The Research On The Early Edition Of Water Margin--The Especial Sequel Of Water Margin

A comprehensive argumentation was caused by the publication of The Early Edition of Water Margin in 1985. Scholars wrote articles to express their viewpoints about the authenticity of this novel and scientific conferences were convened in China inorder to discuss it. The consequence of discussions is falsity of the novel. The man who wrote it was not Shi Nai'an. Some scholars maintained that it's written by Mei Jihe who wrote the prologue of it. Several experts considered that it was truly an old edition written by Shi Nai'an. The supporters and objectors focused their attention on the authenticity of the novel without analyses and investigations on its ideologies and art. The criticisms and researchs on the novel went with the discussions about the authenticity of it.If we consider The Early Edition of Water Margin as the sequel of Water Margin, we will find out that the relation between the novel and progenitor is clearer, we will apprehend the novel thoroughly. The characteristics of the novel are useful to the criticisms of Water Margin and the researchs on the sequels of Water Margin. This paper will analyse the novel comprehensively inorder to research the Water Margin and its sequels deeply by investigating three aspects of The Early Edition of Water Margin.