Legend of Condor Hero is based on the second novel of the Condor trilogy, written by wuxia author, Jin Yong. The title of the novel is Shen Diao Xia Lu (or lit. The Divine Eagle and its Companion, but more popularly translated as The Return of the Condor Heroes).
The novel is set in the beginning of the Mongolian invasion of ancient China and the decline of the once mighty Jin Dynasty (Jurchen).
Yang Guo, along with many of the main characters in the story, is from South Song, a small country of independent-minded citizens who once put up arms against the invading Jins and are now preparing to make their last stand against Kublai Khan's Mongolian horde at the capital, the walled city of Xiangnan.
While the story mainly relates how Yang Guo is able to overcome the obstacles of his love for Xiao Longnu (Confucian teachings forbid romantic love between a teacher and his student) and redeem his family name, once tarnished by his father (a Song citizen but adopted into the Jin royal family) who betrayed his country, the story also takes you right in the middle of a war. As such, it provides you with a fascinating look at one of the most turbulent moments of Chinese history.
In the end, Legend of Condor Hero is a historical epic laced with romance and heroism in a time of war. A good combination. What's even better about it is that it takes true-to-life characters from right off history books and breathes life into them, thus lending a certain level of realism to the story.
Of course, this being only an animation, it's not really the best way to experience the beauty of this novel or the language used by Jin Yong, but it is a start. And who knows, you might even want to buy the actual novel afterwards.
