Gu Long
●Born into troubled times
Born in troubled times,
suffered the bitterness of family divorce,
prematurely bear all of life.
Gu Long, formerly known as Xiong Yaohua, was originally from Jiangxi.
There are at least three versions of the year of his birth: 1936, 1937, 1938.
This mystery of his birth should be regarded as a suspense, leaving it to the imagination and speculation of readers.
His place of birth: Hong Kong.
His childhood was roughly between the Anti-Japanese War and the founding of the People's Republic of China. It can be said that he spent a tumultuous and turbulent childhood in a unique place at a unique time.
In Zhang Ailing’s words, it was a troubled time. The entire human race seems to be addicted to the impulse of destruction, and war has destroyed all civilization and peaceful homes.
In "Love in a Fallen City" created in 1943, Eileen Chang gave a vivid description of the situation in Hong Kong at that time:
It is a short distance from the Repulse Bay Hotel and flying across it in the air. There is a bridge blocking the mountain here. …The walls were cold and rough, a dead color.
That day was December 7, 194, December 8; the cannon sounded. With one shot after another, the silver mist of winter morning gradually dispersed. On the mountain tops and in the valleys, the residents of the entire island looked towards the sea and said, "The war has begun, the war has begun." No one could believe it. However, After all, it was a war. ...There is a scientific laboratory near Barton Road. There is an anti-aircraft gun on the roof. Stray bullets keep flying over, making a long sharp cry, squeaking, uh, uh, uh..., and then falling to the ground with a bang. The squeaking uh uh uh uh rented the air and tore the nerves. The light blue sky was torn into strips, fluttering in the cold wind. Countless severed nerve tips were floating in the wind at the same time.
That year, Gu Long was about 3 to 5 years old. Was he held in the arms of his parents, or was he held by his parents and mixed in with the crowd hiding from the air raid? Did this horrific memory become one of the sources of his later creations?
As for Hong Kong, it is a fishing village plundered by the British during the Opium War, a prosperous city in the 1930s and 1940s, and a paradise for adventurers of all colors and dreams. A poet who was born in Hong Kong in 1936 and later settled in the United States once mentioned Hong Kong in his memories:
I have nothing good to say about Hong Kong. The Chinese enslave the Chinese, and the Chinese deceive the Chinese. The eyes of contact... cast on them burning sweat, apoplectic alertness: uneasiness spreads through their organs, blood vessels, hair tubes and toe tips... Our poor strength no longer dares to travel too eagerly between affairs... No Dare to know the city we have not yet known, dare not calculate which station we will come to, or distinguish where we will sit or lie down. We know nothing, we only look forward to the moonset.
This is the time and space structure of Gu Long’s growth. All of this is reflected in his young eyes. People who were born and grew up in such an era have undoubtedly endured rare great changes and disasters in human history along with the times. Life is wandering, life is pursuing.
Perhaps, the two voices in Gu Long's novels are not unrelated to the time and space in which he lives. One voice is the call for "home", and the other voice is the call for "hope".
Home is in sight.
The light is also in sight!
Hope will always be in the world!
The great changes in 1949 rewrote Chinese history.
The Chinese Kuomintang fled to Taiwan and stood alone on the island; the... on the mainland brought incomparable ideals and hope to the people. The fate of many people has changed their course as a result. The tragedies and comedies of human beings in the changing times are deeply moving.
However, after all, the war is over, and people no longer have to hide from ruthless artillery fire, nor do they need to be trapped in the barren mountains. People can build their own homes calmly.
Gu Long moved to Taiwan with his parents. After experiencing the nightmare of war and enjoying the atmosphere of peace for the first time, the young Gu Long should have been bathed in the warmth of family.
However, the war outside ended, but the war within the family broke out. For most people, especially those who are underage, family is their harbor and their parents are the only people they can rely on. Parents are also the most sacred and noble images in the hearts of their children: they know everything, they are generous and kind, and they are firm and unyielding. Therefore, nothing chills a child more than a divorce between parents. I feel like my dream is shattered. The sacred aura of the adult world will disappear due to this divorce, leaving the young soul full of doubts.
