Jin Yong's novels

Jin Yong's novels

Contents

<a href=“/jin-yong”>Jin Yong</a> wrote a total of fifteen wuxia masterpieces written between 1955 and 1972.

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Jin Yong’s wuxia works include fourteen novels and novellas, and the short story Sword of the Yue Maiden.

Most of these stories were initially released as in daily instalments in newspapers with the books being printed after the whole story had been published.

He made two rounds of editing so there are three editions of the novels. Since the novels were initially serialised in newspaper, there was room for improvement hence the first round of edit. The second edit is a result of an accumulation of his own thoughts and feedback from readers.

Couplet

After all the novels had been published, it was discovered that that first character in the titles of the first fourteen novels formed a couplet. The fifteenth and last book published, Sword of the Yue Maiden, was left out as a couplet needed an even number of characters, and the short story was not considered a novel anyway.

Jin Yong said he never intended for the titles to form a couplet. Nevertheless, it serves as a handy mnemonic for fans to remember the titles of his novels.

Traditional Chinese

飛雪連天射白鹿

笑書神俠倚碧鴛

Simplified Chinese

飞雪连天射白鹿

笑书神侠倚碧鸳

Hanyu Pinyin

Fēi xǚe lián tiān sè bái lù

Xiào shū shén xiá yǐ bì yuān

Translation

Shooting a white deer in the endless drifting snow.

Smiling while writing of the divine hero beside his beautiful love.

Editions

First edition

Most of Jin Yong’s works were first serialised in Hong Kong newspapers. They were most often published in Ming Pao,1 which was founded by Jin Yong with his friend. The Return of the Condor Heroes was the first Jin Yong novel to be serialised in Ming Pao, with the first instalment published on 20 May 1959.

Second edition

Due to the nature of serialised works, loopholes and inconsistencies were evident in the first edition. Jin Yong revised his novels between 1970 and 1980 to address these issues. He also removed unnecessary characters and elements.

The revision is referred to by fans as the second edition. It is often published as the New Edition (新版) or the Revised Edition (修訂版). The original serialised version is referred to by fans as the first edition, and is sometimes called the Old Edition (舊版).

The second edition carried a preface Jin Yong wrote for the revision.

The novels were first published in China by the Wulin (武林) magazine in Guangzhou from 1980. Jin Yong’s works were published in Simplified Chinese by Beijing’s Joint Publishing (三联书店) in 1994.

Jin Yong’s novels were initially banned in Taiwan. That led to unauthorised underground publications that often revised the novels excessively. His works were eventually published officially by the Yuenching Publishing House (远景出版社) in 1979.

His novels were published in 1995 in Simplified Chinese by Ming Ho Publications (Singapore-Malaysia branch) (明河社星马分公司) for readers in Southeast Asia.

Third edition

Jin Yong made another round of revisions between 1999 and 2006. This is referred to by fans as the third edition. It is often published as the New Revised Edition (新修版) or the Century New Revised Edition (世紀新修版). Some call it the New, New Edition (新新版) as a reference to the previous New Edition.

Jin Yong included a new preface written specifically for the third edition.

The revised novels were published in the order that they were written. The release of final novel, The Deer and the Cauldron, brought an end to the revision in spring 2006.

Jin Yong put in a lot of thought into editing his works, making extensive changes to the personality of characters, the martial arts techniques, and names of locations. The revision also included annotations that addressed criticisms directed at the historical accuracy of the novels.

The drastic changes received mixed reviews from fans. While some embraced the polished revision, others criticised it due to their preference for the plot and names in the earlier editions.

With the release of the third edition, Jin Yong’s publishing company Ming Ho Publications discontinued the second edition.

Novels

Published order

Jin Yong’s novels listed in publication order:

  1. The Book and the Sword: A Tale of Favour and Feud《書劍恩仇錄》(1955—56)
  2. Sword Stained with Royal Blood《碧血劍》(1956)
  3. The Legend of the Condor Heroes《射鵰英雄傳》(1957—59)
  4. Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain《雪山飛狐》(1959)
  5. The Return of the Condor Heroes《神鵰俠侶》(1959—61)
  6. Side Story of the Flying Fox《飛狐外傳》(1960—61)
  7. White Horse Neighing in the West Wind《白马嘯西風》(1961)
  8. Mandarin Duck Blades《鴛鴦刀》(1961)
  9. The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre《倚天屠龙記》(1961—63)
  10. A Deadly Secret《連城訣》(1963)
  11. Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils《天龙八部》(1963—66)
  12. Ode to Gallantry《俠客行》(1966—67)
  13. Laughing in the Wind《笑傲江湖》(1967—69)
  14. The Deer and the Cauldron《鹿鼎記》(1969—72)
  15. Sword of the Yue Maiden《越女劍》(1970)

