Publisher's Synopsis
Dulu Wang (1909-1977), was a famous Chinese Chivalry (Martial Art) novelist in the nineteen thirties and forties who wrote many novels including Crane-Iron Pentalogy (Dancing Crane, Singing Phoenix舞鹤鸣鸾记 aka鶴驚昆侖, 1940; Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin寶劍金釵, 1938; Sword Spirit, Pearl Light劍氣珠光, 1939; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 臥虎藏龍, 1941; and Iron Knight, Silver Vase 鐵騎銀瓶, 1942) which was adapted into a film under the title "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"by Ang Lee and his colleagues in 2000. Its spectacular action, rhapsodic landscapes and tragic romance have touched audiences in Asia, North America and around the world and won over 40 awards and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography. In 2019, the film was ranked the 51st in 100 best films of the 21st century list by Guardian.
Dulu Wang is considered one of the five greatest wuxia (which literally means "martial hero") fiction writers of the Northern School in the Republican. He was less interested in writing about ruthless killings; instead, he focused on his characters' development, their emotions, friendship, and passions. Wang had great sympathy for women who suffered cruel oppression by the society and imperial autocracy, and his novels featured many strong female characters, warriors, and heroines. Most of his stories featured tragic endings. His perfect combination of chivalry, romance and tragedy in his novels have thrilled many critics and readers and this style has influenced many authors. During 1925-1949 Wang published more 90 novels and thousands of articles and poems. Many of Wang's books will be published in the Collected Works of Dulu Wang.
Rescue and Revenge (女刺客) was published through a newspaper (平報, Ping Bao) from June 19 to October 5, 1928. The story occurred in Late Qing Dynasty. Tang, a retired local governor who hated the incompetent and corrupt empire, was imprisoned and tortured to death because of his words. Xu, a wuxia hero decided to protect Tang's orphan, a 15 year's old daughter, Qing and to kill the two cruel officials, Prince Mu and Lu, the Vice Minister of Penal Department, who murdered Tang and numerous innocent people. Xu killed Mu, but unfortunately was injured during a fight and dead. Qing had no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She went to Lu's mansion, killed Lu, avenged his father and Xu she loved. Then she killed herself.
王度廬是中國著名的武俠言情小說作家，在上個世紀三四十年代曾發表过大量小說、雜文、詩詞等作品。《鶴驚昆侖》、《寶劍金釵》、《劍氣珠光》、《臥虎藏龍》、《鐵騎銀瓶》是王度廬創作的五部內容相互關聯，又各自獨立的武俠悲情小說，通常被合稱為"鶴-鐵五部"。2000年李安導演根據該系列改編的電影《臥虎藏龍》，曾獲得40多個國際電影大獎，並榮獲了第73屆奧斯卡最佳外語片等四項大獎。本社出版的《王度廬選集》，收入了王度廬先生的包括"鶴-鐵五部"在內的不同時期不同類型的部分作品，王宏並對其做了一些必要整理和訂正。《女刺客》是1928年6月19日至10月5日在北京平報上發表的。所述故事發生在晚清，一個痛恨無能和腐敗的朝廷和惡吏，已經隱退的知府唐竹禪，因為酒後所作的一首詩而被監禁並折磨致死。俠客徐淩鵬得知後便決定暗中保護唐的孤女，15歲的女兒蝶卿，並除掉殺害了唐和無數無辜的平民的兩個官員：皇叔穆親王和刑部侍郎盧靜舟。徐殺了穆，但不幸在一場戰鬥中受傷而死。蝶卿失去了保護自己，為自己報殺父之仇，並且自己又深愛的人，身心俱焚，別無選擇，只能喬裝來到盧家，刺殺了盧，然後自殺。
