The Sorcerer's Revolt

by Luo Guanzhong, Feng Menglong, Nathan Sturman

Luo Guanzhong's fictionalized account of the Beizhou rebellion, led by Wang Ze. This forbidden classic, unavailable in China for decades, was "completed" by Feng Menglong, who added other details such as how the evil sorcerers obtained their powers through the efforts of a Fox Spirit and her two children, along with various satires of Ming corruption. Translated by Nathan Sturman.

Genres: China, Classics, Fiction, Literature

496 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2008

About the author

Luo Ben (c. 1330–1400), better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中) (Mandarin pronunciation: [lwɔ kwantʂʊŋ]), was a Chinese writer who lived during the Yuan Dynasty. He was also known by his pseudonym Huhai Sanren (Chinese: 湖海散人; pinyin: Húhǎi Sǎnrén; literally "Leisure Man of Lakes and Seas"). Luo was attributed with writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms and editing Water Margin, two of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

Reviews

[Zorlon Zorlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I once met a person with supernatural powers who taught me the Rectifying Magic of the Five Thunder Gods' Celestial Heart, and whenever I come across any of the black arts of the Diamond Chan or the Heretical Way, I quote a mantra and am able to counter the evil and turn it to good."

Eterna Hu, born from the ashes of the portrait of a fairy her father was sleeping with that her mother burned (the ashes flew down her mother's throat), weathers all sorts of earthly indignities on her way to coming into her own as a blossoming demon. She has to marry Daffy, a mentally challenged guy, and then flee her ancestral home as she cuts a magical swathe across the countryside, meddling with every young man in her path. Other demons crop up and torment silly mortals until a full-scale demon uprising is in the offing. Priestly, more moral mortals move to stop them with official sanction. And so on.
Probably not everyone will enjoy this as much as I did. I've found that I greatly prefer early Chinese and Japanese novels to their stilted, dry European counterparts. The sheer scale of zaniness and hyperbole are ceaselessly entertaining, all the while keeping carefully to a thinly veiled political backdrop. In this case, Wang Ze's revolt in the 11th century is the context for Eterna Hu and her demon legion's war against logic.

[Zadignose]

This book is fun, sometimes slapstick, sometimes darkly humorous, and it has a charming and somewhat familiar style. It's full of magic. Thematically, it's a bit rough, and it doesn't have the grand scope of the longer Chinese classics. My attempt to rationalize what it's "about," comes to this: corruption leads to rebellion, but though the rebellion may be a just reaction to injustice, once it has done its job, the rebellion too must be put down to restore a peaceful order. The strangeness of this is in the way it takes the heroic mischief making "demons" and has to recast them as the villains in the end, when most of our sympathy has been with them throughout. (The theme of heroic outlaws is perhaps better handled in the epic Water Margin/Outlaws of the Marsh--a book which may--rather doubtfully, but plausibly may--have been written by the same author.)

A theme of Taoist fatalism, however, feels a bit at odds with the comic episodes that compose this book, which one could probably appreciate as just a series of light entertainments and not worry much about the point of it all. And don't let that sound too dismissive. It really is an enjoyable book to read, and its roughness and oddness don't necessarily diminish that.

[Xinyan Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

really enjoyed the first part but it got more and more digressive as it went on

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful Chinese fantasy novel, and a wonderful English translation. The book was written originally in the 14th century by Luo Guanzhong, the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (one of my favorite books). It was later significantly revised in the late 16th century by Feng Menglong, who expanded the book from 20 to 40 chapters. The book is like a Chinese Wizard of Oz. It's got demons, sorcerers, white apes, fox spirits, monks, imaginative settings, colorful villains, and epic battles. The story centers around the historical exploits of Wang Ze, a military commander during the Song Dynasty who allies with several sorcerers to overthrow the government. The structure of the book is complex, jumping around from character to character, and the characterization is a bit inconsistent (sometimes the sorcerers are heroes, sometimes villains), but the last fourth of the book brings all of the characters together for a nice climactic confrontation. It's a long book (more than 500 pages), but I read it at a leisurely pace and never found it dull or plodding. It's a Chinese novel, so there's lots of poetry throughout the book. If you're not fond of simple rhyming verse, skip the poems; it won't detract from your enjoyment of the book.