Chronological order

Jin Yong’s novels are set in different historical periods. Here are the novels listed in chronological order of settings:

  1. Sword of the Yue Maiden《越女劍》(6th century)
  2. Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils《天龙八部》(11th century)
  3. The Legend of the Condor Heroes《射鵰英雄傳》(13th century)
  4. The Return of the Condor Heroes《神鵰俠侶》(13th century)
  5. The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre《倚天屠龙記》(14th century)
  6. Laughing in the Wind《笑傲江湖》(16th century)
  7. Ode to Gallantry《俠客行》(16th century)
  8. Sword Stained with Royal Blood《碧血劍》(17th century)
  9. The Deer and the Cauldron《鹿鼎記》(17th century)
  10. A Deadly Secret《連城訣》(17th century)
  11. Mandarin Duck Blades《鴛鴦刀》(18th century)
  12. The Book and the Sword: A Tale of Favour and Feud《書劍恩仇錄》(18th century)
  13. Side Story of the Flying Fox《飛狐外傳》(18th century)
  14. Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain《雪山飛狐》(1780)
  15. White Horse Neighing in the West Wind《白马嘯西風》(18th century)

The Book & the Sword: A Tale of Favour and Feud

Alternative title: The Romance of The Book and the Sword
Chinese title: 書劍恩仇錄 (traditional), 书剑恩仇录 (simplified)
Literal meaning: Tale of the Book, Sword, Favour, and Feud
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Shū Jiàn Ēn Chóu Lù
Setting: 18th Century during the Qing Dynasty. The exact time frame is speculated to be in around 1756. In Side Story of the Flying Fox, Zhao Banshan told a young Hu Fei that Fuk’anggan was once captured by the Red Flower Society twenty years prior.
Published: First serialised from 1 February 1955 to 5 September 1956 in the The New Evening Post.
Length: 513,000 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Official translation: Graham Earnshaw’s abridged version is available on Amazon.
Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Sword Stained with Royal Blood

Chinese title: 碧血劍 (traditional), 碧血剑 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Bì Xuě Jiàn
Literal meaning: Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Setting: 17th century during the late Ming Dynasty. Based on the death of Yuan Chonghua, the exact time frame is speculated to be between 1634 to 1644.
Published: First serialised from 1 January 1956 and 31 December 1956 in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily.
Length: 488,000 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Alternative title: The Legend of the Eagle-shooting Hero
Chinese title: 射鵰英雄傳 (traditional), 射雕英雄传 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Shè Diāo Yīng Xióng Zhuàn
Literal meaning: Story of the Eagle-shooting Hero
Setting: 13th century during the Southern Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty’s invasion of northern China.
Published: First serialised from 1 January 1957 to 19 May 1959 in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily.
Length: 40 chapters with a total of 918,000 Chinese characters in the Third Edition.
Learn more: About | Characters Official translation: Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain

Alternative titles: Foxy Volant of the Snowy Mountain
Chinese title: 雪山飛狐 (traditional), 雪山飞狐 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Xuě Shān Fēi Hú
Literal meaning: Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain
Setting: The story begins on 15 March 1780, during reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty.
Published: First serialised from 9 February to 18 June 1959 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 130,359 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Official translation: Olivia Mok’s Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain is available on Amazon.
Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

The Return of the Condor Heroes

Chinese title: 神鵰俠侶 (traditional), 神雕侠侣 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Shén Diāo Xiá Lǚ
Literal meaning: The Divine Eagle and the Heroic Couple
Setting: 13th century during the Southern Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty’s invasion of ancient northern China.
Published: First serialised from 20 May 1959 to 5 July 1961 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 1,012,500 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Side Story of the Flying Fox

Chinese title: 飛狐外傳 (traditional), 飞狐外传 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Fēi Hú Wài Zhuàn
Literal meaning: Side Story of the Flying Fox
Setting: 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. The exact time frame is speculated to be between 1766 to 1770 based on Hu Fei’s age and the date stated in Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain.
Published: First serialised in 1960 in the Hong Kong magazine Wuxia and History.
Length: 446,900 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

