Shiji: The Great Wall of History

Author: Cai Zhizhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: Some say, "Records of the Grand Historian" is the most beautiful and moving epic in China. I believe this long epic is filled with poignant emotions. The author, Sima Qian, the Grand Historian, is a figure both admirable and tragic. Why do I emphasize that Sima Qian was a tragic figure? Because he wrote "Records of the Grand Historian" with a sense of helplessness in his tragic worldview. Without grasping this personality trait of Sima Qian, it is difficult to grasp the spiritual pulse that runs through the entire work. The entire 130-volume "Records of the Grand Historian" includes [Basic Annals] recording the deeds of emperors; [Annals] listing events by year; [Books] recording documents; [Hereditary Houses] narrating the genealogies of feudal lords; and [Biographies] classifying and recording the deeds of people from various strata. The Grand Historian wrote "Records of the Grand Historian" with a serious ideological background—partly to fulfill his father's, and partly to emulate Confucius's great undertaking of [continuing the interrupted learning] in the Spring and Autumn Annals. However, in the [Biographies], he vividly portrayed his intense tragic personality.