I wanted to write a review since so many of the ones on GoodReads seem to have a political slant or seem to focus on the fact that the reader read something that was not "western". My viewpoint is from one who read this translation side by side with the original while asking questions to a friend who grew up with it over WhatsApp. A Hero Born is not the Chinese "Lord of the Rings". There are other classic and modern works that better fit the moniker. Its the first novel in a series which is clo...

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up)A Hero Born is a modern classic of Chinese kung fu fantasy that has been translated into English. It's the first installment in an intergenerational saga and is the sort of book where I can tell I am missing a lot of the nuance and context due to not being Chinese and reading it in translation. It's relatively slow paced and did drag at times, but the core story I found to be very compelling and I was invested in the outcome. We begin in a village where two w...

Two men who are brothers at arm's befriend a Taoist. The Taoist helps choose names for their unborn children and leaves them. These two men are betrayed and murdered. Their wives are captured and their family lines are in jeopardy. That's only the beginning of this generational tale.A Hero Born is a story that struggles from things outside of it's control, at least in the US. It's an old book that was first published in the 1950s. On top of that it's translated into English which undoubtedly cos...

3.5 starsI really enjoyed this! The first 2 chapters (100 pages) are quite slow, but given that this is the first out of 4 books that is actually only the first book in a trilogy, I think that was to be expected. Once the story picks up, it becomes really addictive and is very enjoyable.Do I think this is the most intellectual book? No. It's a classic wuxia novel and that's exactly what it delivers - the fight scenes are phenomenal and highly entertaining. The training sequences were top notch,

It was advertised as a Chinese LOTR but I feel like it has nothing similar at all. Its a style in itself, Wuxia, which is pretty much fable type chinese martial arts. Think crouching tuger hidden dragon. The story and historical elements were great. I found the dialogue a little cheesy or YAish, but I guess that might be the translation. My issue was all the different martial arts schools and moves. I think as a novel its sometimes hard to describe or visualize these moves. In my opinion its eas...

Being it the first time I am wading the waters of the wuxia genre, I am quite satisfied that I picked up this book. As it is the first time I thought of treading carefully in case I missed any important points. As per some of the reviews I have read i could comprehend that this was a hit or miss among non-Chinese fans and there maybe few reasons as to why that would be. The use of names and the some fantasy-like elements in regards to the Kungfu can clearly put some people away from the book but...

Jin Yong is an enormous name in Chinese literature--and finally we're getting English translations of one of his most famous series, Legends of the Condor Heroes. This series has been filmed multiple times, and the books have been in print for half a century.For us Westerners looking through the tiny keyhole of translated Chinese epics, this one I think serves as a good introduction. I cannot comment on the quality of the translation, but I believe that beginning with the tale of Guo Jin was a g...

I hope the style of this catches on, in the way they have done this translation. It's very much a serial story, and strongly reminded me of the last 'novel' I read that first existed in serial installments in a newspaper: Sue's The Mysteries of Paris, with its episodic structure and high-excitement, sensational content. I know Dickens (and Dostoyevsky) published in serial too, but read now as novels, they don't come across as installment stories as Sue did, and as this 1950s Hong Kong serial doe...

This book has been advertised as the “Chinese Lord of the Rings.” When I first got the email when this book was being translated I knew I had to read it. A Hero Born by Jin Yong, Translated by Anna Holmwood is the first book in the Legends of the Condor Heroes Book 1. This epic begins with brothers in arms, Skyfury Guo and Ironheart Yang and Song patriots. The novel takes place in China 1200 A.D. during the Jin-Song Wars. When Guo and Yang are murdered, their wives give birth to sons but are sep...

ARC provided by the publisher—St. Martin’s Press—in exchange for an honest review. A Hero Born is the start to Jin Yong’s highly praised classic series but a lot of the promising quality of the book seems to get lost in translation. I’m genuinely sad with my ratings for this one, but I have to be honest that I have mixed feelings towards this novel. When I was around 5 years old, I used to watch The Legends of the Condor Heroes a lot with my parents. When I missed an episode, my parents would

When I heard that this epic historical book would finally be available in English, I could not wait to get my hands on this. Then the book gods answered my prayers and this was sent to me. This is the first English translation since this book was first published back in 1957 -‘exceptionally done by Anna Holmwood. A Hero Born (Legends of the condor Heroes Book 1) is the first book in a 4 book series. A Bond Undone Book 2 (3/2020), A Snake Lies Waiting Book 3 (09/2020) and A Heart Divided is the F...

Aiya the names being translated into English are so annoying. I don't buy the translator's reason not to use the pinyin names. Some names even made the characters sounded like strippers, really. Anyway, I just found out that the wuxia drama adaptation does not really add too much fluff. The story length, including when it becomes draggy, is based on the original material. Thank heavens the Chinese TV authority now limit series to 40 episodes max so we would get a tighter adaptation.The story was...

4.5 StarsThis is the start to an epic piece of classic Chinese fantasy. Other reviewers have criticized the translation, but I can only comment as an English reader. Personally, I really enjoyed this one. This series certainly has a potential to be a favourite once I have read more of the books. The story is a great combination of politics, martial arts and loveable characters. The narrative manages to feel like a sweeping epic while also offering an intimate focus on the main characters. I desp...

Pre-review@0/03/2018:Legends of the Condor Heroes honestly is not my favorite Jin Yong's novel, the sequel which comes after it: Condor Lovers (or The Return of the Condor Heroes) and this stand-alone novel: Proud Smiling Wanderer, are my most favorites. However, I still whole-heartenedly wish for this English translation to perform well so more Jin Yong's novels will see the daylight in the English world!The publisher had marketed this book as an Eastern A Game of Thrones but I don't think it's...

I wanted to like this famous Chinese series, it looked amazing and a beautiful cover but maybe it’s the translation but it seemed amateurish and clumsy, I just couldn’t get in to this and I am so disappointed

Hey Ya’ll!This is my spoiler free review of A Hero Born by Jin Yong. Released on September 17th in America, this story was translated from the original Chinese and was actually published back in 1957. Jin Yong is known as the Chinese Tolkein, and I’ve never read Lord of the Rings but I was taken completely by surprise by how much I loved this book. I gave it four stars. Let’s get into the review.A big thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this book in exchange for m...

A Hero Born is the biggest disappointment of the year for me. I admit, I picked it up because it was called "Chinese Lord of the Rings". But sadly, such comparison only resulted in me having enormous expectations that were not met. Instead of epic powerful tale, all I got was boring story, poor storytelling and impersonal writing style that left me indifferent towards characters. Even fight scenes were super boring and I truly struggled to finish this book. I definitely will not continue reading...

DNF. I feel guilty about not finishing this, because I don’t even think there is anything particularly wrong with it, except that we are just not jiving right now.I attempted to read the introduction three times before I decided it was way too dry and skipped to the beginning. In the beginning, we meet two heroes, Skyfury Guo and Ironheart Yang, that feel earnest in their desire to be heroes, but also a little like SpongeBob and Patrick in their competence. I hate saying that- because I know thi...

Written by Jin Yong (pen name of Louis Cha), “A Hero Born” relates the tale of Guo Jing. The eventful backstory leading to his birth and through the next 18 years is filled with colorful characters and extensive battle scenes.The book would be a good fit for teenage boys craving action and adventure, and is reminiscent of martial arts movies. While I personally am not a huge fan of these flicks (and by extension, this book), one can’t help but get caught up in the story. Guo Jing is like a leaf