White Horse Neighing in the West Wind

Alternative titles: Swordswoman Riding West on White Horse
Chinese title: 白马嘯西風 (traditional), 白马啸西风 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Bái Mǎ Xiào Xī Fēng
Literal meaning: White Horse Neighing in the West Wind
Setting: 18th century during the Qing Dynasty.
Published: First published in 1961 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 78,000 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Mandarin Duck Blades

Alternative title: Blade-dance of the Two Lovers
Chinese title: 鴛鴦刀 (traditional), 鸳鸯刀 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Yuān Yāng Dāo
Literal meaning: Mandarin Ducks Sabers
Setting: 18th century during the Qing Dynasty.
Published: First serialised in 1961 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 37,000 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Translation: WuxiaSociety translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre

Chinese title: 倚天屠龙記 (traditional), 倚天屠龙记 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Yǐ Tiān Tú Lóng Jì
Literal meaning: Drawing on the Might of Heaven to Slay the Dragon
Setting: 14th century during the late Yuan Dynasty in ancient China.
Published: First serialised from 6 July 1961 to 2 September 1963 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 1,085,217 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

A Deadly Secret

Original title: Blade of the Pure Mind
Original Chinese title: 素心劍 (traditional), 素心剑 (simplified)
Original hànyǔ pīnyīn: Sù Xīn Jiàn
Alternative titles: Requiem of Ling Sing, Secret of the Linked Cities
Chinese title: 連城訣 (traditional), 连城诀 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Lián Chéng Jué
Literal meaning: Mnemonic of the Linked Cities
Setting: The exact time frame is not stated. Based on the book covers authorised by Jin Yong and the official ranks and location names, it is speculated to be set in the 17th century during the Qing Dynasty.
Published: First published in the Southeast Asia Weekly and Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 238,400 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils

Alternative title: Eight Races of Deities
Chinese title: 天龙八部 (traditional), 天龙八部 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Tiān Lóng Bā Bù
Literal meaning: The Deva, the Nāga, the Eight Sections
Setting: 11th century during the Northern Song Dynasty.
Published: First serialised from 3 September 1963 to 27 May 1966 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao and Singapore’s Nanyang Siang Pau.
Length: 1,211,000 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: WuxiaSociety translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Ode to Gallantry

Chinese title: 俠客行 (traditional), 侠客行 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Xiá Kè Xíng
Literal meaning: Travels of the Xiake
Setting: The exact time frame is not specificed. It has been speculated to be set in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty based on the Wudang being established and that men did not wear their hair in queues.
Published: First serialised from 11 June 1966 to 19 April 1967 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 364,000 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Laughing in the Wind

Alternative titles: Laughing Proudly in the Wind, Laughing in the Wind, The Wandering Swordsman, State of Divinity
Chinese title: 笑傲江湖 (traditional), 笑傲江湖 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Xiào Ào Jiāng Hú
Literal meaning: Laughing Resolutely in the Jianghu
Setting: The author intentionally left the exact time frame of the novel ambiguous. It has been speculated to be set in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty as the book uses Ming official ranks. In The Deer and the Cauldron, Abbot Chengguan mentioned that “a certain heroic Linghu from the previous dynasty defeated fighting styles without using any style.”
Published: First serialised from 20 April 1967 to 12 October 1969 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 1,065,600 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

The Deer & the Cauldron

Alternative title: The Duke of Mount Deer
Chinese title: 鹿鼎記 (traditional), 鹿鼎记 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Lù Dǐng Jì
Literal meaning: Chronicles of the Deer and the Cauldron
Setting: 17th century during the Qing Dynasty.
Published: First serialised from 1969 to 1972 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao.
Length: 1,248,200 Chinese characters.
Learn more: About | Characters Official translation: Book One, Book Two, Book Three, and Full Set
Fan translation: Adopted translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Sword of the Yue Maiden

Chinese title: 越女劍 (traditional), 越女剑 (simplified)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn: Yuè Nǚ Jiàn
Literal meaning: Sword of the Yue Maiden
Setting: 6th century during the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China.
Published: First serialised in 1970 in Hong Kong’s Ming Pao Evening Supplement.
Length: 8 chapters with a total of 16,445 Chinese characters in the Third Edition.
Learn more: About | Characters Fan translation: WuxiaSociety translation (ebooks in EPUB format)

Footnotes

  1. 明報 — Míng Bào. A Hong Kong newspaper that was founded in 1959 See Wikipedia. ↩

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