In the 13th century, in China, two soon-to-be fathers and best friends make a vow to unite their families, starting with their as-yet unborn children. However, a chance meeting with a stranger and an attack on their village set in motion a series of events that will alter their families forever.

This is the second novel I've now read in English by Jin Yong (the other one being Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain). He's a legend in Asia for creating a number of stories that have transcended mere pop-fiction and have become part of the culture, somewhat akin to George Lucas with Star Wars or Stan Lee with his many comic-book superheroes. Chances are, if you know someone who grew up in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, they know of Jin Yong--most likely because they've read his wuxia (martial-arts hero) novels or seen the stories on TV.

The narrative style is very thin and, unfortunately, the atmosphere is lacking. As such, the novel is filled mainly with many characters doing many, many things. The only exception to this thin narrative is the kung fu, where the fights can go on for several pages. This thin narrative does lend an air of antiquity to the novel, and the action keeps the story flowing. It's a very quick, light read, and all the information you need to know about Chinese history and the wuxia culture are either explained in the text or else in the introductory comments or the appendices.

The plot and characters are something that I can only describe as a lite version of Charles Dickens, set in the martial-arts world of China. Interestingly, both writers serialized their works when they were initially publishing them, which also gives A Hero Born an episodic feel with the spacing out of the twists and action sequences.

At this point, there really doesn't seem to be much mentioned to recommend this novel--and my 3-star rating doesn't help either. However, I think absolutely everyone should read this novel, and here's why: it gives a very natural and easy-to-understand portrayal of the rivalry that is a major part of Chinese culture. As Westerners from a predominantly Christian culture, many of us have been taught to forgive, to not be jealous, and to compete only with oneself. This novel will open any reader's eyes to the deep-seated rivalry, vengeance, and pure power-lust that is so prevalent in Chinese culture. It also discusses misunderstandings, honor, pride and the taking of offense, and cunning shrewdness. This novel will be immediately beneficial to any reader who reads about China in the news or who has dealings with Chinese business people.

It's not a novel without its frustrations, but it is certainly more valuable than it is a waste. It's quick and easy--quite funny at times--and it has Genghis Khan. Go for it.



NB. For anyone looking for perhaps a bit more information about the history of the time period or wuxia, here are two useful links to Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(1115%E2%80%931234)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia