story revolves around the recovery of a copy of the Qur'an by Uyghurs, as well as the designs of the leader of The Red Flower Society, a group of rebels against Manchu rule. The Qurān [1] (Arabic: ‎, literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... The Uyghur (also spelled Uighur; Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are an ethnic group of Central Asia. ... The Red Flower Society (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a fictional secret society in the wuxia novel The Book and the Sword, written by Jinyong. ... A rebellion is, in the most general sense, a refusal to accept authority. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: , Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: MÇŽnzú, Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeast China). ...

The code of the Red Flower Society is in direct opposition to the designs of Qianlong. The emperor wishes to be remembered as a great leader, like Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty or the acclaimed emperor Taizong. These are, technically, estimable pursuits for a Chinese emperor. The weight given to the manner in which history appraises an emperor's rule dates back to Sima Qian; Qianlong's own valuation of emperors Wu and Taizong matches the conventional Chinese interpretation. The Han Dynasty (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Han Chau; 206 BC–AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. ... Taizong (太宗 lit. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

But to become great, Qianlong starves his own people and oppresses the morally upright (Such as the Red Flower Society). He follows the letter of Chinese ideology while ignoring the spirit. Qianlong, like many of the major villains, is skillful but not wise. Throughout the novel, the antagonists' skill at music, calligraphy or, especially, kungfu, is not enough to overcome their failure to understand the difference between what is important and what people say is important. The Red Flower Society (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a fictional secret society in the wuxia novel The Book and the Sword, written by Jinyong. ... An antagonist is a fictional character or group of characters, or, sometimes an institution of a story who represents the opposition against which the hero(es) or protagonist(s) must contend. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Calligraphy in a Latin Bible of AD 1407 on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ...

Strong Female Protagonists

Li Yuanzhi is only one of three young, female warriors who appears prominently in the Cha's novel. Along with her are Zhou Qi and Huo Qingtong. The former is another headstrong daughter whose mother, lady Zhou, embodies a more mature ideal as a stubborn, loving and strong wife and mother. At one point, Zhou Qi points out that she cannot embroider, much to her mother's displeasure, who claims that no man would want a woman without such a necessary skill. Quickly, though, it is revealed that Lady Zhou never learned herself, and in that moment Cha provides a classic, and pan-cultural, moment between parent and child hearkening back to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Embroidery is an ancient variety of decorative needlework in which designs and pictures are created by stitching strands of some material on to a layer of another material. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For films named Pride and Prejudice, see Pride and Prejudice (film). ...

Ethical Claims

There are often found within the novel light-hearted reminders of the universality of people's ideals and their acknowledgment that ideals are often unmet. The monolithic nature of Chinese culture, with its strict guidelines—Confucian, Communist and otherwise—seems in this light not nearly so monolithic. Like Zhou Qi and her embroidery, people don't always live up to them, and it's no great tragedy, not even to your mother. Instead, these supposedly important standards are treated as secondary to what would be considered in the West as more transcendent—the most common example being friendship despite religious, cultural or political differences. Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... The West can refer to : The U.S. West or the American West The Western world, or Western Civilization. ...

If any kind of classical delineation could be made, it would seem that Cha believes in two kinds of people: those of naturally low character and those of high character. The former can have moments of clarity, and sometimes within the story a seemingly one-sided villain will recognize the truly valuable. The former, though, only seem subject to the failings associated with heroes; whether it be Lord Zhou's pride preventing him from apologizing for the accidental murder of his son or the Kungfu Mastermind's inability to acknowledge being in love with Zhou Qi.

This natural dichotomy is most evident in battle—as should be expected from a novel like this. Scoundrels may inflict some wounds, but only if they vastly outmatch their opponent or, more likely, overwhelm them with numbers or treachery. Even then, the Red Flower Society tend to cut their way through great swathes of enemies. Bravery and skill do not only exist on the side of the heroes, but it is in much greater quantity, seemingly indicating that the morally superior side will naturally attract the superior person.

Still, there is a certain disconnect present in The Book & The Sword that is not so evident in Western popular fiction, and that is between skill and ethics. Stereotypically, the Western hero would respect the intelligence and skill of his nemesis except that it's used for evil. The heroes in Cha's novel, however, respect their enemies' intelligence and skill but hold that the respect does not somehow conflict with a condemnation of their ethical stance. This separation lends plausibility to scenes such as the one where Chen, the leader of the Red Flower Society, meets with the Qianlong emperor and treats him in a cordial manner.

The question left unanswered is where this ethical stance originated. To claim that ideas of meritocracy are Western is to ignore the inspiration behind the bureaucratic reforms epitomized by the Chinese civil service exam. To claim that accepting the limitations of a human being, especially in regard to the strict ideals which society tends to place on that human being, is somehow foreign to China would mean ignoring its long Daoist tradition. Instead, it seems that the ethical system espoused within The Book & The Sword is simply the modern iteration of a long history of Chinese ideals. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The imperial examinations (科舉, kējǔ) in dynastic China determined positions in the civil service, which had promoted upward mobility among the people for centuries. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ...

Characters

Protagonists

• Chen Jialuo (陳家洛) - Leader of the Red Flower Society and secret brother to the emperor Qianlong.
• Huo Qingtong (霍青桐)
• Princess Fragrance (香香公主) - A beautiful Uyghur princess, sister to Huo Qingtong and love interest of Chen.
• Li Yuanzhi (李沅芷)
• Zhou Qi
• The Kungfu Mastermind

This popular culture article needs to be wikified. ...

Antagonists

• Fire Hand Zhou
• The Qianlong Emperor

External links

• (English) The Book and the Sword - Website of an English translation by Graham Earnshaw.
• (English) Book and Sword, Gratitude and Revenge - Information on the revisions of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com