The Adventures of Ma Suzhen
Paul Bevan
Springer International Publishing 
Sozialwissenschaften, Recht, Wirtschaft / Sonstiges
Beschreibung
The comic novel,
The Adventures of Ma Suzhen, was written during a highpoint in the popularity of
xia “knight-errant” fiction. It is an action-packed tale of a young woman who takes revenge for her brother, Ma Yongzhen, a gangster and performing strongman, who has been murdered by a rival gang in China’s most cosmopolitan city, Shanghai. After publication of the book in 1923, the character of Ma Suzhen appeared on stage, and subsequently in a film made by the Mingxing Film Company. The book version translated here, displays a delightful combination of the
xia and popular“Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies” genres, with additional elements of
Gong’an “court case” fiction. The translation is followed by an essay that explores the background to the legend of Ma Suzhen – a fictional figure, whose exhilarating escapades reflect some of the new possibilities and freedoms available to women following the founding of the Chinese Republic.
Kundenbewertungen
1920s literature, Chinese literature, 1920s China, 'Knight-errant' tradition, Ma Suzen, Ma Yongzhen, female knight-errant, modern Chinese popular culture, comedic adventure story