[Dmytro Demchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be brief - now Marvel is making very similar movies

[Stezsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tahu, kan, nikmatnya ngakak-ngakak waktu nonton B-movie? Itulah yang saia rasakan waktu ngebaca novel jadul ini.

Novel kolaborasi antara Luo Guanzhong (iya yang nulis SamKok aka ROTK ituh!) dan Feng Menglong. Ramuan fantasi, drama, komedi, dan sejarah. Ping Yao Zhuan! (Aka. Sorcerer's Revolt!)

Terdengar jeritan penonton, "Aah, novel Tiongkok! Pasti karakternya seabrek dengan nama mirip semuaa..."

Tenang saja, PingYaoZhuan (PYZ) ini karakternya ga banyak-banyak amat kok. Jauh lebih sedikit daripada SamKok atau Suikoden. Lagipula novel ini lumayan pendek, cuma 40 bab. Sun GoKong dan SamKok itu 100 ke atas, lho.

"Tapi 40 bab kan masih puanjaaaang!"

Kabar bagus berikutnya. Edisi pertama novel ini cuma terdiri dari 20 bab.Mulai dari sekitar bab 20 atau 21 edisi yang sekarang. Jadi kalo malas, Anda bisa baca setengah bagian terakhir novel ini (yg konon ditulis sama Mbah Luo, btw).

"Lho terus 20 bab awal itu apa?"

Itu adalah "prekuel" yang ditambahin sama Feng Menglong karena merasa draf awalnya kurang backstory. Saya sarankan baca dari awal sih. "Prekuel"nya seru dan asyik, kok. Kecuali bagian prolog, yeah.

Bab 1-2 buku ini adalah prolog yg dibintangi siluman kera Yuan Gong. Menurut hasil googling saia, ternyata Yuan Gong adalah Kera Tungpei yang di film Gokong ituh. Yah, tapi waktu baca buku ini saia blom tahu klo Yuan Gong itu Kera Tungpei *cough*yangganteng*cough*. Jadilah reaksi saia, "Hah? Heh? Hoh?" Mungkin prolog itu bakal lebih berkesan buat pembaca ratusan tahun lalu, waktu buku ini pertama terbit. Tapi buat saya prolog adalah kelemahan utama buku ini.

Tunggu! Jangan ditutup! Setelah prolog berakhir ceritanya bagus, kok. Beneran. Skimming saja itu prolog ato lompati sampai para lakon kita muncul di bab 3, mwahahah.

Masuk ke cerita utama, kita dikenalkan pada keluarga siluman rubah yang terdiri dari ibu (Holy Auntie), anak cewe (Mei), dan anak cowo (Zuo). Karena ngegodain istri orang, Zuo kena panah di paha yang bikin luka super parah. Jadilah Holy Auntie yang ga tega menempuh perjalanan jauh ke rumah tabib supersakti.

Si tabib ternyata juga peramal, selain kasih obat mujarab buat kaki Zuo, dia juga memberitahu takdir keluarga rubah. Setelah menerima ramalan itu, keluarga rubah memutuskan buat belajar sihir.

Cerita bercabang mengikuti karakter lain, seorang biksu muda yang lahir dari telor. Namanya Biksu Dan, alias Biksu Telor (yeah!). Dia mendengar gosip tentang kitab sihir super sakti yang tersembunyi di gua kera Yuan Gong. Tapi gua itu diselimuti kabut tebal yang cuma hilang sekali setahun. Setelah tiga tahun berusaha, Dan berhasil mendapatkan kitab sihirnya. Sayang sekali, dia ga bisa baca tulisannya. Ehehehehe.