Gu Long’s family is not poor. His father once served as the confidential secretary of the mayor of Taipei, so he does not have to worry about food and clothing. If everything was as calm as water, this would be a plain and warm family. Unfortunately, the relationship between the parents could not be healed after all, and they parted ways amid constant quarrels.
Gu Long witnessed the separation of his two relatives with fear and uneasiness, and he vented his anger and resentment on his father. As a result, a quarrel between father and son ensued, causing this family that had lost the love between parents to lose the deep affection between father and son.
The stubborn Gu Long ran away from home and prematurely assumed the hardship of supporting himself.
Survival has become the most urgent issue. The world is so big and the sea of ??people is vast, but we often can't find a place to stay or a little bit of kind care.
He worked for others everywhere, and was hungry and destitute, especially in winter, when the cold wind blew in his face at night, wandering on the streets, homeless. Looking up at the sparse starry sky and the desolate bright moon, waiting for the arrival of dawn. Such a mood is full of misery, but also full of unyielding yearning. Just like a character he described in his work "Famous Swordsman":
He has tasted most of the pain in life. But no matter what, I am still alive, I am still young, and the world is so big. There are places everywhere I can go.
In extreme pain, hope becomes more attractive and beautiful. It will make strong people stronger and move forward more courageously. The young Gu Long, with nothing to rely on and nothing to rely on, has already shown the high-spirited life sentiments that later filled his works: never despair, always live, and live a better and more meaningful life. .
With the help of friends, Gu Long found a small place to stay on Pucheng Street in Taipei, which he regarded as his "home". While working hard and studying hard, he actually finished high school and college as a homeless boy.
Gu Long’s academic performance is pretty good, and it is not affected by his part-time job, which shows his high talent. The university he studied at was Tamkang University, majoring in English. During this period, he read a large number of European and American novels. His interest in literature fully sprouted, and he not only read but also wrote, becoming a true "literary youth".
Unfortunate life experiences and lonely mental state always make a young person tend to the world of literature. Because that piece of heaven and earth is full of sadness, full of love, as well as sympathy and sweet dreams. That piece of heaven and earth can block the turmoil and pain of this world. Almost all "literary youth" may answer the question "Why do they like literature": because of loneliness.
The royalties system is a new thing that only appeared in the 19th century. The commercialization of the publishing industry has given writers a strong commercial flavor to their writing. The temptation of royalties may destroy the aesthetic quality of literary and artistic writing, or it may promote the flourishing of literary and artistic writing. The pros and cons are almost beyond words.
Like many literary young people, Gu Long understood the truth after he personally tried the joys and sorrows of writing and got published: writing can not only express depression in the heart, but also make money.
His first work is called "From the North to the South", a melancholy and lyrical novella, published in the "Morning Light" magazine in 1956.
He also wrote a large number of poems and prose, but gradually, he wrote more novels.
Because writing novels seems to be a better way to solve the needs of life.
He is obsessed with writing. Obsession is a kind of madness that completely ignores the conditions of reality. Obsessed with music. People who work in art and literature are generally regarded as stupid and crazy by ordinary people, because the consequences of being obsessed with these "things" are often just poverty.
After graduating from college, the vast majority of students are willing to find a stable job in the government or education sector to support their families. Gu Long probably had this most normal idea at the beginning, and he once found a position as a translator in the US Army Advisory Group in Taipei. If he keeps working hard, he may not be able to achieve great success, but at least he won't have to worry about life.
