The Book and the Sword

The Book and the Sword (simplified Chinese: 书剑恩仇录; traditional Chinese: 書劍恩仇錄; pinyin: Shū Jiàn Ēn Chóu Lù; Jyutping: Syu1 Gim3 Jan1 Sau4 Luk6; literally, "The Book and the Sword: Gratitude and Vengeance") is the first Wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialized on February 8, 1955 in The New Evening Post and ran for about one year. Set in Qing China during the rule of the Qianlong Emperor, The Book and the Sword details the quest of the Red... more

The Book and the Sword (simplified Chinese: 书剑恩仇录; traditional Chinese: 書劍恩仇錄; pinyin: Shū Jiàn Ēn Chóu Lù; Jyutping: Syu1 Gim3 Jan1 Sau4 Luk6; literally, "The Book and the Sword: Gratitude and Vengeance") is the first Wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialized on February 8, 1955 in The New Evening Post and ran for about one year. Set in Qing China during the rule of the Qianlong Emperor, The Book and the Sword details the quest of the Red Flower Society, an organisation aimed at overthrowing the ruling Manchurian government, and their entanglements with an Islamic Uyghur tribe. The "book" in the title refers to a Qu'ran stolen from this tribe. Historical characters such as the Qianlong Emperor, Zhaohui (兆惠), Heshen, Zheng Xie and Fu Kang'an are also mentioned in the novel. One of the female protagonists, Princess Fragrance, is loosely based on the Qianlong Emperor's Fragrant Concubine. This debut novel quickly established Jin Yong as one of the new masters of the genre.... less