Classical Chinese Novel Popular Library -- Remnants of Sui History

Author: [Ming] Yuan Yuling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Remains of the Sui Dynasty History is a rediscovered masterpiece of popular fiction. Published at the end of the Ming Dynasty, it vanished from sight during the Qing Dynasty and was not rediscovered until the 1930s, only to be brought back into the light. The author of this book is the talented Suzhou scholar Yuan Yuling. He structured the entire narrative around the life experiences of Qin Qiong, drawing on materials from master scholars' historical notes and legends passed down through the streets and countryside. With his rich imagination, he vividly portrayed the "extraordinary emotions, chivalrous spirit, and elegant charm" of the heroes of the Sui and Tang dynasties in a vigorous and expressive style. The characters in the book each possess distinctive personalities: Qin Qiong is filial, righteous, deep, and wise; Shan Xiongxin is loyal, chivalrous, and generous; Cheng Yaojin is rough, straightforward, and endearingly simple; Luo Cheng is skilled, bold, and still immature. Their struggles in their humble and difficult early lives, as well as their adventures in the world, are deeply moving and stir the reader's joys, sorrows, worries, and delights. The creation of an excellent historical novel often involves a transition from storytelling about history to heroic legends, and the Shui Tang series of novels is no exception. The Remains of the Sui Dynasty History plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between the past and the future in this tradition.