Untuk menafsirkan kitab sihir itu, Dan harus minta bantuan Holy Auntie. Begitulah para tokoh utama kita bertemu.

Iyah. Ini baru permulaan. *mesemgede*

PYZ emang punya plot yang "luas" dengan beberapa karakter utama yang masing-masing kebagian porsi cerita. Jangan kuatir, plotnya sama sekali tak rumit kok. Tapi macamnya banyak. Mulai drama keluarga, petualangan, sihir-sihiran, sampai PERANG! Yessh, judulnya ga mungkin Sorcerer's Revolt kalo para penyihir kita ga berontak, kan? Ohohoho.

Buat yang mau referensi cerita villain protagonist tapi lovable dan lucu, ato perjalanan prota menjadi villain, ini buku yang oke banget buat dibaca. Lihat gimana si rubah Mei bereinkarnasi jadi bocah Yong'er yang baik hati sampai menjadi ratu sihir pemberontak fufu.

Yah, salah satu yang bikin saia suka ama buku ini tuh karakterisasinya. Sebetulnya karakter-karakter PYZ ini stereotip banget. Tapi stereotipnya "kena".

Misalnya, si penjaga rumah orang kaya ini:

Just then she noticed a guard seated atop a stone lion with his gown open, picking fleas. Seeing her, he hurriedly rearranged his clothes and approached.

"You there!" he shouted, "Get away from there!" The old woman came forth and an interrogation began as to her identitity and intentions.

"I'm a poor Daoist nun from Sichuan," she answered; "Having been inspired to sacrifice atop Mt Hua I've come through your fine county. Now I'm out of cash so I'd like to beg a little charity, and that's about it."

Now, old man Zhang the gatekeeper answered sympathetically.

"You're really out of luck, Sister...up until ten days ago there was no sign like now prohibiting begging at at the door."

Dari sedikit paragraf itu saia sudah dapat gambaran si Zhang sebagai om2 tuwir rada jorok tapi lumayan baik hati. Beberapa paragraf berikutnya, si Zhang berusaha mengusir Holy Auntie dengan sedekah koin karena takut dimarahin boss-nya. Bagian dia dikit banget, tapi gambaran karakternya udah "kena".

Ada karakter yang imej-nya langsung kebangun dengan "tell" satu dua kalimat. Ini bapak-bapak yang biasanya muncul di acara "Tolong" :V

We have heard how Mi Bida relied on the rich and cheated the poor, spitefully refusing to repay his debt upon seeing the poverty and misery of his creditor Squire Hu. The Squire walked out into the falling snow with his belly all full of anger and bitterness over this shabby treatment. But fortunately the Mi family's old servant Liu Yi was ashamed to see the palor of hunger and cold on the old Squire's face and led him into a secluded little restaurant where he chose a nice clean table, asking him to sit at the head and inviting old scholar Chen to accompany them for the meal.

[....]


Liu Yi called the proprietor over and settled the bill, and there wwere over one hundred coins remaining. Liu presented the money to Squire Hu, apologizing sincerely. "I've been awfully rude to you," he said; "let's have tea and forget about it!"

Bagian titik2 itu silakan dibaca sendiri di bukunya. Buat saia paragraf pertama sudah menciptakan kesan yang cukup kuat seperti apa si Liu Yi ini. Paragraf yang bawah kesimpulannya.

Oh, dan ini segerombolan anak yang baru mendapat bantal ajaib:

The other grabbed the little pillow. When he examined its face closely he saw the five golden characters for "Ninth Heaven's Playing Fairies' Pillow" carved into it, while at the top was written "Fairy World". Studying it he suddenly realised how such a dream could possibly have been caused by that pillow. "I don't know if your story is for real or not," said the first boy, "but I'm taking this pillow to sleep on tonight, just to see if the dream comes or not!"

