Adventures of Ma Suzhen

The comic novel, The Adventures of Ma Suzhen, was written during a highpoint in the popularity of xia "e;knight-errant"e; fiction. It is an action-packed tale of a young woman who takes revenge for her brother, Ma Yongzhen, a gangster and performing strongman, who has been murdered by a rival gang in China's most cosmopolitan city, Shanghai. After publication of the book in 1923, the character of Ma Suzhen appeared on stage, and subsequently in a film made by the Mingxing Film Company. The book version translated here, displays a delightful combination of the xia and popular"e;Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies"e; genres, with additional elements of Gong'an "e;court case"e; fiction. The translation is followed by an essay that explores the background to the legend of Ma Suzhen - a fictional figure, whose exhilarating escapades reflect some of the new possibilities and freedoms available to women following the founding of the Chinese Republic.