Notes on Dust Along the Immortal Road (2.21-3.15)
Posted by: Song Sixue 2005-5-27 23:18:55
I've barely read any of it this semester. There were three chapters earlier that I never wrote my impressions of, and this time I haven't finished reading either.
I also discovered that this board's archive of featured posts has more material collected than the author's personal collection, hoho.
1. So cute. Xing Yan is cute, and Ling Yier is cute too...
2. Actually, the plot of Dust Along the Immortal Road doesn't move slowly, though the prose style and other factors make the pacing feel a little slow. But at least its plot developments actually count as plot, rather than groaning when there's nothing wrong. That alone puts it ahead of Jade Dynasty.
3. As I read, I kept wondering: does Dust Along the Immortal Road really count as wuxia?
True, although both are tales of immortals and chivalry, Jade Dynasty seems to have a stronger wuxia flavor, with more sect rivalries, more fierce battles, and more intense grudges, passions, love, and hate.
But why does wuxia have to be like that? Isn't Dust Along the Immortal Road in its current state-I haven't read the latest parts yet-actually closer to wuxia's roots? Acting chivalrously and upholding justice. Just four simple Chinese characters, but can you say that isn't wuxia?
Of course, the new school of wuxia, particularly Jin Yong, developed stories beyond simply acting chivalrously and upholding justice, greatly enriching wuxia with grudges, passions, love, hate, and struggles between sects. That was progress, but we shouldn't be shackled to sects competing for supremacy, nor should we forget that foundation: acting chivalrously and upholding justice.
It looks like I'm the one who's still shackled by tradition.
4. And one reason Dust Along the Immortal Road feels more