"Now don't you use it all yourself!" said the other. "Each of us can enjoy it. You before midnight and me after!"

Bocah-bocah itu cuma keluar di sekelumit bagian itu, tapi saia sudah merasa melihat anak-anak betulan.

Sepertinya PYZ ini pintar mengambil detail2 kecil yang bisa memberi kesan karakter kuat. Macam cari kutu, restoran kecil, ato rebutan bantal.

Oh, ya, contoh-contoh di atas itu semua figuran yang kemunculannya cuma sedikit. Mereka yang munculnya satu bab, apalagi yang utama, tentu dapat perlakuan lebih detail dari ini :v

Meskipun PYZ ini penuh "nilai moral" (sampe ada puisi ceramah moral segala), saia ga ketemu karakter yang meluluuuu jahat ato meluluuu baik sampai kaya malaikat. (Okeh, manusia dan silumannya). Moral compass dunianya tetep black and white, tapi para karakter bisa sliding dari satu sisi ke sisi lain.

Overall ceritanya lucu dan lighthearted. Ada Deus ex machina bertebaran di mana-mana. Iyes, literally. Beberapa ending subplot bakal kerasa "ah, curaaang". Apalagi waktu para villain protagonis sudah terlalu imba hohoho. Untungnya proses menuju endingnya epik.

Dan ngaco kreatif.

Kitab sihir halaman pertama: sihir membuat uang. Mwahahahaha. Anda biksu dan dikejar-kejar polisi gara-gara ngerusuh di tengah kota? Ubah mereka semua jadi biksu. Om-om kasim mesum mau menodai Anda? Tenang, ada pakaian dalam ber-password. Kalo bosan dengan sistem mejik MP-saia-habis, cobalah mejik lolwut nonsensical di cerita ini.

Oh, ya, jangan lupa melihat perang-perangan yang ada di akhir cerita ini. Bosan dengan perang-perangan fantasi yang lagi-lagi main hujan panah dan pedang-pedangan? Bingung mengatur logistik pasukan? Mau lihat perang fantasi yang benar-benar fantasiyah bin ngaco?

Mari saia kutipkan beberapa judul bab yang menggambarkan gimana "fantasiyah"nya perang dalam novel ini:

CHAPTER 36: PRIME MINISTER WEN LEADS THREE ARMIES INTO BATTLE; DEPUTY CAO REPELS THE ENEMY WITH PUMPS

CHAPTER 37: THE WHITE APE GOD PRAYS TO THE MYSTERY GIRL; THE LITTLE FOX WITCH'S FLYING MILLSTONE STRIKES AT THE OLD BARD

Okeh, saia ga akan bocorin aksi Wang Ze dengan roket di akhir cerita. :V

Akhirnya, buku ini ngaco, seru, lucu,kadang gore, dan epik. Saia ngerekomen ini buat para penggemar fikfan lainnya supaya dapet temen fangirling. Lewati prolog Yuan Gong vs Mystery Girl klo pusing dengan gaya prolog jadul yang gaje.

It's worth it!

[Corpruga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one for the world lit syllabus planning! I really wanted to include one of the major premodern Chinese novels, but the length of most of them was pretty intimidating—I’m already out of my depth in trying to teach something from a non-European tradition, I can’t also be making my STEM major students read 800-page books. Fortunately, this one is a very manageable length at 215 pages including notes, and it’s super fun—I’m hoping to do some background research to allow me to introduce the shenmo genre to my class.

Although, as the back of the book says, this is a fictionalized version of Wang Ze’s rebellion in 1047-48, it takes quite a while to get to anything resembling a rebellion: the first part of the novel is Eterna Hu, mystery magic child of pawnshop owner Hu Hao and his wife, doing a bunch of magic, freaking her parents out, and playing magic tricks on people. I was reminded of the 1001 Nights at times—there’s a similar pattern of ordinary people finding themselves in very confusing supernatural situations. Later on in the novel, the more political elements become clearer, as the magical shenanigans of Eterna and the various randos-turned-“demons” start to undermine the power structures of different levels of government.