But his fascination with literature made Gu Long have such a good dream: a quiet little hut, a bamboo forest, a stream, the sun is bright, reading and writing articles in front of the window, under a tree, or by a stream. What he liked was freedom and unrestrainedness, and the infinite happiness when creating words. Therefore, contrary to ordinary people's expectations, he quit his job, rented a house in the remote and quiet town of Ruifang, and started living as a freelance writer. life. For a while, he lived a light and fulfilling life. Every month, his words are printed in type, and every month he can go to Taipei City to collect royalties. Although the money was not much, it was enough to entertain the gang of friends. Everyone gathered in the shabby room and the wine was in full swing. It had the artistic conception of "where can I wake up tonight, on the bank of willows, with the dawn breeze and the waning moon".
Happiness is short-lived. Making a living from pure literary and artistic works is best described as the saying "there is no meal left". While living in seclusion in Ruifang Town, Gu Long gradually felt the pressure of life increasing. The key is money. Without money, there is no way to live a free life.
Modern civilization is spreading all over the world. Is there any peach blossom land where people can get rid of all the fetters? In a civilized social network, people have nowhere to escape. He or she can only rely on their own abilities to win a foothold for themselves.
Human youthful feelings must be literary, just as people often say: every young person is poetry. When the mind is not polluted, it only embraces the infinite desire and pursuit of beauty, kindness, and truth. Life can be sacrificed, but ideals cannot be destroyed. This is the poetry of youth.
However, the pace of daily life is getting closer and closer, and the seriousness of survival problems will often shatter the colorful dreams we once had. To live is the only wish.
So, people gradually become more disciplined, step by step, and enter a prison composed of experience, common sense, dissimulation, and acceptance without torture. People gradually give up many beautiful things in the process of survival.
As a literary young man, as a literary writer who pinned his sorrow and longing on it, when Gu Long accepted the publisher's suggestion and turned to martial arts novels, he felt a hidden pain in his heart. As he himself said:
Because usually not even a penny is left in a broken pocket. In order to eat, drink, ride in a car, make a girlfriend, watch movies, and live in a house, as long as you can write When you produce something, you have to exchange it for money without stopping, and you have to pay the royalties in advance. ...Writing while waiting for dinner is not a tragedy shared by writers only, but it is a tragedy for me. I believe that I am probably not the only one who has this kind of sadness---"The Growth and Transformation of a Writer"
This kind of article is the gap between "the great cause of managing the country" and "making plans for rice." Contradictions have always plagued Gu Long's writing. But no matter what, when he turned to writing martial arts novels around 1960, he had actually taken the first successful step.
●Become famous in one fell swoop
After nearly ten years of struggle,
Finally broke out into a new world,
What followed was Fame and money.
In 1960, martial arts novels had become one of the most popular mass cultural consumer products. Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng are already famous all over the world, and other "writers" big and small are also showing their talents and pursuing their own interests.
If Gu Long wants to occupy a place in the "martial arts world", he must find his own way of writing and his own style. Otherwise, he can only become an operator on the production line of martial arts novels.
At the beginning, he was not famous. In order to obtain publication and royalties, he worked as a gunman for some famous writers. Of course, he himself understood that this was just a temporary measure.
No matter what, you have to produce a large number of unique works to impress people. The reason why Gu Long rose to prominence is closely related to the speed of his writing and the strangeness of his conception. It is difficult for people to imagine how a person can write so many words and make up so many stories every day like a machine.
In the four years from 1960 to 1963, he wrote 14 novels: "The Sword of the Sky", "The Moon and the Stars", "Sword Spirits and Scholars", and "The Sword of the Concubine of Hunan" , "Sword Poison and Plum Blossom", "Legend of the Lone Star", "Lost Soul", "Yangxia Lu", "Hua Ling", "Colorful Ring Song", "Remnant Gold and Missing Jade", "Fragrant Sword Rain", "Sword Xuan" "Record" and "Swordsman's Journey".
This is still an incomplete statistics. There may be some fish that have slipped through the net and cannot be found.
Gu Long's attacks were swift and extraordinary, and he soon won the title of one of Taiwan's "Four Famous Masters", the other three being Zhuge Qingyun, Wo Longsheng and Sima Ling.
