Shui Hu Zhuan

[Lemmy Claypool]

I recommend Moss Roberts' translation of ROTTK if you like the language used at threekingdoms.com

I have the unabridged version and I thoroughly enjoyed all four books of it.

[patapi]

Thanks, but I'm actually looking for recommendation on Shui Hu Zhuan, not RoTTK. I use the 3K site as an example.

[Lemmy Claypool]

Ah, my mistake. I thought you were talking generally about the "Chinese Classics", I misread your post >_<

[bigjimslade]

I found this translation to be pretty good-

Link


I fixed the link because it's stretching the board layout. -p

[patapi]

The entire set is a bit pricey, but I like what little I can read from the "Look Inside" pages.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check if the local bookstore is willing to source the set, as the publishing year is rather old.

[jjrrs]

with all the genso suikoden game fans out there, seems to me only about at 1/10 of us in north america have any idea that the game was based on a book(if you count the japanese fans that ratio should shoot up to be about 1/3 or more since I would think most of them hear of the book first) but still, you'd think someone who's a fan of the games would put up these books in english for free download somewhere.

I got into the genso suikoden games the exact opposite way most people are getting into the books. It was my favorite book for years before I even heard of the games, and when I did I bought them all(only up to II back then) hoping they would at least close to be as interesting as the book, and are they ever.

There are some major differences between the books and the games that I maybe turned off by if I played the games first:
[spoiler]1.Very violent, much more so than even ROTK since the violence is more in everyday life than against a army at war(there is plenty of that too) many small time crooks that really didn't do so much wrong to deserve to die and even innocent people gets killed without much cause at times. if one was to draw comparisons to the game, many of the game's stars of destiny would be killed for their personality according to the book's standards.
2. Bad ending, obviously the book is mainly a fictional story but the ending is very sad and almost unbelievable as all but 27 of the stars of destiny died in the last campaign after winning countless battles without any casualties. later on, the book ends when more of what's left of the 27 stars basically dies at the hands of the evil empire that they fought against.
3. Culture and time period differences. just as I have a hard time enjoying medieval stories because I'm more used to eastern tales, I'm sure many people who grew up with legends of king aruthor and LOTR would feel ROTK and this book to be harder to accept.[/spoiler]
If you can fight through all that and more, then you will find the book to be pretty interesting, there is certainly a great feel of 108 bigger than life heroic characters while it lasts, just like you would experience in the games, as well as some scenes almost exactly like the ones in the first game.

[Quing]

I just finished reading the book. I liked it.

There are certainly some similarities between the book and the Suikoden series, although, there are also many differences. The copy that I got read like translated epics always do. If you've read Beowulf or the Tale of Sundiata, you know what I mean. It has a style that is initially sort of tedious, but that picks up once you're used to it. It takes forever to get an accumulated group of characters together. It also has a moderately depressing ending. I thought it was good, though.

[GrymReaper]

As far as Outlaws of the Marsh, my Chinese professor recommended the Sidney Shapiro version, which is coincidentally the translation used in the Foreign Language Press 4-volume version. Penguin put out an abridged version of his translation as well.

[Paler than Moon]

Is there an etext version of Shui Hu Zhuan (english translation)? I tried Gutenberg but they don't have it...
I'm tired of watching the tv series, as the Indonesian subtitles aren't good and it's very slow-paced...