I’m in no position to evaluate the fidelity or quality of the translation—though I will note that there are a lot of typos, perhaps because of the posthumous nature of this edition—but it’s pretty easy to read, with helpful but not overwhelming endnotes, and there’s so much happening in it that it’s hard to get bored, though not hard at all to get confused. I hope it’ll pair well with something like Marie de France’s lais, which also feature interesting tensions between magic and established power structures and random encounters with the supernatural.

[Memnoch d devil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical novel mengenai pemberontakan Wang Ze di zaman Emperor Renzong of Song dynasty. Cukup menghibur dengan gaya penulisan layaknya chinese novel yg ditulis di era Ming.

[Carsyn! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my World Lit class and causually enjoyed it. I am terrible at names, and there are a ton of characters in this one. Not very riveting, but I liked it.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I picked it up because of a uni class. And rather enjoyed it. Though it was a bit slow which I don’t really love in a book

[Helmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ping Yao Zhuan

Das "Ping Yao Zhuan", hier als "The Sorcerers' Revolt" übersetzt, wurde im 16.Jh. in die vorliegende Form gebracht. Wie ich schon anderweitig mehrfach erwähnt habe, lesen sich diese alten chinesischen Texte immer wieder überraschend modern; man muss also kein Altphilologe sein, um den Roman genießen zu können.

In diesem Roman, den man ohne Mühe in die Kategorie "Fantasy" einreihen kann, findet sich nach und nach eine Gruppe von Zauberern zusammen, die gegen einen korrupten und gewissenlosen Gouverneur rebellieren. Fuchsgeister, unsterbliche Daoisten, buddhistische Mönche, rebellische Affenzauberer, wundersame Orte, Beschwörungen und viele fantastische Details machen diesen Roman zu einem Spektakel.

Wie viele andere klassische chinesische Romane hat auch dieser die Eigenart, stark zu mäandern; erst nach deutlich der Hälfte des Romans bekommt man einen Eindruck, wohin die ganzen Einzelgeschichten und Handlungsfäden führen. Wirkt die Handlung zu Beginn noch stark fragmentiert, nimmt der Roman an Fahrt auf und fügt sich dieses Stückwerk nach und nach in ein großes Gesamtbild. Wirklich komplett erschließt sich dieser Roman also, wie die meisten anderen klassischen chinesischen Werke, erst beim zweiten Lesen, wenn man weiß, worauf man zu achten hat.

Interessant fand ich an diesem Roman insbesondere, dass sich die Perspektive und Haltung des Erzählers immer wieder ändert: Mal sind die Zauberer die Guten, die nur die schlechten Beamten bekämpfen, dann sind sie wieder die Bösen, weil sie gute Menschen ruinieren. Wie im echten Leben gibt es hier kein klares Schwarz-Weiß.

Die englische Übersetzung liest sich flüssig, manche etwas kreative Romanisierungsform der Namen empfinde ich als störend (Wahng, Lyu, Zhouh etc.). Die für diese Romanart typischen Gedichte sind in Reimform, was sich der Übersetzer hätte sparen können; wie man in Jenners Übersetzung von "Reise nach Westen" sehen kann, funktionieren diese Gedichte besser, wenn man sie in freiem Reim formuliert. Ansonsten kann ich diesen Roman allen Lesern empfehlen, die gerne die "Großen Klassiker" Chinas gelesen haben; auch als Einsteigerwerk ist dieser Roman durchaus geeignet, da vergleichsweise wenige Personen auftreten, deren Namen man sich merken muss.

[Greekchoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny, but you read it in the same way you put Modern Family on in the background while you make dinner

[Lulu]

1571-1589
In 1620, Feng Menglong expanded the novel to forty chapters from the original twenty.

Another trans https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...