In Gu Long’s view, martial arts novels can also reach the great realm created by great writers. Martial arts writers can also, like the authors of "War and Peace" and "The Old Man and the Sea", use keen observation, rich imagination, and compassionate sympathy to effectively depict human nature and express themes. It enables readers to see deeper and further into the people and things in the world while being moved by joys and sorrows.
Around 1965, Gu Long created works such as "Lovers' Arrow", "The Legend of the Flag Hero", "A History of the Martial Arts", "Famous Swordsmen", "Peerless Two Prides", etc. With this, his martial arts writing has reached a new peak: in other words, he seems to have found what is most his own... This is also the time when Gu Long's creative power is strongest, his imagination is richest, and his courage is greatest. During that period, he could write anything and dared to write anything.
According to his own evaluation, "Although those novels do not have very complete stories, and they also lack rigorous logic and thinking. Although they are absurd, they have some flavor."
"Then This is how I write martial arts novels at that time. I don't care where I write. In order to pretend to be shocking, in order to create a kind of suspense that I think others can't imagine, I often deliberately distort the characters of the characters in the story, making the story itself out of touch. Its scope."
In any case, after three or four years of exploration, Gu Long finally wrote his own work, just as the Zen master said to his disciples: "You have finally found yourself! "
"Peerless Two Prides" is undoubtedly a work worthy of admiration. To this day, it has become one of Gu Long's masterpieces. Its story is a typical Gulong style, and its characters are also Gulong-style characters. The whole novel is set in a sinister trap, and the plot unfolds in a mysterious atmosphere. The master of Yihua Palace planned to kill Jiang Feng and his wife, adopted one of their twins, and left the other to Jiang Feng's sworn brother Yan Nantian, in order to make the twin brothers kill each other in the future.
In this novel, Gu Long gives readers an unforgettable character--Jiang Xiaoyu. In the 1960s, the male protagonists in martial arts novels were mostly upright heroes. Male protagonists like Jiang Xiaoyu were really an anomaly. His behavior changes a lot, sometimes he is a gentleman, sometimes he is a villain. , and his heart seems to be full of contradictions. No one can fully understand him, and perhaps even he himself cannot fully understand himself.
The other film "Famous Swordsman" is also very powerful.
The novel is written about the growth process of young Yu Peiyu, with twists and turns in the plot and delicate description. It seems to be infused with Gu Long's own bitter experience. It is very touching to read. In particular, it describes a complex world where truth and falsehood are reversed, as well as mysterious masked characters. It expresses the deep pessimism deep in Gu Long's heart, which is particularly thought-provoking.
After nearly ten years of struggle, Gu Long finally broke out into a new world. With it comes fame and money.
He once suffered from poverty and finally got rid of poverty. He moved from a small town on the outskirts of Taipei to Taipei City and lived in a luxurious residence purchased with his royalties.
The two-story mansion is extremely elegantly decorated. His family lived downstairs and he occupied the upper floor. In this level of freedom, he can do as he pleases, weaving the magnificent imagination in his heart with words, as if he has forgotten the chaos of the world.
He collected all kinds of delicacies and wine everywhere. When you open his home, you can find some wine that cannot be bought in the Taipei market. I don’t know how he obtained it.
The walls of his study room are covered with calligraphy and paintings given to him by friends. There are also stylish HIFI record players. Things like televisions, VCRs, video games, and dartboards.
He wrote books for booksellers and also provided serialized martial arts novels for newspapers and periodicals.
He makes a lot of money and spends a lot of money. It is true that "if you are successful in life, you must have all the joy. You will come back after all the money is spent."
Gu Long’s writing has no plan, no rules, and he doesn’t care about whatever he feels like. The bad habit of procrastination can never be changed. I often take money from the publishing house but fail to submit the manuscript on time. The same thing happened when it was serialized in newspapers, which made the newspaper editor complain so much that he had to hire someone to write for him.
