Paper Swordsmen: Jin Yong and the Modern Chinese Martial Arts Novel

By John Christopher Hamm and Christopher Hamm

The martial arts novel is one of the most distinctive and widely-read forms of modern Chinese fiction. In Paper Swordsmen, John Christopher Hamm offers the first in-depth English-language study of this fascinating and influential genre, focusing on the work of its undisputed twentieth-century master, Jin Yong.

Through close readings of Jin Yong's recognized masterpieces, Hamm shows how these works combine a rich literary tradition with an extraordinary narrative artistry and an evolving appreciation of the political and cultural aspects of contemporary Chinese experience.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 082482895X
• ISBN13: 9780824828950
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Crucial book for all students of martial arts films and fiction

Prof. Hamm has researched the history of the genre to a depth that has not even occurred to other scholars. The chapter "Local Heroes," especially, is a revelation, outlining the history in Triad foundational mythology, oral folklore and pulp fiction of the supposedly historical tales of the South Shaolin Temple, the meat and potatoes of every Shaw Brothers fan. The Jin Yong chapters suggest that the genre has a long history of struggling to escape from itself and retire from the dog eat dog life in Jiang-Hu. Also highly readable, which is a nice bonus.

Superb, well-researched account of the Jin Yong's wuxia novels

This is an excellent and engrossing study of wuxia author Jin Yong. It not only discusses the theme of the Jin Yong's wuxia novels but also traces the history of wuxia, it's rise and impact in Hong Kong and China. For those who have interest in wuxia, this is a rare but valuable English language look at the world of Jin Yong.

More than Jinology

Good background information on chinese wuxia genre and some martial arts history too.