Outlaws of the Marsh: A Somewhat Less Than Critical Commentary
History of the Novel

 

The Title:  The title of the novel Shui hu chuan, literally translates as "Water Margin Chronicles". It has been translated into English under various titles. The Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck translated it as All Men are Brothers. The translation that this site uses as its main resource is titled Outlaws of the Marsh.

The Setting:  Outlaws of the Marsh describes events that transpired in China during the first quarter of the twelfth century, When Hui Zong of the Song Dynasty was Emperor.

The Authors:  The novel is generally attributed to Shi Nai’an (ca. 1290-ca. 1365) and Luo Guanzhong (ca. 1330-ca. 1400) (Pinyin) or Shih Nai-an and Lo Kuan-chung (Wade-Giles) in the fourteenth century, approximately 200 years after the events depicted in the novel. However, the true authorship of the novel is unclear. Versions of portions of the novel existed in poem form nearly 200 years before the accepted first publication date of the novel. Even the existence of Shi Nai'an is unclear, some scholars declaring it a pseudonym for Luo Guanzhong. More detailed discussions of the authorship can be found in the preface to the various translations of the novel.

 

back to main page

 

Song Jiang the Timely Rain murders his adulterous wife, Yan Poxi, who threatens to betray him for aiding the outlaws.