Hong Kong writer Ni Kuang wrote for Gu Long, and he imitated it so vividly that it looked exactly like Gu Long's writing style. Once, Gu Long stopped writing for more than 20 days, and Ni Kuang wrote all the manuscripts. No reader discovered the secret.
It is said that a newspaper in Hong Kong invited Gu Long to write a farewell letter. Unexpectedly, Gu Long "inserted a candle" in the middle of writing, and the dragon failed to finish. The newspaper owner implored Ni Kuang to catch the knife, but he was afraid that Ni Kuang would not agree, so he emphasized: "We sincerely ask Mr. Ni Kuang to write a manuscript to supplement Gu Long's novel, and the manuscript fee is the same as Gu Long."
The boss means that Gu Long's manuscript fee is already very high It's high, and "the same" as Gu Long should not be treated badly by you Ni Kuang.
Ni Kuang laughed loudly after hearing this: "I have no interest in catching swords, and I also want you to know that my royalties have always been higher than Gu Long."
●Novel is popular all over the world
Gu Long’s martial arts novels have sold so much and are so popular that only Jin Yong can compare with him.
From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, Gu Long's creations truly reached glory and became a famous artist popular all over the world.
His influence extends beyond Taiwan, and together with Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng, he is recognized as the three most accomplished writers of modern martial arts novels.
-------Xiao Li's flying knife made a perfect sound, and Chu Liuxiang was nowhere to be seen in the world--------
◆Early works:
The debut novel of Cang Qiong Shen Sword
Yue Yi Xing Xie
The second half of Sword Qi Shuxiang was ghostwritten by Mo Yusheng
Xiang Fei Sword is also known as the Golden Sword Broken Bone Order< /p>
Ghostwriting of Sword Poison Plum Fragrance Shangguan Ding
Lone Star Biography
Lost Soul Yin
Youxia Record
Guarding Flowers Bell
Colorful Ring
Remnant Gold and Missing Jade
Excellent Work of Fragrant Sword Rain
Sword Xuan Lu
Swordsman
◆Middle and late works:
The excellent work of Huanhua Washing the Sword
The Lover's Arrow is also known as "The Furious Sword", the excellent work
大 The Legend of the Flag Hero, also known as "Iron-Blooded Banner", a masterpiece
The Foreign History of Martial Arts, also known as "Snowstorm in Zhongzhou", a masterpiece
The Famous Swordsman (the ending is ghostwritten by Qiao Qi), a masterpiece
>The masterpiece of the peerless two prides
The Legend of Chu Liuxiang (also known as the Legend of Iron Blood) is divided into three parts: the masterpiece
"The Fragrance of the Sea of ??Blood"
" "Great Desert"
"Thrush"
The sequel to the legend of Chu Liuxiang is divided into four parts: Masterpiece
Ghost Love and Chivalrous Love, also known as Borrowed Corpse to Resurrection
The Legend of the Bat
The Legend of the Peach Blossom
The Legend of the Crescent Moon
Midnight Orchid
The masterpiece of the Passionate Swordsman Wuqingjian (also known as the First Sword of Fengyun)
The Flying Eagle in September (the sequel to Fengyun No. 1 Sword), a masterpiece
The representative work of Tianya·Mingyue·Sword
The Prodigal Son of the Border Town (the sequel to Tianya·Mingyue·Sword) ) Excellent work
The representative work of Xiao Shiyilang
Fire and Xiao Shiyilang (the sequel of Xiao Shiyilang)
The representative work of Meteor·Butterfly·Sword
"Seven Weapons" Series: Representative Works
Eternal Life Sword
Jasper Sword
Peacock Feather
Love Ring
p>Overlord Gun
Farewell Hook
Only six types of fists have been completed, this is not one of the seven weapons
The masterpiece of Seven Killers
Sword·Flower·Misty Rain·Jiangnan
Never Bow Down (the only modern action novel) is highly recommended
A masterpiece by a big shot
Fist Again Calling the Angry Pony
The Third Young Master’s Sword Masterpiece
The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng Series (***7): Masterpiece
The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng
< p>Embroidery ThiefBefore and after the decisive battle
Silver Hook Gambling House
Ghost Villa
Fengwu Jiutian
Sword God Smile
Earth Flying Eagle's masterpiece
Blood Parrot
Seven-Star Dragon King
Blue blood-washing silver gun
A masterpiece of Heroes Without Tears
