Book Review: A Hero Born by Jin Yong

A Hero Born by Jin Yong

I’ve always loved kung fu; from Bruce Lee to David Carradine, from the classic movie Fist of Fury to the Academy Award winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. So, I was truly looking forward reading “A Hero Born.”

And it did not disappoint except for a few minor things such as writing style which can’t be helped because it was written for a different era of readers.

A Hero Born: The Definitive Edition (Legends of the Condor Heroes)

Listed under the sci-fi/fantasy genre, I knew going it that it was a work of fiction. But, the author Jin Yong incorporated so much history that I had a hard time discerning which was fact and which was fiction.

Since my knowledge of Chinese story, Genghis Khan and the Mongols is at best cursory, I just had to enjoy the book because it is truly epic in both its classic meaning and today’s urban definition with epic meaning “cooler than cool.”

As most everyone knows, Jin Yong is the most famous literary exponent of wuxia, the world of kung fu chivalry which is familiar to today’s audiences thanks to martial arts movies. “A Hero Born” is the epitome of this genre.

Set in Song Empire (China 1200 AD) to the appearance of a warlord whose name will endure for eternity: Genghis Khan, the story of “A Hero Born” encompasses 18 years.

In its simplistic form, it is the story of two young men who were sworn brothers, and both were Song patriots. Murdered by treasonous soldiers, their wives fled their village with their unborn sons. One of the wives was rescued by a prince while the unborn Guo Jing and his mother fled to the plains and joined Genghis Khan and his people.

The main story plot follows Guo Jing but there are so many subplots that there really is no other way to describe it as epic. Fantasy readers who are familiar with Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” will understand how involved the telling of such a story can be.

“The Wheel of Time” took 16 books and 20 years for fans like me to get to the ending. That’s dedication, not only by the writer and his fans.

Reading and finishing “A Hero Born,” I realized that this is only first book of the “Legends of the Condor Heroes” to come out in English translation. I would like very much to read the others. But since I don’t speak Chinese nor read it, I will have to wait for the next translated work.

That said, “A Hero Born” is an auspicious start. Aside from the history lessons albeit embedded in fantasy, the battle scenes are described so vividly that I can see it in my mind’s eyes. If ever Hollywood decide to make a movie out of this, the action scenes are almost scripted for the director and stunt coordinator.

I enjoyed this book so much that halfway thru the book, it was released on audio and yes… you guessed it, I spent one of my credits in Audible to buy it. It is so totally worth it!

“A Hero Born” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is strongly advised due to violence.