Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Author: Luo Guanzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: This book is ingeniously conceived. The novel spans nearly a century in time, following a chronological order with Shu Han as the central focus, extending to Wei and Wu, layer by layer, with. The characters are vividly portrayed. The language is concise. The novel's language blends classical and vernacular styles, refined yet accessible, making it enjoyable for both the educated and the masses—“not too profound in literature, nor too vulgar in speech.” Romance of the Three Kingdoms was created by Luo Guanzhong based on the storytelling scripts of the Song and Yuan dynasties, drawing on the historical facts from Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi's annotations, while also incorporating folk legends. It is a historical novel that features a grand structure, depicting the highly complex political and military struggles from the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the unification of Western Jin over more than ninety years. It portrays numerous characters such as Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Cao Cao, showcasing the social turmoil and the profound suffering of the people caused by the rulers' relentless power struggles. It reflects the author's longing for political clarity and social stability, as well as his aspiration for an ideal political system and interpersonal relationships based on righteousness, trustworthiness, and mutual assistance. Its influence is immense and far-reaching, serving as a long-standing textbook for history, military strategy, and life lessons.