A masterpiece of Full Moon Scimitar (partly ghostwritten by Sima Ziyan)
A masterpiece of Happy Heroes
A masterpiece of White Jade Tiger
White Jade Dragon and White Jade Tiger, most of which were ghostwritten by Shen Suimei
Flying knives·See the masterpiece of flying knives again
The masterpiece of the sound of knives in The Wind Chime (the ending was ghostwritten by Donglou) )
The masterpiece of Furious Sword and Wild Flowers (partly ghostwritten by Ding Qing)
The masterpiece of That Sword (partly ghostwritten by Ding Qing)
The sound of swords in the border town Excellent work (partly ghostwritten by Ding Qing)
Falcon Gambling Commemorative Chapter (posthumous work, short story)
★Supplementary collection of works (still the works of the old master):
Chrysanthemum's Thorn Supplementary Collection
Jianqi Yanshuang Supplementary Collection
Iron Sword Beauty Supplementary Collection
Gu Long's martial arts novels have sold so much that they are widely circulated. It seems that only Jin Yong can compare with him in terms of breadth. Even people who don’t read novels often see Gu Long’s works on and off the screen. If the novels have been adapted into movies and TV series, there are so many of them. Only Jin Yong can compare with him. The song "Little Lee Flying Knives" (the theme song of the TV series adapted from "The Sentimental Swordsman") has become a household name in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
There was a time when singers went to Southeast Asia to perform on stage. If they didn't sing this song, the audience would boo.
It’s so tiring that even Taiwanese singers have to practice all night long to sing this Cantonese song even if their accent is wrong.
When it comes to the number of creations, only Ni Kuang among Hong Kong and Taiwan writers can compare with Gu Long. The total number of Gu Long's novels may be more than 20 million words, and the "Gu Long Novel Album" of Hong Kong Laurel Book Company collects more than 80 kinds. The collection of Gu Long's works released by Zhuhai Publishing House in March 1995 was accompanied by a list of ***68 Gu Long novels that have been officially published in mainland China.
①The Divine Sword of the Sky②The Moon and the Star Evil③The Sword Qi Book Fragrance ④The Xiang Fei Sword
⑤The Sword Poison Plum Fragrance ⑥The Legend of the Lone Star⑦The Lost Soul Yin⑧The Ranger Record
⑨Huahua Bell⑩Remnant Gold and Missing Jade 11 Fragrant Sword Rain 12 Sword Mystery Record
13 Swordsman's Journey 14 Huanhua Washing the Sword Record 15 Lover's Sword 16 The Legend of the Flag Hero
17 Foreign History of Martial Arts 18 Famous Swordsmen 19 Peerless Twins 20 Fragrance of the Sea of ??Blood
21 Great Desert 22 Thrush Bird 23 Passionate Swordsman’s Ruthless Sword 24 Ghost Love and Chivalrous Love
25 Bat Legend 26 Happy Hero 27 Big Shot 28 Peach Blossom Legend
29 Xiao Shiyilang 30 Meteor·Butterfly·Sword 31 Eagle Flying in September 32 Sword of Immortality
33 Jasper Knife 34 Peacock Feather 35 Passionate Ring 36 Overlord's Gun
37 End of the World·Mingyue·Sword 38 Seven Killers 39 Sword·Flower·Misty Rain·Jiangnan
40 Never Bow Down 41 The Third Young Master's Sword 42 The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng
< p>43 Embroidered Thief 44 Before and After the Decisive Battle 45 Fire and Xiao Shiyilang46 Fist 47 Border Town Prodigal Son 48 Blood Parrot 49 White King Tiger
50 Earth Flying Eagle 51 Silver Hook Casino 52 Ghost Villa 53 Full Moon Scimitar
54 Flying Knife·See Flying Knife Again 55 Blue Blood Silver Washing Gun 56 Farewell Hook
57 Phoenix Dance in Nine Heavens 58 New Moon Legend 59 Heroes Without Tears
60 The Seven-Star Dragon King 61 Midnight Orchid 62 The Sound of Knife in the Wind Chimes
63 The Sword God Smiles 64 The White King Diaolong 65 The Furious Sword Crazy Flower
66 That One The Style of the Sword 67 The Sound of Swords in the Border Town 68 The Falcon, Gambling
Gu Long ranks first in Taiwan's "martial arts", and there is no dispute. According to a survey by Ye Hongsheng, a famous Taiwanese martial arts researcher, the top ten martial arts novelists in Taiwan are: Gu Long, Sima Ling, Wo Longsheng, Shangguan Ding, Zhuge Qingyun, Banxia Louzhu, Murong Mei, Sun Yuxin, Liu Canyang, and Duguhong.
