Waiting on Wednesday
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you're continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.
For this week, I decided to link up A Bond Undone by Jin Yong as well as All Men Are Brothers by Shi Nai'an (version I have is translated by Pearl Buck!) By luck or whatnot, I did manage to get a 2020 book, You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, which I might pair with another earlier than 2020 book. (Not sure which one yet...) So let's move on to this week's Waiting on Wednesday. I also wish happy holidays to everyone.
First book I will present is titled A Bond Undone by Jin Yong, which is volume 2 of Legends of the Condor Heroes. The book is a Chinese classic that has recently started to become translated into English (yay!) but it is well known in Chinese culture, I believe because of the many dramas and movies that were created. The link to All Men Are Brothers? The characters are descendants of some of the heroes from All Men Are Brothers.
Second book is also a Chinese classic, part of the canon known as the Four Great Chinese Classsics, (If one also includes The Plum Blossom in the Golden Vase and The Scholars, then the numbers moves up to six.) although it was written/published in 14th century (Goodreads claims 1370) and it takes place during the days of Song Empire. All Men Are Brothers are also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, and its also an inspiration for The Plum Blossom in the Golden Vase.
A Bond Undone Legend of the Condro Heroes 2 by Jin Yong
Published Date: March 10th, 2020
(From Goodreads)In the Jin capital of Zhongdu, Guo Jing learns the truth of his father’s death and finds he is now betrothed, against his will, to two women. Neither of them is his sweetheart Lotus Huang.
Torn between following his heart and fulfilling his filial duty, Guo Jing journeys through the country of his parents with Lotus, encountering mysterious martial heroes and becoming drawn into the struggle for the supreme martial text, the Nine Yin Manual. But his past is catching up with him. The widow of an evil man he accidentally killed as a child has tracked him down, intent on revenge.
Meanwhile, his true parentage at last revealed, Yang Kang, the young prince Guo Jing must face in the Garden of the Eight Drunken Immortals, is forced to choose his destiny. Will he continue to enjoy the life of wealth and privilege afforded to him by the invader of his homeland, or give up all he has known to avenge his parents?
All Men Are Brothers by Shi Nai'an (Trans by Pearl Buck)
Published Date: 1370
(From Goodreads) This translation of a Chinese classic (14th Century) is the epic tale of a band of patriots in China during the latter part of Sung Dynasty and is considered by most to be one to the three or four greatest novels in Chinese literature. Shui hun chuan (water margin chronicles) is the adventure of a band of 108 outlaws (105 men and 3 women) struggling to help the Emperor rid himself of the despotic prime minister. Like Robin Hood, the bandit kings refer to themselves as the gallant fraternity. They come out to harass the authorities and to attempt to solicit followers to overthrow a corrupt government in the name of the Emperor. Chocked full of ghosts, innkeepers who make hamburgers of their guests, giants of superhuman strength, beautiful women in distress, wily intellectuals and crafty merchants, this is a timeless tale of love and adventure.
Which of these do you find exciting and are more likely to get?
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