After reading THE DA VINCI CODE, I wish there were more intrigue in HSDS

[Ken Cheng]

I recently read the popular novel THE DA VINCI CODE (haven't seen the movie version yet). While reading it and following its line of intrigue, I couldn't help but wish that HEAVEN SWORD & DRAGON SABRE had the same level of intrigue before revealing the two eponymous weapons' secret.

Jin Yong was not a mystery writer, and his intent in HSDS was to write a wuxia adventure/romance, not a great mystery/conspiracy story a la THE DA VINCI CODE. Nevertheless, there was an element of mystery to the Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre that created suspense and intrigue until that secret was revealed. The thing is, however, is that the secret was revealed too easily. We went from knowing nothing to everything very quickly when Mit Jeut See Tai explained it all to Chow Chi Yerk. I kind of wish that Jin Yong had included subtle clues along the way to hint at the weapons' possible origins (including a few false leads to throw the reader off-track). That would have made it more amazing and more rewarding (for the reader) to discover that the two mysterious weapons that HSDS's characters had been fighting over were the remaining legacies of an earlier generation of heroes (i.e. the L/ROCH heroes). I mean, finding out that Gwok Jing and Wong Yung forged the Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre from Yeung Gor's Heavy Iron Sword was a wuxia revelation analogous to (if not nearly as momentuous as) THE DA VINCI CODE'S revelation that the Merovingian line of French monarchs was descended from Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.

[Extremer88]

We went from knowing nothing to everything very quickly when Mit Jeut See Tai explained it all to Chow Chi Yerk.

Actually, the conversation between Miejue and Zhou Zhiruo was only revealed near the end of the novel.

[Ken Cheng]

Actually, the conversation between Miejue and Zhou Zhiruo was only revealed near the end of the novel.

But it was very sudden nonetheless. There were no clues leading up to it. One moment, we were as much in the dark about the two weapons' true origins as we were at the beginning of the story, and then the next moment, the whole thing is revealed. There were no clues left along the way for the reader to figure it out before Mit Jeut See Tai made the revelation.

[yittz]

That's why HSDS adaptions don't do justice to the actual novel.

[0-0-0]

well you must admit, mystery is not the reason for reading JY's novels though

[Ken Cheng]

well you must admit, mystery is not the reason for reading JY's novels though

It isn't, but this seemed to be something of a wasted opportunity here.

[HuangYushi]

Actually, the conversation between Miejue and Zhou Zhiruo was only revealed near the end of the novel.

Not unless Chapter 27 of 40 is considered "near the end". The conversation took place in the pagoda after Fan Yao made an attempt to give Miejue the antidote to the poison that had struck her.

Yes, I agree. The outright conversation of the two weapons came quite unexpectedly with no hint/foreshadow whatsoever, but the "other mystery" that kept me glued to the novel the first time I read it was the question of how Zhou Zhiruo's schemes would eventually come to the knowledge of the resident blur-case Zhang Wuji.

[0-0-0]

It isn't, but this seemed to be something of a wasted opportunity here.

Well, HSDS would have been a lot more enjoyable if JY had left clues and hints along the way. I guess if JY had done that, i would have liked it much more, so i think you're right about the wasted opportunity

[owbjhx]

The outright conversation of the two weapons came quite unexpectedly with no hint/foreshadow whatsoever...

I agree that it's rather sudden and a little clumsy. But I wouldn't say there's no foreshadowing whatsoever:

1. The first time the Dragon Sabre appears, its description (jet-black, very heavy) - and arguably its initial presentation (funereal) - echo those of YG's Heavy Black Sword.

2. The first time the Heavenly Sword appears, Miejue and Daiqisi have just finished talking about what's been "passed down" by Guo Xiang.

3. The first time the Yi Tian Tu Long 'rhyme' is mentioned, there's a discussion about its origins in which Guo Jing, Yang Guo, and Xiaolongnu (indirectly) are talked of.

Naturally, nobody would be able to predict from these hints exactly what's happening with the weapons, but then it wouldn't be "foreshadowing". Also, it's all so slight as to make one wonder whether Jin Yong actually meant it. JY's writing style is not tight enough (at least in the Trilogy) to convince that these things might not just be coincidental. But an admirer of JY could be prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Jin Yong was not a mystery writer, and his intent in HSDS was to write a wuxia adventure/romance...

That's true. However, one of the interesting things about HSDS is that many passages show that Jin Yong improved as a writer since LOCH/ROCH precisely because his writing in HSDS contains more "mystery". He does a lot more 'showing' rather than just 'telling' (one of the golden rules in creative writing), letting the reader figure things out and allowing events to unravel naturally. But he still often falls back into ramming it clumsily down the reader's throat, which is of course what the scene we're talking about does.

[CC]

Its the same for DGSD. The mystery ended with a sudden 'Luke, I am your father'.

[0-0-0]

Its the same for DGSD. The mystery ended with a sudden 'Luke, I am your father'.

You're absolutely right I always thought that was the most stupid revelation in any of the novels

[Extremer88]

Not unless Chapter 27 of 40 is considered "near the end". The conversation took place in the pagoda after Fan Yao made an attempt to give Miejue the antidote to the poison that had struck her.

The secrets of the conversation was only revealed later on through ZZR's flashback.