The rankings of Jin Yong, Gu Long and Liang Yusheng are quite controversial. Among the three, the most undisputed is Jin Yong's status as a master. The profound meaning expressed in Jin Yong's works is indeed beyond the reach of Gu Long and Liang Yusheng. He is not only the master of modern martial arts novels, but also a generation of famous figures who cannot be ignored in the history of Chinese literature.
So, who is better than Gu Long and Liang Yusheng? This is entirely a question of benevolence and wisdom. Gu and Liang have different styles and achievements, and they represent the two poles of modern martial arts novels. Just as Chen Mo said in "Gu Long Lun":
"Although he (Gu Long) cannot stand shoulder to shoulder with Jin Yong, he can be compared with Liang Yusheng."
"No matter No matter how you arrange it, Gu Long is already a super star master. This is an indisputable fact in the history of martial arts novels. "
Huang Zhan, a famous Hong Kong writer and host, made this evaluation of Gu Long: Mo. To discuss whether Gu Long's novels are better than Jin Yong's, whenever we talk about the genre of martial arts novels, we cannot fail to mention Gu Long.
Jin Yong once said that Gu Long's novels are original, wonderfully conceived and accomplished.
When Ni Kuang first read Gu Long’s works, he was amazed by his talent and promoted it in Hong Kong. He believes that Gu Long is the best martial arts novel writer since Jin Yong. He breaks through tradition, has a unique style, is romantic and passionate. He is also such a person. His works depict profound human nature, vivid characters, and can combine tradition and modernity.
Novelist Wen Ruian said that after Gu Long’s lifetime and death, there was no martial arts novelist in Taiwan who could compare with him. His writing style is concise and innovative, blending tradition and modernity, which is suitable for the fast-paced modern society. Some of the contents using symbolic techniques are the epitome of modern society. The reason why Gu Long's martial arts novels can suddenly emerge among many famous people, become a genre of their own, and become popular all over the world is inseparable from his unique creative techniques. In line with the purpose of "seeking novelty, seeking change, and seeking breakthroughs", he turned plot novels into suspense novels. He also applied the literary proposition of writing about people, people's fate, people's emotions and characters to martial arts novels. He has said many times:
Martial arts novels should no longer write about gods and demons, but should start writing about people, living people, people of flesh and blood! The protagonist in a martial arts novel should have some strengths, some weaknesses, and more importantly, some feelings.
If the plot of martial arts novels cannot be changed, why not change it, write about the conflict between human emotions and human nature, and create climax and action from the emotional conflict.
Only human nature is indispensable in novels. Human nature is not only anger, hatred, sorrow, and fear, but also includes love and friendship, generosity and chivalry, humor and sympathy. Why should we pay special attention to them? The ugly side?
Gu Long attaches great importance to analyzing and describing the inner world of characters, and boldly draws on the writing techniques of modern stream of consciousness and mystery novels. The characters will be deepened, the plot development will be more logical, and the artistic conception of the work will be more integrated with reality and reality. It will give you a unique flavor when reading, and you will gain a strong enjoyment of artistic beauty.
He likes the works of American writer Hemingway the most and praises his concise, accurate and powerful writing. Gu Long's language style is obviously influenced by it, but it has more characteristics of Chinese classical popular novels: hibiscus emerges from clear water, and the natural carvings are removed.
Gu Long’s works contain many Buddhist verse-like phrases. "When you are in the arena, you can't help yourself" is his famous saying, which has aroused the screams of countless readers.
He loves to combine long and short sentences. He said: "Long sentences read like a mighty river pouring down, and short sentences are suddenly connected, just like a sword cutting off the water, which can produce a special effect of ups and downs."
Gu Long's later novels Full of free expression of emotions and ideas. On the one hand, it erases the historical background of the novel and obtains the greatest degree of creative freedom; on the other hand, it uses a large number of techniques that are in line with the taste of modern readers, such as background cutting, interlacing of pictures, split shots and other montage techniques, making the novel distant and ethereal. It is both a poetic style and a fearful commercial style.
Gu Long is talented, but he lacks restraint and is too indulgent. When he became famous, he did not slow down his creation. Unlike Jin Yong, who revised all his old works after becoming famous, showing a very rigorous creative attitude, he still "produced" in large quantities as before. He wrote a lot of wonderful novels and a lot of terrible novels.
Gu Long is a person with obvious character flaws, and at the same time, he is also a person who makes people feel that his flaws are sometimes cute.
Maybe he should be content, with a world-famous reputation, a luxurious house, and a virtuous wife.
In Gu Long’s study hangs a couplet written by Mr. Chen Dinggong, embedding his and his wife Mei Baozhu’s names in the couplet:
The ancient box dragon chants autumn and talks about swords, and the treasure curtain Zhujuan Xiao Ningzhuang.
Bao Yanzhu Dangchun Audition, Ancient Taoist Dragon Sword Night Essay.
●Romantic Love History
He has had romantic experiences with many women,
some were short-lived or long-lasting,
in the end they were all gone. The smoke and clouds
went away with the wind.
A woman can be a human, a god, or a beast.
The romantic feelings of adolescence always make a woman a god, a fairy tale, the embodiment of beauty, freedom, love and so on.
For an ordinary person, romantic feelings are fleeting.
For an artist, sometimes it is a lifelong romance.
As a result, their lives, creations and opposite-sex entanglements are inseparable.
So, there is this literary language:
Eternal women lead us
In an instant, a woman’s gaze changed my life Purpose, determination and thoughts.
I just want a woman's heart
Love is the god of young people
Chinese literati have a saying of "reading at night with fragrant red sleeves"; Western literati have a saying The term "source of inspiration". Female beauty stimulates the creativity of writers and artists. Therefore, Rodin, Turgenev, Picasso, Maupassant, Chopin, George Sand, Hemingway and others were still in love until their deathbed.
Arijima Takero once said:
I create because of my loneliness.
I create because of desire.
I create because I want to be loved.
The impulse to create comes from love and loneliness. Or, it can be said that we love because of loneliness, and we create because of the emptiness of love.
Continuously chasing fantasy beauty, but constantly being disappointed and sinking.
No woman can always be beautiful, and no woman can always be considerate, and can never bear the purity and hope that the artist has given her.
So, Betteria can only survive in Dante's "Divine Comedy", but not in real life.
When you fall in love with a woman, it is not just about simple lust, but also includes more ambitions to conquer, such as the realization of your own life value, etc. In the end, you can only lament the illusion of life.
The more you get, the more you feel the sadness of impermanence.
Because everything that is beautiful is sad. Of course, sad things are not necessarily beautiful.
We are both fallen people at the end of the world.
This is the literati facing the wind